Yuri Soloviev
Encyclopedia
Yuri Vladimirovich Soloviev (1940–77) was a premier danseur of the Kirov Ballet, born in Leningrad
, Russia. He was a contemporary of Rudolf Nureyev
and Mikhail Baryshnikov
, partner of Natalia Makarova
, Alla Sizova
, and others.
He began his ballet training at 9 years old and, for the last 4 years of his schooling, was a student of Boris Shavrov. He was in the same graduating class at the Vaganova Academy as Rudolf Nureyev. Initially, Soloviev joined the Kirov as a corps member but quickly rose to the rank of soloist. He was Rudolf Nureyev's roommate during the company's tour to Paris when that dancer defected to the west during which Soloviev also received rave reviews from the French and British dance critics. In later years Nureyev would often express admiration for Soloviev's dancing, despite their rivalry.
Known as Cosmic Yuri by Western
and Soviet audiences for his soaring leaps and Slavic-featured resemblance to Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
, the first man in space. He was compared to Vaslav Nijinsky
for his technique, particularly his elevation. In 1961 and 1964, he toured US with Kirov Ballet. His most famous roles were the Bluebird and Prince in The Sleeping Beauty and Solor in La Bayadère
. He also originated roles in new ballets including Icarus in the ballet of the same name, "God" in The Creation of the World (both by Leonid Jacobson), the Young Man in Leningrad Symphony and the Man in Konstantin Sergeyev's The Distant Planet.
In 1963 he was awarded the Nijinsky Prize by the Paris Academy of Dance. He was a Gold Medal winner at the Paris International Dance Competition in 1965, and was made a People's Artist of the USSR in 1973.
In film, he starred in role of Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty (1965). He was also featured in several documentaries
, including one by Galina Mshanskaya's "I am tired of living in my native land" (1995), shown in the Lincoln Center as well as other film festivals in United States.
On January 12, 1977 he was found dead at his dacha
near Leningrad from a shotgun
wound to his head, presumably self-inflicted. His death devastated his colleagues at the Kirov. He was survived his wife, ballerina Tatiana Legat and their daughter, dancer Elena Solovieva.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia. He was a contemporary of Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
and Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
, partner of Natalia Makarova
Natalia Makarova
Nataliya Romanovna Makarova is the legendary Soviet-Russian-born prima ballerina. The History of Dance, published in 1981, notes that “Her performances set standards of artistry and aristocracy of dance which mark her as the finest ballerina of her generation.” She has also won awards as an...
, Alla Sizova
Alla Sizova
Alla Sizova is a twentieth-century ballet dancer, best known for her work with the Kirov Ballet. She was the preferred dance partner of Rudolph Nureyev before his defection, and Nureyev is rumoured to have said in his later years that Sizova was the only thing that could conceivably entice him...
, and others.
He began his ballet training at 9 years old and, for the last 4 years of his schooling, was a student of Boris Shavrov. He was in the same graduating class at the Vaganova Academy as Rudolf Nureyev. Initially, Soloviev joined the Kirov as a corps member but quickly rose to the rank of soloist. He was Rudolf Nureyev's roommate during the company's tour to Paris when that dancer defected to the west during which Soloviev also received rave reviews from the French and British dance critics. In later years Nureyev would often express admiration for Soloviev's dancing, despite their rivalry.
Known as Cosmic Yuri by Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
and Soviet audiences for his soaring leaps and Slavic-featured resemblance to Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
, the first man in space. He was compared to Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish descent, cited as the greatest male dancer of the 20th century. He grew to be celebrated for his virtuosity and for the depth and intensity of his characterizations...
for his technique, particularly his elevation. In 1961 and 1964, he toured US with Kirov Ballet. His most famous roles were the Bluebird and Prince in The Sleeping Beauty and Solor in La Bayadère
La Bayadère
La Bayadère is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. La Bayadère was first performed by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on...
. He also originated roles in new ballets including Icarus in the ballet of the same name, "God" in The Creation of the World (both by Leonid Jacobson), the Young Man in Leningrad Symphony and the Man in Konstantin Sergeyev's The Distant Planet.
In 1963 he was awarded the Nijinsky Prize by the Paris Academy of Dance. He was a Gold Medal winner at the Paris International Dance Competition in 1965, and was made a People's Artist of the USSR in 1973.
In film, he starred in role of Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty (1965). He was also featured in several documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, including one by Galina Mshanskaya's "I am tired of living in my native land" (1995), shown in the Lincoln Center as well as other film festivals in United States.
On January 12, 1977 he was found dead at his dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
near Leningrad from a shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
wound to his head, presumably self-inflicted. His death devastated his colleagues at the Kirov. He was survived his wife, ballerina Tatiana Legat and their daughter, dancer Elena Solovieva.