Renowned Russian Choreographer Yuri Grigorovich Dies at 98

Renowned Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich passed away on 19 May 2025 at the age of 98, according to his assistant Alexander Kolesnikov, as reported by TASS.

Grigorovich was one of the most influential figures in Soviet and Russian ballet during the second half of the 20th century. He served as chief choreographer and later artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet from 1964 to 1995, where he created and revived numerous landmark productions, including The Nutcracker, Ivan the Terrible, Angara, The Golden Age, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Giselle, and La Bayadère. His work was known for its grand scale, dramatic intensity, and distinctive narrative style, shaping generations of Russian ballet.

Born in Leningrad in 1927, Grigorovich was accepted into the Leningrad Choreographic School as a child. He began his professional career at the Kirov Theatre (now the Mariinsky Theatre) in 1946 as a dancer and choreographer. He later brought his vision to the Bolshoi Theatre, where he led the ballet company through a period of artistic dominance.

Beyond his choreographic achievements, Grigorovich played a pivotal role in international ballet development. He served as jury chair for numerous competitions, including the Benois de la Danse and the Young Ballet of the World competition in Sochi, which he helped establish in 2006. From 1973 to 1988, he was a professor at the Leningrad Conservatory, and from 1988 until his death, he led the choreography and ballet studies department at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography.

He received numerous accolades throughout his life, including the title of People’s Artist of the USSR (1973), the USSR State Prize, the Golden Mask Theatre Award, the Russian Federation State Prize for Literature and the Arts, and the Orders “For Merit to the Fatherland” (1st, 2nd, and 3rd class).

A public farewell will take place on 23 May at the historic stage of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Grigorovich is remembered not only as a choreographer of rare stature but as a central figure in Russian cultural history.