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Ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya dies in Germany

Plisetskaya to be buried in Russia

MOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/. World-renowned ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya died of a heart failure in Germany on Saturday, Bolshoi Director General Vladimir Urin told TASS.

"The dancer's spouse Rodion Shchedrin called me," Urin said. "She died of a heart failure. Doctors struggled to save her but could do nothing."

Plisetskaya to be buried in Russia

"It is hard to speak about it," Urin said. "In recent days we met with Maya Mikhailovna [her Russian patronymic] in Moscow to talk about her birthday celebrations on November 20 and we were planning a gala concert in her honour. Maya Mikhailovna was in good health and nothing meant trouble. I rarely say such words but in this case an epoch has gone, the epoch that was genuine, personal and highly educated. Plisetskaya was a great ballet dancer and a great woman."

Plisetskaya’s husband, Rodion Shchedrin, is in a deep emotional state, he said.

"It is difficult to discuss funeral issues with him but Plisetskaya will be buried in Russia, for sure," the Bolshoi director general said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered deep, sincere condolences on the death of celebrated Russian ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya to her family, friends and admirers, the Kremlin press service said on Saturday.

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