Over 300 cast and crew members of the Bolshoi Theatre signed a letter in support of Pavel Dmitrichenko - a suspect of masterminding an acid attack on the theatre's artistic director.

      The Bolshoi's crew addressed the letter to the Russian president, government, media and theatrical society. Dmitrichenko's supporters believe he could not have done that crime and called on the media to stop labeling him a "criminal" before a court issues an official conviction. They also accused the invesigation of being too rushed and made a supposition that Pavel's testimony was given under pressure.

      A masked attacker threw concentrated acid into the face of Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi’s artistic director, on January 17 in Moscow and fled the scene. Filin suffered severe burns to his face and eyes, he is now undergoing treatment in Germany. Later the police detained three suspects over the case. The Bolshoi Theatre's solo dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko, 29, confessed last week to organizing the attack, but later changed his statement.