"The flying Tatar" Rudolf Nureyev: 10 facts about the legendary dancer

June 17, 1961, during the Paris tour of the Leningrad theatre of Opera and ballet named after S. M. Kirov (now Mariinsky) Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev requested political asylum.

Man-legend, man-scandal — this genius, it seems, was full of contradictions and mysteries. The boy who grew up in poverty, became the owner of a huge fortune. The dancer that made the world admire the Russian ballet, in whose veins there was not a drop of Russian blood. The ideal of courage on the stage, defiantly proclaiming to the world about his sexual orientation.

1. Rudolf Nureyev born on a train. By the time when his father, who served in Manchuria, was able to call to his wife and children, Farida Nureyev was in the last weeks of pregnancy. The woman was unable to survive 12 long days on the road, so the little Rudik was born under the sound of the wheels 17 March 1938.

2. At the end of life dancer was a very wealthy man, he even owned an island in the Mediterranean sea. However, the extravagance characteristic of some rich people, was completely alien to him. Rudolf believed every penny because it knew too well what hunger and poverty.

In the family Nurievich had four children. Money lacked: Rudik constantly wore things sisters, and one day, when the boy had to go to school, he didn't have any shoes, so his mother had to carry my son in class on the back.

3. Desire to connect his life with the ballet came to Nureyev at the age of 5, when mom first brought him to the show. But father, such a prospect is not happy. He was strongly against and whenever caught son for dancing, then got the belt and gave him a spanking. But Rudolph resisted as best he could, despite the threat of a parent, began to walk in a circle folk dance.

In 11 years, the talented boy was noticed former member of the troupe of Diaghilev Anna Udaltsova, who became his teacher. A little later he studied with Elena Vaitovich. These two women persuaded his pupil to enter the Leningrad choreographic school. Money for a ticket to the Northern capital Rudolph earned myself dance lessons.

4. In 1955, Nureyev was accepted to College, but because of their impulsive and dramatic character, he appeared several times on the verge of expulsion. For the first time this happened just a week after the start of classes. A novice dancer has not found common language with the teacher and principal of the school of Silk and asked to replace the teacher! Oddly, he made concessions, and thus Rudolph was in the class of Alexander Pushkin, with whom he had developed a great relationship.

5. In 1958, Nureyev was graduated, and was admitted to the theatre named after S. M. Kirov (now the Mariinsky theater). The leadership was afraid to take, though talented, but too wayward Rudolph on foreign tours. The visit of the troupe to Paris in 1961, like many others, had to go without him. However, at the last moment the receiving party has insisted that Nureyev arrived in France. Then still nobody knew that the star of the Soviet ballet will not want to return home.

6. 17 June in the French airport of Le Bourget; the artist said that it is urgently summoned to Moscow for performances in the Kremlin. After these words Rudolf I have made a decision that shocked the whole world: he decided not to return to the Union.

Seeing two policemen, the dancer came up to him and said, "I want to stay in your country". The guards took him to a special room and were warned that they would give about 40 minutes, so he could have a place to make a final decision and to sign the relevant documents. Naturally, all the papers were in French, their Nureeva translated by a Russian translator. She also tried to persuade the dancer to immediately get on a plane and fly to Moscow. To which he sharply replied, "Shut up!" and put the signature.

Rudolf remained in Paris alone, with 36 francs in my pocket. However, the prospect to face with poverty seemed to him more attractive than the return behind the iron curtain.

At first Nureyev tried to return. Relatives called him and asked to come to their senses. Not having desired, the father disowned his own son. The security services threatened the artist, interfered with his career, but it was useless, all of Europe was at the feet of the genius of Rudolph.

7. One of the most outstanding partners, who danced with Nureyev, was prima ballerina of the Royal ballet Margot Fonteyn. Their joint career began in 1962 in the ballet "Giselle" and lasted many years. It is believed that Margot and Rudolf were bound not only by business and friendly relations, but also love. Although this is no credible evidence, moreover, the actor was known for its unconventional orientation, and Fontaine was married.

8. 25 years Nureyev lived with a Danish dancer Eric Bruno until his death. This relationship was not a secret for anybody, but the artist much annoyed when journalists tried to get into his personal life, so he tried to keep contact with the representatives of the press to a minimum.

9. In 1989, Nureyev first returned home. And although he has twice performed on the stage of the Kirov theater, few viewers understood that before them — the legendary personality. The fact that after the escape of a dancer abroad, the country chose to forget about him and his inappropriate act.

10. In 1983, Rudolph was diagnosed with HIV. This disease became the main cause of his rather early death. The dancer died at the age of 55 and was buried at the Russian cemetery Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois near Paris. The design of the tomb of the artist doing the leading artist of the Paris Opera by Enzo Frigerio. Knowing the passion of his late friend collecting antique carpets, he created one of them on his tomb mosaic.