Makhar Vaziyev has been named artistic director of the famed Bolshoi ballet company in Moscow.
Vaziyev, 54, has been the ballet director of Milan's La Scala theater since 2009. Previously, he was director of St. Petersburg's Marinsky Theater from 1995 to 2008.
Vaziyev will replace Sergei Filin, who made headlines in January 2013 when he was the victim of an acid attack organized by Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko. Filin suffered permanent eye damage in that attack.
The incident led to revelations of bitter backstage rivalries and scandalous accusations that Filin made artistic decisions on the basis of bribes and sexual extortion.
Bolshoi Theater General Director Vladimir Urin said on October 26 that Filin had been offered another post at the theater, but had not yet accepted or rejected it.