Even if this is the guy who ordered the attack on the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, do we want to know why?

At right, the Bolshoi Ballet's Pavel Dmitrichenko, dancing in Ivan the Terrible in late 2012. Did Dmitrichenko orchestrate the throwing of acid in the face of Bolshoi Ballet artistic director Sergei Filin?

" 'I want to say that it doesn't matter how sharp is the conflict between people -- it doesn't mean anything,' she said. 'I think investigators should work and find proof. I would love to hope that the person standing behind this is outside the Bolshoi.' "

-- Bolshoi Ballet spokeswoman Katerina Novikova,
about the attack on director Filin

by Ken

I don't even remember what the particular atrocity was in the TV show or movie I was watching recently which prompted a character to say, "I can't believe someone would do such a thing." I just remember the comment sticking out, and seeming hard to believe. A person wouldn't really say such a silly thing, would he/she?

However, in real life we're reduced to saying it quite a lot, aren't we? It's the reaction I keep coming back to in the case of the January attack when the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, Sergei Filin, had a jar of sulfuric acid thrown in his face, and suffered burns to his face and eyes. As the NYT's Ellen Barry reports in a follow-up today, "Russian Retains Dancer in Bolshoi Acid Attack," Mr. Filin "has undergone a series of operations in hopes of preserving his eyesight and is receiving further treatment at a clinic in Germany."

According to Barry, the detainee, Pavel Dmitrichenko, a principal dancer who has been with the legendary Bolshoi company since 2002,

has never been discussed as a potential suspect, despite a deluge of commentary on behind-the-scenes power struggles at the Bolshoi. Katerina Novikova, the theater’s spokeswoman, said that she was not aware of any particular animosity between Mr. Dmitrichenko and Mr. Filin.

Nevertheless, Dmitrichenko, the third of three men arrested today, is suspected by Russian authorities of being the mastermind of the attack.

Witnesses said [Dmitrichenko] led the police to his apartment in Moscow early in the morning, and left with them after about 30 minutes.

An official at Russia’s Investigative Committee told the Interfax news agency that investigators believe Mr. Dmitrichenko ordered the attack. The man believed to have thrown the acid at Mr. Filin was identified as Yuri Zarutsky. The third man detained, said to have driven Mr. Zarutsky to the scene of the attack, was named as Andrei Lipatov. All three have been detained for 48 hours.

Which still leaves the matter of reconstructing a chain of events that leads to an acid-throwing attack that leaves a ballet impresario fighting to retain his vision. What sort of person does something like that?

Clearly at the time of her filing, the NYT's Barry (and Sophia Kishkovsky, who "contributed reporting" to this story) had had only limited access to members of the Bolshoi company. They seemed to be struggling to process the latest developments themselves.

A clue about the connecting link was provided by the Russian news channel Vesti, which "reported that the police had tracked the suspect down by checking the records of mobile telephone calls that were placed from the area around the attack."

So what could have been going on between director Filin and Dmitrichenko? Notwithstanding the statement of Bolshoi Ballet spokeswoman Katerina Novikova "that she was not aware of any particular animosity between Mr. Dmitrichenko and Mr. Filin."

Another dancer, Nikolai Tsiskaridze -- who has himself come under scrutiny because of his feud with Bolshoi management -- said the two men had come in conflict over grants paid to dancers. He said Mr. Dmitrichenko served on the company's commission on grants, and felt that Mr. Filin played favorites. "They clashed openly about money," Mr. Tsiskaridze said. "Everyone knew it."

Do you see acid flying yet? Okay, let's read on.

Mr. Tsiskaridze said Mr. Dmitrichenko was in a romantic relationship with a protégée and student of his, the dancer Anzhelina Vorontsova. Ms. Vorontsova's supporters say Mr. Filin has unfairly denied her starring roles because of feuding at the theater, something theater officials deny.

"I am really sorry for everyone," Mr. Tsiskaridze said after news of the detentions became public. He described Mr. Dmitrichenko as "a volatile person -- he might throw a punch," but added, "I don't think he is capable of this." He said he had not spoken to Ms. Vorontsova because she was dancing on Tuesday night, in the Balanchine ballet "Jewels."

Cue the acid? Hey, don't ask me. I'm a stranger here.

Okay, then there's this:

In a theater often torn between presenting modern repertoire and adhering to its classical roots, Mr. Dmitrichenko has gone on record as a passionate advocate of the second. He was so upset over a ballet writer's criticism about the Soviet-era choreographer who led the company for three decades, Yuri Grigorovich, that he posted a tirade on the Web site of her newspaper, Kommersant.

"All informed fans, viewers and especially artists laugh at your writings, because they display nothing but malice toward Grigorovich," he wrote, according to text that was published on ballet forums. "Grigorovich is a recognized genius in the whole world, and when you write poorly about him, you simply disgrace the newspaper which publishes your words."

Again, does this lead us up to the moment when that jar of acid comes hurtling toward director Filin's face? That still sounds pretty crazy. But then, somebody -- apparently somebody other than the actual acid-thrower, alleged to be Yuri Zarutsky -- set this unbelievable action in motion.

The Russian authorities seem to think they've solved the "who" of the crime. I hope they can tell us the "why" of it as well. Though I don't have much hope that even a convincingly accurate explanation, should we get one, is going to seem convincingly believable. Why would anyone do such a thing?

Alas, people being what they are, we have no guarantee of a "satisfactory" explanation.

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