.svg)
One of ballet's top male dancers, Vladimir Shklyarov, passed away, and the ballet community is in grief.
According to one tribute, Shklyarov, a principal at the esteemed Mariinsky Theatre, was a "extraordinary artist" who inspired admirers all across the world.
According to Russian media, federal officials are looking into his death, which was reported by the St Petersburg firm on Saturday.
Mariinsky representatives told media he had fallen from the fifth floor of a St Petersburg building while on painkillers.
"This is a huge loss not only for the theatre's staff but for all of contemporary ballet," the company said in a statement on Saturday.
"Our condolences to the artist’s family, loved ones, friends and all the numerous admirers of his work and talent."
Shklyarov was married to fellow company dancer Maria Shklyarov, with whom he had two children.
Born in Leningrad, he studied at the famed Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, graduating in 2003.
He joined the Mariinsky Theatre the same year, becoming a principal in 2011.
Over 20 years with the company, he danced leads across several productions, including Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.
He performed at prestigious venues around the world, including the Royal Opera House in London and Metropolitan Opera in New York.
In 2014 and 2015, he featured as a guest artist at the American Ballet Theatre. The company issued a statement on Sunday mourning his "tragic loss."
"We mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide.
"Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world," the company wrote on Instagram.
Shklyarov received several accolades during his lifetime, including the LĂ©onide Massine International Prize in 2008. He was also appointed an Honoured Artist of Russia in 2020.
"He forever inscribed his name in the history of world ballet," the Mariinsky Theatre said.
