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Former Miss Italy finalist Gessica Notaro has returned to work as a sea lion trainer, five months after being severely disfigured by acid thrown in her face.

The 28-year-old said that she was doing so to encourage other women to fight back against bullying.

Gessica Notaro posted a picture of herself on social media with sea lions at the aquarium where she works in east Italy.

Her former boyfriend is being prosecuted over the attack but denies any involvement.

Gessica Notaro is scheduled to host the aquarium’s night-time performances later this year at the Adriatic resort of Rimini.

She was in danger of losing the sight in her left eye in the aftermath of the attack.

Gessica Notaro has had several operations since, and her injured eye remains bandaged.

In a Facebook post, the former Miss Italy finalist said: “My strength? Here it is,” as she touched a sea lion.

Gessica Notaro’s story caught the public imagination when she revealed her suffering on social media.

In April, she went on national TV to denounce former boyfriend Jorge Edson Tavares.

“I want you to see what he did to me. This isn’t love,” Gessica Notaro said.

“While the acid ate away at my face I was on my knees praying to God to take away my beauty but at least leave me with my sight.”

Gessica Notaro broke up with Jorge Edson Tavares last summer.

After she went to police to complain that she was being stalked, a restraint order was imposed on him.

On January 10, Gessica Notaro was doused in hydrochloric acid by a man she identified as Jorge Edson Tavares.

Jorge Edson Tavares has strenuously denied any involvement in the attack.

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Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko has been jailed for six years for organizing an acid attack on company’s artistic director Sergei Filin.

Two fellow defendants were jailed for 10 and four years.

Sulphuric acid was thrown at Sergei Filin outside his Moscow flat in January, badly damaging his eyesight.

Pavel Dmitrichenko had admitted he wanted Sergei Filin “roughed up” but had denied wanting acid thrown into his face.

Investigators said Pavel Dmitrichenko had organized the attack because of a conflict with Sergei Filin.

The case has revealed bitter rivalries and infighting at the Bolshoi, one of Russia’s most famous ballet and opera companies.

Pavel Dmitrichenko’s fellow defendant Yuri Zarutsky, a former convict, admitted actually throwing the acid. He was sentenced to ten years.

The third man accused, Andrei Lipatov, drove Yuri Zarutsky to and from the scene of the attack. He was given four years’ prison.

Pavel Dmitrichenko has been jailed for six years for organizing an acid attack on Bolshoi's artistic director Sergei Filin

Pavel Dmitrichenko has been jailed for six years for organizing an acid attack on Bolshoi’s artistic director Sergei Filin

“Their guilt in committing the crime has been established in full,” judge Yelena Maximova at Moscow court said.

Yuri Zarutsky had argued that throwing acid in Sergei Filin’s face was his own idea. Andrei Lipatov said he had not known where he was taking the other man.

Since the attack near his home in Moscow on 17 January, Sergei Filin has had more than 20 operations to try to save his eyesight.

Following treatment in Germany, Sergei Filin returned to Moscow. Wearing dark glasses he gave evidence at the trial.

“The pain was immense and instant,” he said of the attack.

“It had been a beautiful winter night: silent, white, great drifts of snow falling upon snow. I began scooping up handfuls of it and pressing them into my eyes and cheeks to relieve the agony.”

Sergei Filin denied he had had any conflict with Pavel Dmitrichenko, whom he accused of seeking to damage his reputation before the attack through false allegations of affairs with ballerinas and favoritism.

Defense witnesses sought to portray Sergei Filin as authoritarian while Pavel Dmitrichenko was portrayed as a champion of other performers who feared to speak out against the artistic director.

The Bolshoi has undergone a number of changes, appointing a new director, Vladimir Urin.

On Monday, the sudden resignation of the Bolshoi’s music director and chief conductor, Vasily Sinaisky, was announced without explanation.

Vasily Sinaisky made no comment on his departure, according to Russian media. He had been due to conduct Verdi’s opera Don Carlos, which is premiering at the theatre in two weeks.

In another development, the Bolshoi said it was not renewing the contract of an aide to Sergei Filin, Dilyara Timergazina. Her contract expires at the end of this year.

A source told Russian daily Izvestia that Sergei Filin himself would no longer work for the company after his own contract expired in 2016.

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The Bolshoi has announced it will not renew the contract of veteran dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who has been in open conflict with the theatre since the acid attack on its artistic director Sergei Filin.

Nikolai Tsiskaridze, 39, who has been at the Bolshoi since 1992, is one of the theatre top talents.

He sparked conflict when he accused bosses of using the attack on Sergei Filin to conduct a witch hunt against him.

A spokeswoman said Nikolai Tsiskaridze, would leave at the end of the month.

“I can confirm that yesterday Tsiskaridze was given notice that his fixed-term contracts will not be renewed. His contract runs out June 30,” Katerina Novikova told Rossiya 24 on Saturday.

Katerina Novikova refused to give a reason for the decision.

In an NTV television interview on Sunday, Nikolai Tsiskaridze questioned the theatre’s right to let him go.

Dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who has been at the Bolshoi since 1992, is one of the theatre top talents

Dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who has been at the Bolshoi since 1992, is one of the theatre top talents

“To be honest, this is still not clear, because I’m on staff as a ballet artiste,” he said.

“When I was taken on, I joined the staff. I didn’t sign any paper to be released from this. It’s all very confusing.”

Earlier this year, the Bolshoi filed two reprimands against Nikolai Tsiskaridze for giving unauthorized interviews after the attack on Sergei Filin in January.

Under Russian law, multiple reprimands can be grounds for dismissal.

Nikolai Tsiskaridze appealed and a Moscow court annulled one of the reprimands.

In his outspoken interviews, Nikolai Tsiskaridze complained of corruption and called for the theatre’s entire management to be sacked and for himself to be put in charge.

It led to a tit-for-tat response from Bolshoi director Anatoly Iksanov, who suggested Nikolai Tsiskaridze might have played a role in inciting the attack on Sergei Filin, which left him with severe burns to his face and fighting to save his sight.

Nikolai Tsiskaridze has denied having anything to do with the attack and insists the Bolshoi has been trying to drive him out.

Soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two alleged accomplices have been charged in connection with the attack and are in jail awaiting trial.

In March, Pavel Dmitrichenko admitted to discussing the attack but denied ordering the use of acid.

They face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.

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Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, may recover enough of his sight to work again, doctors treating him at a German hospital have said.

Sergei Filin was the victim of an acid attack in January that damaged his eyes and disfigured his face.

He appeared at a news conference alongside doctors, wearing dark glasses, a scarf and a hat to cover much of his damaged skin.

Pavel Dmitrichenko, a dancer at the Balshoi Ballet, has been arrested over the attack.

He is accused of masterminding the attack, in which a masked man threw sulphuric acid in Sergei Filin’s face.

At Friday’s news conference Dr. Martin Hermel, a surgeon at the Aachen University Clinic where Sergei Filin is being treated, said there was “good hope for regaining usable vision” that may allow him to return to work.

But doctors also warned that “such chemical damage to the eyes demands complex, long-term treatment”, and predicted that Sergei Filin would spend “months rather than weeks” in treatment.

When he went to Germany for treatment in February he told reporters his vision was “foggy”.

Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, may recover enough of his sight to work again

Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, may recover enough of his sight to work again

At the press conference Sergei Filin demonstrated how doctors were testing his vision by asking him to count fingers held in front of his face.Doctors also warned that scarring caused by the acid would probably be permanent.

“The acid destroyed all layers of the skin of the face,” said Prof. Norbert Pallua, his plastic surgeon.

Sergei Filin said he was “not scared” by the prospect of returning to work at the ballet, despite the allegations that Pavel Dmitrichenko was responsible for the attack.

He did not comment on a letter sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin in defence of Pavel Dmitrichenko, signed by more than 300 members of the ballet company.

Sergei Filin has claimed that he knows who his attacker is, and said some people had disliked the way he was taking the ballet company, which is known for its infighting and rivalries.

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Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two other men have confessed to an acid attack on Sergei Filin, the company’s artistic director, say Moscow police.

Pavel Dmitrichenko – the alleged mastermind of the attack – was detained on Tuesday with Yuri Zarutsky, suspected of carrying it out.

A man accused of driving a getaway vehicle is also being held.

Sergei Filin’s eyesight was badly damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face in January.

After a series of operations on his eyes, Sergei Filin has been moved to Germany, where doctors have expressed hope that months of further treatment may be able to restore good vision.

Sergei Filin, 42, also suffered facial disfigurement during the January 17 attack, outside his Moscow home.

It opened a window into bitter infighting and rivalries inside the Bolshoi theatre, shocking Russians, correspondents say.

Pavel Dmitrichenko’s flat was searched by Moscow police on Tuesday before all three suspects were confirmed as being detained. They have been held overnight.

“At the current time all three have signed confessions and have been placed under arrest,” Moscow police said on Wednesday.

“The necessary investigative work is being undertaken to establish all the circumstances of the crime.”

Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two other men have confessed to an acid attack on Sergei Filin

Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two other men have confessed to an acid attack on Sergei Filin

Confessions are common in Russia, though often the accused later complain of mistreatment.

Pavel Dmitrichenko, who has been with the troupe since 2002, is not one of the half-dozen very senior male dancers at the company, known as premiers, but he is a leading soloist one level down.

He has been performing the lead role in Sergei Prokofiev’s Ivan The Terrible.

It is unclear whether Yuri Zarutsky or the alleged driver, named as Andrei Lipatov, have any connection to the Bolshoi.

Police have questioned several Bolshoi employees as potential witnesses.

They are treating the attack as a premeditated act of grievous bodily harm, motivated by Sergei Filin’s professional activities.

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Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko has been detained by police, suspected of ordering an acid attack on artistic director Sergei Filin.

Dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko is being held along with Yuri Zarutsky, who is suspected of carrying out the attack, Russia’s interior ministry says.

Sergei Filin’s eyesight was badly damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face in January.

A third person, suspected of being the attacker’s driver, is also being held.

He has been named as Andrei Lipatov.

It is not clear whether Yuri Zarutsky or Andrei Lipatov have any connection to the Bolshoi.

Pavel Dmitrichenko’s flat was searched by Moscow police on Tuesday before he was confirmed as being detained.

The dancer, who has been with the troupe since 2002, has been performing the lead role in Sergei Prokofiev’s Ivan The Terrible.

A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi Theatre, speaking before Pavel Dmitrichenko was detained, said the company was hopeful that the crime would be solved.

Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko has been detained by police, suspected of ordering an acid attack on artistic director Sergei Filin

Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko has been detained by police, suspected of ordering an acid attack on artistic director Sergei Filin

Katerina Novikova said she did not know of any dispute between the dancer and Sergei Filin, Reuters reports.

The mid-January attack shocked the arts world. It came after a period of infighting at the Bolshoi, one of Russia’s most prestigious ballet companies.

Sergei Filin, 42, was released from hospital in Moscow last month for follow-up treatment in Germany. He will have further plastic surgery and a lengthy convalescence.

The artistic director was badly burned during the attack, which happened in the street as he returned to his home in Moscow late at night.

It appears the assailant called out to the artistic director by name, then splashed him before fleeing from the scene.

A security camera apparently captured grainy footage of the event.

Sergei Filin said later he was certain who was behind the attack, but would only speak after an announcement by investigators.

He argued the aim of the attack had been to remove him from his post, adding that he had long been the target of threats.

Police have questioned several Bolshoi employees as potential witnesses.

They are treating the attack as a premeditated act of grievous bodily harm, motivated by Sergei Filin’s professional activities.

German doctors think they can restore some of Sergei Filin’s sight.

A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi said they hoped Sergei Filin would return to the company for their trip to London this summer.

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Russian police in Moscow have brought in for questioning a suspect in the acid attack on the Bolshoi Ballet’s artistic director, Sergei Filin.

A brief report on the police website said the unnamed person was “one of the suspects” in the attack on January 17, which shocked the arts world.

“The necessary investigative measures are now being taken,” it added.

Sergei Filin’s eyesight was damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face.

He was released from hospital in Moscow last month for follow-up treatment in Germany.

Sergei Filin will have further plastic surgery and a lengthy convalescence.

The flat of a Bolshoi ballet dancer, soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, was searched by Moscow police on Tuesday, a separate brief report on the police website said. There was no suggestion of a link to the detained suspect.

The attack on Sergei Filin came after a period of infighting at the Bolshoi, one of Russia’s most prestigious ballet companies.

Unnamed sources quoted by Russian media say the suspect is a man who was detained early on Tuesday in a town near Moscow. He is not connected to the Bolshoi, the Russian website Life News reports.

Searches are reported to be under way at the suspect’s home and other addresses connected to him.

Sergei Filin's eyesight was damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face

Sergei Filin’s eyesight was damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face

Sergei Filin, 42, was badly burned during the attack, which happened in the street as he returned to his home in Moscow late at night.

It appears the assailant called out to the artistic director by name, then splashed him before fleeing from the scene.

A security camera apparently captured grainy footage of the event.

The artistic director said later he was certain who was behind the attack, but would only speak after an announcement by investigators.

Sergei Filin argued the aim of the attack had been to remove him from his post, adding that he had long been the target of threats.

Police have questioned several Bolshoi employees as potential witnesses.

They are treating the attack as a premeditated act of grievous bodily harm, motivated by Sergei Filin’s professional activities.

German doctors think they can restore some of Sergei Filin’s sight.

A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi said they hoped Sergei Filin would return to the company for their trip to London this summer.

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Sergei Filin, artistic director of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre, is being treated in a Moscow hospital for severe burns to his face after a masked man threw acid in his face, police say.

The attack happened late on Thursday as Sergei Filin, an award-winning ballet star, was walking home in central Moscow.

Doctors are now fighting to save his eyesight and Interfax news agency says he will be sent to a clinic abroad.

A Bolshoi spokesman said Sergei Filin, 42, had suffered months of threats.

According to local media, it is suspected that he was the victim of infighting and rows between different groups of dancers at the Bolshoi.

According to the Bolshoi statement, the assailant shouted to Sergei Filin as he was approaching the entrance to his apartment block, then threw acid in Filin’s face.

Sergei Filin then got help from a warden keeping watch over nearby cars.

The theatre’s executive director, Anatoly Iksanov, told Russian television that Sergei Filin was “uncompromising” in his management style.

“If he thought a performer was unready to play a certain role, or incapable of it, he would not let the performer do it,” he said.

Tensions at the Bolshoi over its artistic programme have been widely reported in Russian media.

Sergei Filin, artistic director of Russia's Bolshoi Theatre, is being treated in a Moscow hospital for severe burns to his face after a masked man threw acid in his face

Sergei Filin, artistic director of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre, is being treated in a Moscow hospital for severe burns to his face after a masked man threw acid in his face

In 2011 two ballet stars – Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev – resigned in protest at the Bolshoi’s new repertoire.

At the time of Sergei Filin’s appointment the head of the Bolshoi’s ballet troupe, Gennady Yanin, resigned after erotic photographs purporting to be him were posted on a website.

Another celebrated performer, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, sharply criticized Sergei Filin in early 2012.

Sergei Filin:

  • 1970 – born in Moscow
  • 1988 – began dancing at Bolshoi
  • Winner of Russian and international awards
  • Performs abroad, including at Covent Garden, London
  • 2008 – dancing career ends
  • March 2011 – takes over as Bolshoi artistic director

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