RUSSIAN BALLET PATRIARCH YURI GRIGOROVICH DIES AT 98

Legendary Russian ballet figure Yuri Grigorovich, who was the lead choreographer at Moscow's famed Bolshoi Theatre for three decades, has died aged 98.

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Born in the Soviet city of Leningrad to a ballet family, Grigorovich's career — as a dancer and choreographer — spanned 80 years.

For much of it, he was the artistic powerhouse behind the Bolshoi, which he was said to have run with an iron fist.

"Yuri Grigorovich, one of the key figures in the world of ballet in the second half of the 20th century, has died," the Bolshoi said on social media.

President Vladimir Putin called him "an exceptional and hardworking choreographer, and a creator who personified an entire era", in a statement published by the Kremlin.