52-year-old Nikolai Maximovich feels like a fully accomplished figure.
The biography of Nikolai Tsiskaridze is worthy of a film adaptation. And not all the stories from the dancer's life are happy.
In his memoirs, the former Bolshoi Theatre dancer recalled many terrifying incidents that could have ended very badly. Once, Tsiskaridze seriously injured himself during a performance, and those around him did not immediately realize that blood was gushing from the ballet star. On another occasion, Nikolai was unfortunate before a rehearsal at the Bolshoi. The artist stumbled and fell face down onto a huge metal structure for moving scenery, which was 'adorned with sharp spikes.' Tsiskaridze miraculously survived, although he ended up 'covered in bloody transverse stripes' — such was the force of the impact.
As for miracles, there were indeed many in Nikolai's life. Once in Georgia, while dancing in the ballet 'Sylphide,' the Bolshoi star felt unwell. Tsiskaridze felt as if he was dying. The events then unfolded unpredictably.
"They brought me home, half-alive, to our Tbilisi apartment with my mother. The neighbors immediately called a doctor. It turned out I had jaundice! But this is Georgia; someone immediately said, 'We need to urgently call a psychic!' No serious decision is made in Georgia without consulting a psychic. They called some famous woman, and she said, 'Oh, has he already died?' - 'What do you mean?' - 'I was there,' she said, 'at the performance, I saw him; there is a curse on him 'for death.' I didn't think it would take effect so quickly; I wanted to approach him after the performance, but I thought, he's a young guy, maybe he won't believe me...' - 'HE is alive!' - 'Alive?! Give him the phone!'" Tsiskaridze wrote in his memoirs 'My Theatre. Book One.'
The lady told Nikolai that he needed to fly to Moscow, where he would be hospitalized. She also instructed the dancer to drink two three-liter jars of broth. 'You need to drink it three times a day before meals in small cups. The most important thing is to believe no one! They will tell you that you will never get up, that you will never return, and so on. Don't listen to anyone, drink what I told you. You need to get THIS out of your body...' the sorceress urged Tsiskaridze.
