Speaking to the Daily Beast, former prima ballerina Anastasia Volochkova has claimed that the Bolshoi has become "a giant brothel", with ballerinas providing sexual services to the theatre's oligarch patrons. She had previously claimed in 2013 that "Girls... take turns... going to a party, with dinner and a follow-up, in bed, and going all the way."

The bombshell report goes onto state that Volochkova's allegation is slightly overblown, stressing that ballerinas are reportedly given the choice as to whether they wish to take part in sexual activity with patrons.

Image: Russian ballerina Anastasia Volochkova at a news conference in 2003 CREDIT: AP PHOTO/ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO