Not sure if it's that they didn't get offers from the Mariinsky or if they chose the Bolshoi for more opportunities/concern about future security at the Mariinsky given the extensive restoration works over the next few years and Fadeyev's preference for non-Vaganova graduates, but this years Vaganova graduates are heading to the Bolshoi in what I feel must be close to record numbers.
From Kovaleva's class, Polina Gromova, Sofia Melnik and Arina Tseplyaeva all list the Bolshoi as their new theatre on instagram + were in the corps there for the recent La Sylphide run.
Then from Kasenkova's class you Diana Rumyantseva, Lidiya Sidorkina and Daria Pankova are also listing the Bolshoi as their new theater and have appeared on the stage there in the final pre-summer break performances Sidorkina (La Bayadere Shadows + La Sylphide corps), Pankova (La Bayadere D'Jampe + La Sylphide corps). Maria Glinskaya is also allegedly at the Bolshoi, but it isn't 100% clear from her instagram - she is just listing Moscow.
It's not that all these dancers would 100% have been stars at the Mariinsky (and I could see the Mariinsky being uninterested in Pankova for example who doesn't fit their preferred aesthetic and Sidorkina/Tseplyaeva/Rumyantseva/Glinskaya are also very slight but not super tall), but being realistic most of these girls are probably going to be corps/corphyee level at the Bolshoi, i.e. the same level of opportunity they likely would have had at the Mariinsky, but with the 'downside' of having to move to Moscow and compete with the BBA girls.
So far the only female graduate being linked to the Mariinsky is Vasilisa Ampleyeva from Kasenkova's class, which only makes the whole situation stranger because she is actually quite short even comparison to the other girls in her graduating year (definitely shorter than Sidorkina/Rumyantseva/Tseplyaeva - maybe even a little bit shorter than Pankoa as weell) . Something which is further evidenced by the fact she was partnered with Oshchepkov in the graduation performances who is not tall and is also usually paired with Aziz (very short by Vaganova/Mariinsky standards) - which would seem to rule out the possibility that the Mariinsky just wasn't interested in offering for Pankova/Sidorkina/Tseplyaeva etc due to their height.
From the top male graduates, it's been confirmed on the Vaganova VK that both Igor Gurin and Sergei Benedichuk are both also headed to the Bolshoi (which also feels crazy given the amount of young male depth at the Bolshoi comparative to the Mariinsky - but then again it's not like Fadeyev has any interest in developing or promoting the talented male Vaganova grads he already has)
Overall, an unusual situation.
Thank you for doing this digging, Anon! Class of 2026 is quite unusual. I also wonder if the Mariinsky took in dancers from Eifman & Perm over Vaganova, which that do from time to time.
Also, it appears that Biborka Lendavi is leaving, but not sure where to or why. Her departure opens up a spot in the corphyee rank.
Intrigue!
