MOSCOW, November 29 – RAPSI. Bolshoi Ballet leading soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, who stands accused of masterminding an acid attack on Bolshoi Artistic Director Sergei Filin has already paid him 50,000 rubles (over $1,500) in compensation, RAPSI learnt in the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow as closing arguments in the case are presented Friday.

Dmitrichenko’s attorney has provided the court with the documents which confirm that the payments were made in two installments for pecuniary and moral damage.

Please find the full text coverage of the closing arguments hearing here.

It was revealed earlier that Filin had requested the initiation of a civil suit, seeking 508,000 rubles ($15,703) in pecuniary and 3 million ($92,733) in moral damage.

Bolshoi Artistic Director suffered third-degree burns to his face and eyes on January 17 when unknown assailants attacked him with what is believed to have been concentrated acid. Shortly after the attack, a Bolshoi Theater spokesperson confirmed that Filin had received various threats.

Three men were arrested in March in connection with the attack, including Dmitrichenko, the alleged attacker Yury Zarutsky and driver Andrei Lipatov.

Filin returned to Moscow last September after six months of treatment in a German hospital. He has undergone more than 20 eye surgeries, and German doctors said that Filins eyesight had improved significantly. After losing over 90 percent of his vision in his left eye and becoming totally blind in his right eye, 80 percent of the vision in his left eye has been restored, and he can distinguish big objects with his right eye.

Filin suggested that the aim of the attack may have been to remove him from his position as artistic director and to destroy the prestigious Moscow ballet company's reputation.