Nijinsky entered into a relationship with Romola Pulszky, a Hungarian countess who he soon married. The new romance spelled the end of his physical and artistic relationship with Diaghilev. He was expelled from the troop unceremoniously.
He had a nervous breakdown in 1919 and was diagnosed with schizophrenia the same year. His wife took him to Switzerland for treatment which ultimately failed and he spent the rest of his remaining life going in and out of psychiatric institutions.
During the last days of WWII he danced in public for the very last time. He came across a group of Russian soldiers decamped outside of Vienna, playing traditional folk tunes. Inspired by the music and his reunion with his countrymen, he leapt into an exquisite dance, astounding the men with the complexity and grace of his moves. The experience managed to restore some of Nijinsky’s capacity for communication, after having been almost absolutely silent for years.
He died in a London clinic in 1950. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Putin.
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