• People's Artist of Russia (2005) • Recipient of the Golden Sofit, St Petersburg's most prestigious theatre prize (2002, 2004 and 2008) Sergei Aleksashkin studied at the Saratov State Sobinov Conservatoire (1982). After graduating from the Conservatoire, he was engaged by the Saratov Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. He also trained at La Scala, Milan, from 1983–1984. Sergei Aleksashkin has been a Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1989.