Medvedev tries to quell Bolshoi uproar

MOSCOW, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Russia's president turned to Facebook to fire back at complaints about ticket scalping at the famed Bolshoi Theater.

President Dmitry Medvedev said there was no government plan to jack up the cost of admission for the Moscow theater, which re-opened Friday after six years of renovations.

"Tickets to the Bolshoi will not cost 2.5 million rubles ($84,100)," Medvedev scoffed in his posting.

Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said Sunday the complaints originated with online advertisements for opening night tickets being offered at astronomical prices by brokers. Friday tickets were supposed to be invitation only, and some of the brokers later blamed the advertisements and the accompanying sticker shock on a technical glitch.