A pole dancer is suing Russia’s top ski resort claiming a falling pine tree on a piste ended her career.
Maria Sirotenko, 29, suffered 17 fractures when she was hit on her snowboard at Roza Khutor.
She needed three major surgical operations which now allows her to walk again - but she is permanently registered as disabled.
Her career as a pole dancer and actress in Novosibirsk is over, according to her legal claim against the popular snow-and-sea resort, venue of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Maria was queueing at a ski lift when a 70ft pine tree fell on her, trapping the woman.
A video shows skiers desperately trying to lift the tree from her.
A dozen men failed to budge it and she was only freed after rescuers used chainsaws to cut the trunk.
She suffered head injuries, a multiple hip fracture, and five broken vertebrae in her back.
She also had broken ribs and shoulder bones.
Maria - who also worked as an eyelash extension artist before the accident - has put on almost two stone in weight since the tree fall changed her life, say reports.
A criminal case has been launched into the case but Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP) newspaper revealed that the ex-pole dancer is also seeking exemplary moral damages from the five-star resort.
State prosecutor Olga Pedriko said the claimant wanted £60,000 in medical fees beyond money already paid by the resort for the 2018 accident.
But she is also suing for half the fine paid for negligence by the owners of Roza Khutor ski resort, the amount for which is still to be determined.
A spokesman for Rosa Khutor said: “After the accident the resort volunteered to pay for the injured snowboarder’s medical treatment and rehabilitation period.”
Additionally money was paid also “as support in the hard situation” in which the pole-dncer found herself.
He refused to state the amount paid, said KP.
