Honestly, if you were watching Sex and the City when it first aired in the early 2000s, seeing Mikhail Baryshnikov show up felt like a fever dream. It was wild. One minute Carrie Bradshaw is dealing with a guy who breaks up with her on a Post-it note, and the next, she’s dating arguably the greatest ballet dancer who ever lived.
It was a pivot. A huge one.
Baryshnikov played Aleksandr Petrovsky, better known to fans simply as "The Russian." He wasn't just another boyfriend; he was the final boss before Carrie ultimately ended up with Mr. Big. But even decades later, people are still arguing about whether he was a romantic visionary or a pretentious nightmare.
How the legend ended up on HBO
You've probably wondered how a high-brow arts icon ended up on a show about cosmopolitans and designer shoes. It wasn't some corporate casting call. Actually, it was Sarah Jessica Parker’s idea. She was in the shower—literally—when it hit her. She realized the show needed someone who brought a totally different "weight" to the screen.
Someone worldly. Someone older.
She pitched the idea of Baryshnikov to executive producer Michael Patrick King, and they actually went to his house to convince him. It worked. Baryshnikov, who was 55 at the time, brought a level of gravitas that honestly made Carrie’s friends look a bit like teenagers. When Cynthia Nixon’s character, Miranda, had to call him "the old man" in a table read, she was apparently mortified. He just laughed it off.
The Petrovsky problem: Romance or red flags?
Petrovsky was the antithesis of the New York dating scene. He didn't play games. He didn't wait three days to call. Instead, he read her poetry, wrote her songs, and served her black cherry tea at 3:00 AM.
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Some fans loved it. Others? Not so much.
The relationship was filled with these weirdly specific, high-art moments. Remember when he took her to the opera and she fainted? Or the Oscar de la Renta dress? It felt like a fairytale, but a cold one. He was a workaholic. He was solitary. He told her flat-out that he didn't want more kids, but that she should have them if she wanted—just not with him.
The red flags were everywhere, but they were wrapped in $50,000 diamond necklaces.
That infamous Paris "slap"
We have to talk about the slap. It's the most debated moment of the entire series. When Carrie and Petrovsky are in Paris, things fall apart. She’s lonely, she’s lost her "splendid" necklace, and he’s obsessed with his art gallery opening.
During an argument, he turns around quickly and his hand catches her face.
Let's be clear about the facts:
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- The show frames it as an accident.
- Baryshnikov’s character is visibly shocked and apologetic immediately.
- Carrie later tells Big she "got slapped," but then admits it was an accident.
Even so, that moment was the nail in the coffin. It gave Carrie the "out" she needed to realize that her life in Paris was a mistake. She had given up her column, her friends, and her identity for a man who didn't actually have space for her.
Why the casting worked (and why it didn't)
The chemistry between SJP and Baryshnikov is... interesting. Some people think they had zero sparks. Others find their "mature" connection refreshing compared to the constant back-and-forth with Big.
One of the coolest behind-the-scenes bits is from the scene where Carrie is lying on the bed in that massive Versace gown. Petrovsky tells her she looks like "dessert" and starts playfully going under the skirt. That was actually an improvisation by Baryshnikov. SJP’s laughter in that scene? Totally real.
But ultimately, Petrovsky had to be the villain. The writers needed someone who could reasonably take Carrie away from New York so that Big could "save" her in the finale. Baryshnikov played the "partially available artist" so well that he became the guy everyone loved to hate.
Life after the tutu and the TV show
Mikhail Baryshnikov is 77 now. He still gets recognized as Aleksandr Petrovsky more than for his decades of legendary performances at the Kirov Ballet or the American Ballet Theatre.
He finds it ironic.
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He’s spent over 50 years as a titan of the theater, yet a few episodes of a romantic comedy-drama define his public persona for a whole generation. He doesn't seem to mind, though. He’s called the experience a "great school of professionalism" because of how fast TV moves compared to the stage.
What you can learn from the "Russian Era"
If you’re rewatching the show, pay attention to how much Carrie changes around him. She stops being the "main character" of her own life. It’s a classic cautionary tale about losing yourself in a partner’s world.
Key takeaways for fans:
- Watch the body language: Notice how Carrie shrinks in Petrovsky's apartment compared to how she owns the street in Manhattan.
- The "Accident" vs. Intent: The Paris episodes are a masterclass in showing how even a "good" life can be wrong if it’s not your life.
- Cultural Clashes: The show did a decent job of showing how American "dating" rules didn't apply to a man of Petrovsky’s background and age.
The next time you see a clip of the Russian, remember that you’re watching one of the most talented humans on earth play a guy who was basically designed to be a beautiful dead end.
If you're looking for more behind-the-scenes details on the series' filming locations, you should check out the history of the actual Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris where those final scenes were shot.