The ballerina says she could not imagine life without ice-cream

Alexander Pochinok said the company broke labour laws when it fired Anastasia Volochkova.

Volochkova's departure has caused a media storm after she accused the ballet of conspiring against her.

But the ballet says that Volochkova, one of Russia's most famous ballerinas, is simply too heavy for male dancers to lift.

'Physical problem'

"The Bolshoi Theatre personnel department has breached the law. The inspectorate said that Anastasia Volochkova should be restored to her position," said Mr Pochinok.

It is not yet clear how the Bolshoi will respond to the minister's criticism.

At the time of her dismissal, the Bolshoi defended her sacking, saying her height and weight made it impossible to find partners.

"Her physical form is definitely a serious problem," Bolshoi director Anatoly Iksanov told Russian television in remarks reported by news agency AFP.

"Classical ballet is intended for duets, with many lifts, and the ballet's artists are not in condition to support this, since they themselves are worried about their physical form," Mr Iksanov added.

"I don't consider it moral to force them to do so."

Ice cream diva

But Ms Volochkova has hit back. "Each time, in different interviews, I am given an extra centimetre, first five, now 12," she said.

"The director is starting to make up excuses to stop me working at this theatre," she added.

Unlike most ballerinas, who are notorious for watching their weight, Ms Volochkova has said she could not imagine life without ice cream.

Her spokesman said she was 169 cm (5 feet 7 inches) tall and weighed 50 kg (110 pounds), Reuters news agency reported.

The Russian press has speculated that Ms Volochkova's size may be just one part of the story.

The business paper Kommersant reported recently that the theatre bosses had trouble dealing with her equally large ego.