Evgeny Mironov: Ufa - Russian theater capital

The festival of small-town theaters, which will take place in Ufa from June 2 to 9, is organized by the Moscow Theater of Nations with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Evgeny Mironov’s charitable foundation “Theater Initiatives,” the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bashkortostan, and the administration of Ufa.

16 creative groups from different regions of Russia came to the festival: the republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, and the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra; Perm, Krasnoyarsk territories; Pskov, Kemerovo, Sverdlovsk and Irkutsk regions. By the decision of the expert council, performances from theaters from Novouralsk, Prokopyevsk, Sterlitamak, Gubakha, Velikie Luki, Serov, Berezniki, Bratsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Kudymkar, Glazov, Almetyevsk, Novokuznetsk, Kansk, Nyagan were selected for the competition program.

The famous artist shared his impressions of visiting the recently opened Fyodor Chaliapin Museum of Music in Ufa: “I advise our guests to go to the Chaliapin Museum. It’s just wonderful - like a small box - interactive, modern, just lovely!”

The festival jury, headed by director, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Adolf Shapiro, included People's Artist Olga Ostroumova and leading theater critics. They will have to determine the winners in the categories: “Best large-form performance” and “Best small-form Performance,” “Best male role,” “Best female role,” and “Nadezhda” prizes. Laureates in large and small forms will traditionally present their works in Moscow, on the stage of the Theater of Nations.

On the opening day, June 3, the festival presented a guest performance, “Dead Souls” by the Novosibirsk Red Torch Theater, staged by director Andrey Prikotenko based on Gogol’s poem.

Author: Leila Aralbaeva