The XXIX International Festival of Theatrical Arts will be held in Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa.

The XXIX International Festival of Theatrical Arts named after F.M. Dostoevsky announces the dates. The festival will be held from October 31 to November 4, 2025 in Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa. It will become a space for creativity, the exchange of ideas and a deep love for Russian culture. The president of the festival is People's Artist of Russia, actor and director Mikhail Porechenkov. The general producer is Maxim Korolev.

"The F.M. Dostoevsky International Festival of Theatrical Arts is an important event that provides a unique opportunity to get acquainted with world theatrical traditions. Based on the love of Russian classics, creative teams from different countries, different approaches, and different schools unite. Our region, with its rich history, is becoming a platform for intensive cultural exchange, which contributes to the strengthening of international relations and the development of art on a global level," said Alexander Dronov, Acting Governor of the Novgorod Region.

"Last year, the festival was held in a teaser format, but we managed to carry out all our plans. There are still a lot of ideas, and the plans remain ambitious. We are going to expand the geography of the festival and increase the number of participants. The audience is waiting for interesting Russian and foreign productions, acquaintance with young talents, film versions of performances on the big screen. But I won't reveal all the details! I can only say that the festival program promises to be rich and varied," Mikhail Porechenkov shared.

Last year, the F.M. Dostoevsky International Festival of Theatrical Arts was held in Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa from October 31 to November 4. The audience saw productions from Russia, Belarus, India and China. The performances shown were based on the immortal works of outstanding Russian authors – Nikolai Gogol, Alexander Ostrovsky, Anton Chekhov, Mikhail Bulgakov. The program of the festival also featured a production of a play by the popular contemporary playwright Alexei Zhitkovsky. Each performance offered a unique interpretation of classical texts, allowing the audience to see them in a new way, through the eyes of a modern person.

In addition, the Perspektiva competition program was organized for the first time as part of last year's festival, showing unfinished performances that have the potential to become participants in the main program of the festival in the future. The sketch "86th of March" by the Independent KUKU Theater was recognized as the best. Director Oksana Pogrebnyak received a cash grant for the full implementation of the project and will show it at the Festival this year.

"This year we will once again hold a special competition program called Perspektiva, which, in my opinion, has proven itself well and has become a catalyst for the emergence of new names in the theatrical environment. As part of this project, we not only show unfinished productions, but also actively support their creation and full implementation. Like the festival itself, the Perspektiva program will gradually evolve, opening up new opportunities for talented directors and actors," commented Maxim Korolev.

At this year's festival, creative teams will once again present excerpts from unfinished independent productions, which are scheduled to premiere in 2026 in the Russian Federation and have Russian classics as their literary basis. At the time of application and screening at the festival, applicants should not have the same support from contests and grants. Selected groups participate in the festival full-time. The winner, who will be selected by a professional jury, will be awarded a prize in the form of a monetary reward for the implementation of the production in the amount of one million rubles.

Official website: https://fmdfest.ru /