The word of the stage: how theaters and creative teams of new Russian regions live
Theaters and creative teams of the new Russian regions have never ceased to delight their audiences even in the most difficult times, but today they are experiencing a renaissance and share their vision of Russian classics, recent events, and modern drama, preserving traditions and developing new directions. What challenges theater groups face in new regions and how they respond to them by continuing their cultural mission, as well as how theaters and creative teams live, is in the Izvestia article.
Music of Donbass
The only opera and ballet theater in all four regions reunited with the Russian Federation, the Donetsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater was founded in 1932 — at the same time its first premiere, the opera "Prince Igor" by Alexander Borodin, took place. The theater troupe received its own new building in 1941, celebrating this with the premiere of the opera Ivan Susanin by Mikhail Glinka. Over the years, the greatest opera and ballet productions have been staged here — "Swan Lake", "The Queen of Spades", "War and Peace" and many others, said Natalia Deineka, head of the literary and dramatic department of the theater.
The theater became a part of the all—Russian theatrical process back in 2014, when Russian cultural figures showed solidarity and extended a helping hand. The Bolshoi Theater sent ballet shoes that could not be obtained due to the economic blockade, and the Kaliningrad Theater sent a box of consumables through the military. Famous Russian composers Vladimir Baskin, Sergey Banevich and Alexey Rybnikov presented Donetsk children with their best musical fairy tales, and, according to Natalia Deineka, it was priceless.
Opera "The Queen of Spades" on the stage of Donetsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater
St. Petersburg soloist Vladimir Vyurov came to sing in performances for free more than once in order to preserve the performances, and he also trained two conductors at the St. Petersburg Conservatory when all five theater conductors left in 2014, and the orchestra artists and the lead singer took over the control panel. Director of Photography and People's Artist of Russia Yuri Laptev has agreed to stage the opera Masquerade Ball by Giuseppe Verdi in 2015.
— This production was the first since the beginning of hostilities in Donbass. It also became the starting point of the modern history of our theater, a history full of premieres, hopes and hard work. Nowadays, the theater is more focused on Russian classics than ever before. It is a demand of the time and the need of the Russian people to comprehend what our great ancestors passed on to us," Natalia Deineka said.
Since the beginning of the special operation, tours in other regions of Russia have become a salvation for the theater and an opportunity not only to continue performing in front of the audience, but also to preserve the troupe and its own repertoire. Among other things, productions by Donetsk artists were shown on the stages of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theaters, as well as in Kazan, Izhevsk, Samara and Rostov-on-Don.
According to Deineka, for more than a decade, audiences have been telling us that the theater is an outlet and a place of strength. Here they are distracted from what is happening outside the theater for at least a couple of hours and transported into the wonderful world of music. People sincerely believe that if the theater is working, then life goes on, the interlocutor of the publication is sure.
Opera "Masquerade Ball"
— There are old-timers and very young people among the audience now. There are also families of military personnel. There are not many military personnel themselves, since they are on combat missions, but I sincerely believe that soon they will change their military uniforms for smart costumes and come to the theater, the right to existence and prosperity of which they defended at such a high price," Deineka emphasized.
Donbass Opera strives to educate its "audience" from an early age, starting with performances for children and gradually moving on to an adult repertoire, where children see those artists with whom they grew up in fairy tales. Opera and ballet genres are very complex, and this approach helps to shape audiences who go to performances for three generations at once.
The troupe continued to work, performing truly heroic feats every day. Including then, when it was not an easy task to get to the stage between the attacks, and today, when it became quieter.
— Donbass has always been a difficult region. There is heavy industry here — mines, metallurgy, coke and chemical plants, where people work, strong in spirit and body, hardened over generations. At the same time, we are very hospitable and cheerful: we will feed and warm everyone who comes to us in peace, and in the theater we greet both experienced theater—goers and newcomers equally warmly," said Deineka.
The poster of another iconic theater, the Donetsk State Academic Musical and Drama Theater named after M.M. Brovun, is difficult to imagine without its business cards - musicals, vaudeville, drama opera and rock opera. The theater carefully preserves what was transmitted by the masters and expands creative horizons, so in the repertoire you can find both musical performances and dramatic chamber productions, as well as comedies or children's fairy tales.
Artists of the Donetsk State Academic Musical and Drama Theater named after M.M. Brovun during the press screening of the play "I know the Prada!"
In 2022, the premiere of the documentary drama "I Know the Truth!" based on the materials of the book "The War in Donbass: A National Chronicle", the memoirs of eyewitnesses of the events from 2014 to 2017, took place at the theater. The director was Alla Ulyanova, People's Artist of the DPR. In addition to important moral, patriotic and philosophical thoughts, the theater highlights the themes of spirituality, sensitivity and mutual understanding in the works of Olshansky, Tolstoy and Voronov.
— Undoubtedly, all this sounds in classical works, without which the repertoire of the theater would be incomplete. Productions based on the works of Ostrovsky, Gogol, Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Bunin, Chekhov have enjoyed constant success with our viewers over the past seasons. Over the years, long-lived performances appear in the repertoire, which become a link between different generations of viewers. Once upon a time it was a "Memorial Prayer", which has been played more than a hundred times in fifteen years, and for 20 years the immortal Chekhov's "Three Jokes" has been staged on stage.
Modern Russian composers, including People's Artist of the Russian Federation Alexey Rybnikov and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Kim Breitburg, help the theater. According to the staff of the theater, their trust, as well as the audience's love for bright, large-scale musical productions inspire new achievements.
The battle on the Lugansk stage
Russian Russian Drama Theater named after P. Luspekayev celebrated its 85th anniversary on October 25, 2024, having preserved the best traditions of Russian dramatic art over the years. The theater's leaders told Izvestia that performances straight from the treasury of Russian theatrical culture are being shown on stage today — based on plays by Ostrovsky, Pushkin, Chekhov, Gogol and others. It is also important for the theater to refer to modern classical works about the opposition to Ukrainian neo-Nazism, which came to Lugansk in 2014.
— We staged the play "Time. Choice. Volya.", based on the poetic works of Lugansk poets. This performance reveals with all its depth the tragedy of the Lugansk people, whose peaceful life was destroyed by Ukrainian bombs in the summer of 2014," the theater shared.
The play "Time. Choice. The Will"
And on February 21, 2025, the premiere of the play "Fugue in a Minor", dedicated to the special operation, took place. In the early days, screenwriter and director Artyom Malakhov volunteered for the front, as did many actors of the P. Luspekaev LARDT.
— The play "Fugue in A Minor" is an attempt at an artistic generalization of events related to his life. This is a tribute to those who risk everything to protect their homeland. Not just a drama is unfolding on the stage, but a real symphony of human destinies united by a common goal. The audience becomes a witness to the chronicle of modern heroes who, risking their lives, defend our world and our freedom. The performance is full of emotions: from pain and loss to hope and love. This is not just a performance, it is a message addressed to each of us," the theater added.
Appearing on stage in the plays "The Young Guard", "Time. Choice. Volya.", "Fugue in a Minor", the actors do not just play roles, but live tragic moments that have become a part of their lives. These performances have such an exciting and soulful energy that Lugansk residents, who survived the terrible days of the Ukrainian bombing, the loss of friends and loved ones, cannot remain indifferent.
— Lugansk can rightfully be called a hero city of modern times, because we have all defended our right to be a part of the Russian people. "Motherland", "Patriotism", "Heroism" are not solemn—sounding words for everyone, but a deep experience and awareness of the meanings that they contain. Every day we meet with those who are defending their homeland today, who, despite everything, are heroically fighting the neo-fascists. Theater actors often go to the front line with concerts, visit hospitals, communicate with the guys who are defending the Lugansk land with weapons in their hands," the theater said.
Children's play "How we extinguished a tree"
The theater has already entered the modern theatrical space, regularly taking part in festivals at venues in other Russian cities. Young people are attracted and educated here with the help of constantly created media programs. They introduce the younger generation to Russian cultural figures and special cultural projects.
The theater has a program called "Cultural Environment", in which both the director and the actors have the opportunity to experiment, and each program is born in an atmosphere of free creativity, and the Theater for Children allows all school students to attend performances based on the dramatic works of Russian classics. The audience and participants are schoolchildren, as well as students from local colleges and universities.
With the beginning of the special operation, the male artists of the Lugansk Academic Musical and Drama Theater named after M. Golubovich consciously defended their native land, and therefore the speculations gained additional depth and human sound.
— Today, the theater is a lively conversation. It is our duty to make sure that she is honest. The history of the region occupies a special place in our repertoire — the theater must speak the language of its land, know its pain and its dignity. The southern character, the complex and rich history of Novorossiya, its heroes, tragedies and the fate of ordinary people are the voice that sounds from the stage," Koval said.
The theater does not exclude reinterpretations and strives for a balance between classical and modern dramaturgies, but with one condition — respect for the author's idea. If a classical play sounds different today, then the troupe is looking for a new stage form and new accents for today's audience. Having lived for many years in the most difficult conditions, he simply needs lighter forms of deep psychological performances, said Natalia Koval, artistic director of the theater, People's Artist of the LPR.
The play "Lady Macbeth"
The repertoire includes many productions dedicated to the historical memory of Russia and Donbass — the rock opera "Crucified Youth" about the feat of fellow countrymen of the Young Guard heroes, the requiem "And the dawns are Quiet here", the concert performance "The Unconquered", the musical story "I love you, squadron!" and the tragicomedy by Gorin "Goodbye, entertainer!". Among the classics, Leskov, Shakespeare, Moliere are in demand, as well as the authors of "just about complicated" — Veryasova, Ivanov, Lakutin and Ernev.
According to Koval, the modern audience, which changes with time, challenges and difficulties, is becoming more and more empathetic and insightful — they want to feel, empathize, be involved and are drawn to a lively, authentic and honest theater.
— This requires from us not only a constant artistic search, but also responsibility. We do not set ourselves the mission of being a "cure," but if the theater is able to awaken the soul for a moment, make you think, distract from a difficult situation, then it fulfills its task," concluded Koval.
Chekhov at the theater from Kherson and the Russian dance of Melitopol
The repertoire of the Kherson Regional Russian Academic Music and Drama Theater (KHORAMDT), temporarily located in the city of Skadovsk, Kherson region, is based on classical works. A play based on Chekhov's plays is being staged on its stage and Gogol and Ostrovsky's plays are being prepared, and one of the first programs at the theater was the production of "Life for One's Friends," edited by Zakhar Prilepin, compiled from letters from participants in the special operation, the theater told Izvestia.
— Finding a theater in the Kherson region at this difficult time, leaving your hometown and not having your own theater premises, of course, leaves its mark on the formation of the repertoire. We believe that we have a huge responsibility for the correctness of the transmission of historical and moral values, which we are honourably coping with," the CHORAMDT shared.
Today's audience is only forming their own attitude towards the history of the Kherson region and the Russian classical repertoire, so they are trying to educate them within the walls of the theater, the CHORAMDT told Izvestia.
— In our opinion, there is a special approach of employees of cultural institutions in the new regions of the Russian Federation in covering current events, more honest, self-contained. The mission of the theater in this sense is to educate the audience in other regions, to promote a moral guideline," the theater noted.
The collective of the Melitopol Folk Dance Theater "Cinderella" was created by artistic director and choreographer Galina Shpileva in October 1994. Today, the team, which actively participates in city and intercity festive concerts, festivals and competitions, has about five age groups — about 60 children aged four to 18 years, said Natalia Exer, the head of the theater.
— We feel like we are part of the all—Russian theatrical process, and the culture in our region is at a decent level, in my opinion, due to the sincere interest of the people, - said Exer.
Russian Russian dances, both stylized and traditional, prevail in the repertoire policy, for example, figurative Russian dance or a narrative dance production, because dance is one of the pillars of culture. They look for their inspiration in history here. "Cinderella" refers to the past of Zaporizhia and Melitopol, which helps to build storylines. So far, attention is focused on Central Russia, which means that the dances are based more on Russian traditions, but there are also references to Kuban dances and quadrilles, since Kuban is one of the regions closest to Melitopol.
— If we compare the nature of dances and productions with large cities, then the nature of our repertoire, which is our voice, is the voice of warmth, friendly relations, great love for our people and unity, — said Exer.
According to Exer, the mission of the Melitopol Folk Dance Theater "Cinderella" is to raise a spectator who will grow up with them, passionate, meaningful and involved in eternal art. A child who participates in a children's dance group reveals his creative potential through dance. She told Izvestia that it was important for her students to be visible, to be on stage and to travel outside the city. This gives them the opportunity not only to express themselves, but also to become a small part of the polyphony of Melitopol.
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