The F.M. Dostoevsky Festival will be held in Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa.

The XXX International Dostoevsky Theater Arts Festival will be held from October 29 to November 2, 2026 in Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa, cities inextricably linked with the name of the great writer. It is noteworthy that this year, in addition to its own anniversary, the event is timed to coincide with the 205th anniversary of Dostoevsky's birth. The festival will become a space for creative dialogue, inspiration and the exchange of ideas, uniting artists and viewers in their quest for understanding and love of Russian culture.

"This year, the F.M. Dostoevsky International Festival of Theatrical Arts is being held for the thirtieth anniversary time. Over the years, it has become one of the main cultural events in the region and interest in it is constantly growing. Theaters from all over Russia come to us, as well as groups from other countries. Last year, over six thousand spectators attended the festival's events over five days. This time the program will be even more interesting, richer and brighter," said Alexander Dronov, Governor of the Novgorod Region.

In addition to the main program, the Perspektiva competition program will be organized again, which has become a platform for showing performances that are still being worked on. The program is open to directors, producers and authors of unfinished productions, which are scheduled to premiere in 2027 in the Russian Federation and have works of Russian classics as a literary basis.

"In the autumn, we will meet interesting people again on Novgorod land and see again how differently great texts of Russian literature can sound and be interpreted. There are many discoveries waiting for us, and I'm already looking forward to these acquaintances and impressions," said actor Mikhail Porechenkov.

Last year, the sketch "Three" by the Independent Moscow theater project "By the Way Theater" (directed by Ekaterina Polovtseva) was recognized as the best. The authors have received a cash grant for the full implementation of the project and will show it at the XXX Festival. This year's winners will receive similar support.

"At the anniversary festival, we will once again organize a special competition program "Perspektiva", which has already established itself as an important platform for discovering new names in the theatrical environment. This project is not limited to showing unfinished productions — we accompany their development, supporting the path from idea to full implementation. Like the festival itself, Perspektiva will continue to grow, opening up more and more opportunities for talented directors and actors," commented producer Maxim Korolev.

The president of the festival is People's Artist of Russia, actor and director Mikhail Porechenkov. The general producer is Maxim Korolev. The program director is Svetlana Berdichevskaya, a theater critic. The F.M. Dostoevsky International Festival of Theatrical Arts will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Rosconcert. The organizer is the government of the Novgorod region.

Applications are accepted until September 1, 2026.