This program is our specialty. Something exceptional what we are proud of.

Because we believe that contemporary Russian drama definitely worth your attention. Moreover, we believe the performances will not leave you indifferent.

In developing this program, we have seen more than 100 performances and for you we have made a choice to represent you the best.

We invite you to the performances of the Maly Drama Theater under the direction of Lev Dodin in St. Petersburg and the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre in Moscow. In both theaters performances are shown in Russian with English subtitles (other languages - on request).

The St. Petersburg Maly Drama Theatre — Theatre De L’Europe (The MDT), under the direction of Lev Dodin, is one of the most well-attended and well-loved theatres in the Second Capital of Russia, and its productions have long been described as legendary. The MDT has been staging the classical works of Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Ostrovsky, Chekhov and other significant play-writes for many years. In contrast to the popular modern minimalist drama, each production that comes out of the MDT’s workshops manifests careful preparation and the full immersion of the actors. For Lev Dodin’s group, there are no “minor” details in a play: each movement, each word, each piece of costume and decoration are a product of careful, meticulous work.

The MDT is one of two Russian theatres included in the Union of the Theatres of Europe. Its Creative Director Lev Dodin is also an Honorary President of the Union that gathers under its auspice 23 theatres from across 15 European countries. The status of “Theatre De L’Europe” is held only by three theatres in the world — The Odeon in Paris, Milan’s Piccolo Teatro, and the St. Petersburg Maly Drama Theatre.

One of the most popular and renowned repertory companies in Russia, the The “Fomenko Workshop” Moscow theatre was founded in 1988, quickly developing an international reputation for subtle, experimental productions, many of them rooted in the Russian classics. A new theatre united tendency for search and experiments with traditions of Russian repertory theater.

Fomenko deplored cynicism, graft and obsession with money. He countered it not by protest and anger, but by creating a different artistic life, which was more genuine. His works were like musical scores, with variations, side themes and leitmotifs. He had perfect pitch and found the right register for each author. But above all he possessed a rare sense of continuity of time, and his own place in it. Fomenko sensed the ages of Tolstoy and Chekhov as different but intimately connected to his own, he was one of the last Russian artist who could claim their heritage.