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crackdown on culture

Moscow Theater Cancels Plays With Kremlin Critic Liya Akhedzhakova

On Wednesday Moscow’s Sovremenik Theater announced that “The Gin Game,” which starred award-winning actress Liya Akhedzhakova, would...

Actress Inna Churikova Dies at 79

Inna Churikova, one of the most celebrated and prolific actresses of the Soviet Union and Russia, died on Saturday at the age of 79. The cause of death...

'polite people'

Russian Audiences Held ‘Hostage’ By Mock Ukrainian Soldiers in Pro-War Play

Theatergoers south of Moscow were held “hostage” and shot at by actors playing Ukrainian soldiers during an immersive play that glorifies Russia&rsquo...

Kirill Serebrennikov’s Gogol Center Closed

The Moscow Department of Culture announced that the theater will continue under new management.

Russia's Bolshoi Scraps Performances by Critical Directors

Several dancers have in recent weeks quit the Bolshoi including prima ballerina Olga Smirnova.

artistic license

Russian Theater Execs Protest Ministry’s ‘Traditional Values’ Push

The Culture Ministry seeks to enshrine a policy to protect and promote what it calls “traditional Russian values” in arts and culture.

down with bullies

'Fat Lyuba' Fights Schoolyard Bullying in Russia

This intimate one-person play gives audiences hope that they, too, can overcome childhood bullying.

performance art

Modern Dance in a St. Petersburg Garment Factory

Do you ever wonder who made your clothes? After seeing this performance, you will.

St. Petersburg Audiences Watch Live Theater in Their Cars

A way to perform theater during the pandemic turned into a popular new art form.

Stroll Through St. Petersburg in a Dream Play

A new kind of theater takes to the streets to immerse the audience in a dreamlike reality.

artistic sand box

Sand Stories: Performances Flow Through Your Fingers

For Yekaterinburg artist Yelena Kadyrova, drawing a line in the sand is her life's work.

Looking Back at Kirill Serebrennikov's Gogol Center

The director leaves the Gogol Theater — and theater in general — better than when he found them.

Director Kirill Serebrennikov Fired From Gogol Center

The Moscow department of culture announcement was made the day after the theater's eighth birthday.

A New Kind of Theater Beats the Coronavirus Blues

St. Petersburg's Pop-Up Theater keeps the audience entertained and engaged outside a theater.

2021 look ahead

Moscow Arts Scene in 2021: A Spectacular Year Ahead

Cultural life came to a standstill last year, but this year arts lovers may get a double dose of culture.

laughter through tears

'Cabaret Terezin': Making Merry at Hell's Gates

A musical the audience did not expect to like. And yet they laughed, wept and gave it a standing ovation.

art of russian cuisine

The Enduring Glamour of Mushroom Julien

Jennifer Eremeeva brings this restaurant and theater buffet favorite to your home kitchen.

hot off the press

'Insulted. Belarus' Takes to the World's Stages

A play by Andrei Kureichik, translated by John Freedman, performed in readings in 5 countries.

endangered culture

‘Scary to Predict’: Bolshoi Theater Warns of Closure if Coronavirus Lockdown Persists

“We’ve got a very difficult process of returning the audience to the theater ahead of us.”

On This Day in 1877, 'Swan Lake' Premiered

The story of love, betrayal, and swans would become a multigenerational symbol of conformity and rebellion in an ever-changing Russia.

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