The whole of theatrical Russia is formulating what is needed, says STD secretary Dmitry Trubochkin (he is a moderator at the congress). - This is such a cry for help.
What is theatrical Russia shouting about today? From the speeches you understand a real and in many ways sad fact: we have two Russias - Moscow and the rest - living completely different lives.
The artistic directors of Moscow ensembles are concerned about the commercialization of the theater. Economist Rubinstein gives a convincing rationale for why it is harmful to the theater. Its statistics are impeccable and allow us to draw conclusions: the theater itself cannot cover its expenses through ticket sales, and decreasing state support pushes it to search for income, and therefore to commercialize.
Moscow is worried about ideological terror and the threat of impending censorship of the 1937 model. Characteristic of this is the emotional speech of Konstantin Raikin: “Attacks on art are rude, arrogant, hiding behind lofty words about patriotism. Groups of offended people close performances, exhibitions, behave impudently, and the authorities distance themselves from this. The curse and shame of our culture - censorship - was stopped with the advent of modern times. So what now? They want to return us not just to the times of stagnation - to Stalin’s times. Our bosses talk with such Stalinist tests, Mr. Aristarkhov... And are we sitting and listening? We are divided, and that’s not so bad: there is a nasty way of slandering and slandering each other. Dad taught me differently.”
But provincial theaters are clearly not up to such moral heights: they would like to survive. I hear that a storm sewer runs through the youth theater of Vladivostok, and because of this the audience says: “Your performances are excellent, but why does your place stink so much?..” A stunning chronicle of a puppet theater from Bryansk - official and by year: the theater was first restored, then for some reason they declared him unfit for work, then they merged him with the Youth Theater without asking both troupes. And a couple of years later an examination from St. Petersburg concluded: the theater is suitable for work...
And here is the Altai Republic. The head of the STD department, Svetlana Tarbanakova, tells me that in the republic there is only one theater for 220 thousand inhabitants. Renovated, 469 seats, but open 1-2 times a week, because under one theater roof there are several organizations: a philharmonic society, a state orchestra, a dance ensemble, and the management, as a distributor, also invites guest performers. Tickets cost 150–200 rubles. People are walking.
And people live in the mountains, and they also want to see the theater,” says Svetlana Nikolaevna. “But because of the crisis and the poor state of agriculture, people have no money. We come to the club, but they don’t buy tickets for 130 rubles, they save money. So we play for those who come. The salary is 10–12 thousand, and for young people it’s even less.
- How do they live?
We all live like this. But now a new minister of culture has arrived, and we really hope for him.
Her words are confirmed by Aigum Aigumov from the North Caucasus: actors there have a salary of 11 to 13 thousand. The ardent Caucasian man directly proposes, on behalf of all the delegates, to send Alexander Kalyagin as a walker to Putin: let him talk about the plight of provincial artists. Kalyagin writes everything down at the presidium table.
“You don’t know how to work with power,” Vyacheslav Slavutsky from the Kachalovsky Theater (Tatarstan) retorts from the podium. - My president is a racing driver, why does he have to be a theatergoer? This means that I need to prove to him that caring for culture means caring for the gene pool of the nation. I have never heard that the profession is ending - it is becoming increasingly difficult to find directors. What are you talking about? Why do we complain all the time?..
The congress ends its work. What will be its results and what documents will be adopted? Apparently, Alexander Kalyagin will have a hard time in his new term: the economic grip turned out to be harsher than the ideological grip that the theater experienced before perestroika.
In his final speech, Kalyagin said philosophically:
Partly I know the problems, and partly it’s a cold shower. But let me tell you: we creative people are impatient people. We want everything at once. I am outraged by the red tape, just like you, I am outraged! And they teach me patience. The authorities sincerely do not understand. Yekaterinburg was lucky with the Minister of Culture, but Volgograd was not. We need to learn to hammer, hammer and hammer. We exist in such conditions: what is, is. Therefore, I urge everyone to be patient. And we will work patiently.
The artistic director of the Satyricon Theater Konstantin Raikin spoke at the congress of the Union of Theater Workers of Russia. In his speech, he criticized censorship, the “Stalinist attitudes” of the Ministry of Culture, the closure of performances and exhibitions under the guise of patriotism and morality, and the church’s service to the interests of the state. Raikin reproached the entire theater community for their silence and called on them to unite to “fight back” what was happening.
Here is a full transcript of the speech.
Dear friends, I apologize to you that now I will speak a little eccentrically, so to speak. Because I’m back from rehearsal, I still have an evening performance, and I’m internally kicking my feet a little - I’m used to coming to the theater in advance and preparing for the performance that I’ll perform. And somehow it’s quite difficult for me to speak calmly on the topic that I want to touch on. Firstly, today is October 24 - and the 105th anniversary of the birth of Arkady Raikin, I congratulate you all on this event, on this date.
And, you know, I’ll tell you this, my dad, when he realized that I would become an artist, taught me one thing, he somehow put one such thing into my consciousness, he called it guild solidarity. That is, this is a kind of ethics in relation to those doing the same thing with you. And I think now is the time for us all to remember this.
Because I am very worried - I think, like you all - by the phenomena that are happening in our lives. These, so to speak, attacks on art, on the theater in particular. These completely lawless, extremist, arrogant, aggressive, hiding behind words about morality, morality, and in general all sorts of, so to speak, good and lofty words: “patriotism”, “Motherland” and “high morality” - these are these groups of allegedly insulted people, who close performances, close exhibitions, behave very brazenly, to whom the authorities are somehow strangely neutral and distance themselves. It seems to me that these are ugly attacks on freedom of creativity, on the prohibition of censorship.
And the ban on censorship (I don’t know how anyone feels about this) - I believe that this is the greatest event of centuries-old significance in our life, in the artistic, spiritual life of our country. In our country, this curse and disgrace in general to our domestic culture, our centuries-old art, was finally banned.
Our immediate superiors speak to us with such a Stalinist vocabulary, such Stalinist attitudes that you simply can’t believe your ears!
So what's happening now? I now see how someone is clearly itching to change it and bring it back. Moreover, to return back not just to the times of stagnation, but to even more ancient times - to Stalin’s times. Because our immediate superiors talk to us with such a Stalinist vocabulary, such Stalinist attitudes that you simply can’t believe your ears! This is what government officials say, my immediate superiors, Mr. Aristarkhov [Vladimir Aristarkhov - First Deputy Minister of Culture] says this. Although he generally needs to be translated from Aristarchal into Russian, because he speaks in a language that is simply embarrassing that a person speaks like that on behalf of the Ministry of Culture.
We sit and listen to this. Why can’t we all speak out together somehow?
I understand that we have quite different traditions, and in our theater business too. We are very divided, it seems to me. We have very little interest in each other. But that's not so bad. The main thing is that there is such a vile manner - to rivet and snitch on each other. It seems to me that this is simply unacceptable now! Shop solidarity, as my dad taught me, obliges each of us, theater workers - whether an artist or a director - not to speak badly about each other in the media. And in the authorities on which we depend. You can disagree creatively with some director or artist as much as you like. Write him an angry SMS, write him a letter, wait for him at the entrance, tell him, but don’t get the media involved in this, and make it public to everyone, because our feuds, which will definitely happen, will happen! Creative disagreement and outrage are normal. But when we fill newspapers and magazines and television with this, this only plays into the hands of our enemies, that is, those who want to bend art to the interests of the authorities. Small, specific, ideological interests. We, thank God, are freed from this.
Words about morality, the Motherland and the people, and patriotism, as a rule, cover up very low goals. I don’t trust these groups of indignant and offended people who, you see, have their religious feelings offended. I do not believe! I believe they have been paid for.
I remember... We all come from the Soviet regime. I remember this shameful idiocy. This is the reason, the only one, why I don’t want to be young, I don’t want to go back there again, to this vile book, to read it again. And they force me to read this book again! Because words about morality, the Motherland and the people, and patriotism, as a rule, cover up very low goals. I don’t trust these groups of indignant and offended people who, you see, have their religious feelings offended. I do not believe! I believe they have been paid for.
So, these are groups of vile people who fight for morality in illegal vile ways, you see. When photographs are taken in urine - is this a fight for morality, or what?
In general, public organizations do not need to fight for morality in art. Art itself has enough filters from directors, artistic directors, critics, spectators, and the soul of the artist himself. These are the bearers of morality. There is no need to pretend that power is the only bearer of morality and ethics. Actually this is not true.
In general, power has so many temptations around it, around it, so many temptations that intelligent power pays art for the fact that art holds a mirror in front of it and shows in this mirror the mistakes, miscalculations and vices of this power. The smart government is paying him for this! And that’s not what the authorities pay for, as our leaders tell us: “Then do it. We pay you money, then you do what you need to do.” Who knows? Will they know what is needed? Who will tell us? Now I hear: “These are values that are alien to us. Harmful for the people." Who decides? Will they decide? They shouldn't interfere at all. They shouldn't interfere. They should help art and culture.
There is no need to pretend that power is the only bearer of morality and ethics. Actually this is not true.
Actually, I think that we need to unite, I say again - we need to unite. We need to spit and forget for a while about our artistic subtle reflections in relation to each other. I can dislike some director as much as I want, but I will die so that he is allowed to speak out. I repeat Voltaire’s words in general, practically, because I have such high human qualities. Do you understand? In general, in fact, if you don’t joke, then it seems to me that everyone will understand it. This is normal: there will be disagreements, there will be outraged.
For once, our theater people are meeting with the president. These meetings are so infrequent. I would say decorative. But still they happen. And there some serious issues can be resolved. No. For some reason, here, too, proposals begin to establish a possible boundary for the interpretation of the classics. Well, why does the president need to establish this border? Well, why drag him into these things? He shouldn't understand this at all. He doesn’t understand—and he doesn’t need to understand. And anyway, why set this boundary? Who will be the border guard on it? Aristarchov? Well, don't need that. Let it be interpreted. Someone will be outraged - great.
What do we illustrate by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, who said: “Just deprive us of guardianship, we will immediately ask to be returned to guardianship.” So what are we? Well, is he really such a genius that he snitched on us a thousand years in advance? About our, so to speak, servility.
In general, a lot of interesting things happen in our theater. And a lot of interesting performances. Well, mass - I call it when there is a lot. I think this is good. Different, controversial - great! No, for some reason we want to again... We slander each other, sometimes we denounce each other, just like that, we tell lies. And we want to go back to the cage again! Why in the cage again? “For censorship, let’s go!” No, no, no! Lord, what are we losing and giving up our conquests ourselves? What do we illustrate by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, who said: “Just deprive us of guardianship, we will immediately ask to be returned to guardianship.” So what are we? Well, is he really such a genius that he snitched on us a thousand years in advance? About our, so to speak, servility.
I suggest to everyone: guys, we all need to speak out clearly about this - about these closures, otherwise we are silent. Why are we silent all the time?! They close the performances, they close this... “Jesus Christ is a superstar.” God! “No, someone was offended by it.” Yes, it will offend someone, so what?
We all need to speak out clearly about this – about these closures, otherwise we remain silent. Why are we silent all the time?! They close the performances, they close this...
And our unfortunate church, which has forgotten how it was persecuted, priests were destroyed, crosses were torn down and vegetable storage facilities were built in our churches. And she is starting to use the same methods now. This means that Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was right when he said that there is no need to unite with the power of the church, otherwise it begins to serve not God, but the power. Which is what we are seeing to a large extent.
And there is no need to say: “The Church will be indignant.” That is OK! Nothing! No need to close everything at once! Or, if they close it, we need to react to it. We are together. They tried to do something there with Borey Milgram in Perm. Well, somehow we stood on end, many of us. And they returned it to its place. Can you imagine? Our government has taken a step back. Having done something stupid, I took a step back and corrected this stupidity. It's amazing. This is so rare and atypical. But they did it. And we also took part in this - we got together and suddenly spoke out.
It seems to me that now, in very difficult times, very dangerous, very scary; It’s very similar... I won’t say what it’s like, but you understand. We need to be very united together and very clearly fight back against this.
Once again, happy birthday to Arkady Raikin.
The Congress of the Union of Theater Workers (UTD) took its course. Representatives of provincial and not so provincial theaters habitually complained about life: somewhere in the auditorium you can smell the sewerage, somewhere young actors are leaving the city, and everywhere there is not enough money to cope with these (and other) troubles. The chairman of the STD, Alexander Kalyagin, who has led this union since 1996, who listened carefully to the complainants, was unanimously elected for a new five-year term. The only surprise was the speech of Konstantin Raikin, who spoke not on economic, but on cultural and political topics. And he spoke so passionately that it became clear that the artistic director of “Satyricon” had run out of patience.
“I am very concerned - I think, like you all - by the phenomena that are happening in our lives. These, so to speak, attacks on art, on the theater in particular. These are completely lawless, extremist, arrogant, aggressive, hiding behind words about morality, morality and in general all sorts of, so to speak, good and lofty words: “patriotism”, “Motherland” and “high morality”. These are these groups of allegedly insulted people who close performances, close exhibitions, behave very brazenly, and the authorities are somehow very strangely neutral towards them - they distance themselves.”
It is clear that Raikin was impressed by two events that happened in a row: the story of the closing of the Jock Sturges exhibition at the Lumiere Brothers Center and the story of the ban on showing the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” in Omsk. In both cases, in fact, state power seems to have had nothing to do with it: the initiators of rallies and pickets were certain public organizations (in Moscow - “Officers of Russia”, which now disown this honor, in Omsk - “Family. Love” . Fatherland,” and are still proud of themselves), but there seemed to be no official bans. In both Moscow and Omsk, the event organizers “broke” under pressure. But it is quite obvious that in both cases, cultural institutions did not receive the support from the state that they had the right to count on. That is, if someone suspected that the exhibition of an American photographer violated the laws of the Russian Federation, the prosecutor’s office had every right to request an examination and see what was happening in these Lumieres. But there was no crime in it (which was officially established), and the exhibition had to be closed. It’s the same in Omsk - the unfortunate musical generally goes on with the blessing of the patriarch. In both cases, the police were inactive, allowing the “offended” to act. As a result, a situation arises where not even a person in power, but any gop from the street who decides to declare himself a moralist, can close an exhibition, a performance, and in general anything that comes into his head. Which, of course, in the Russian expanses opens up enormous opportunities for extraordinary earnings. Something in the spirit of “Mr. Theater Director, help our public organization, otherwise we will be outraged by your performance.”
Photo: Alexander Kryazhev / RIA Novosti
But Raikin is concerned not only with “Gopnik” censorship, but with the revival of censorship as such. In Russia it is prohibited by law, and in this ban the famous artist sees “the greatest event of centuries-old significance in our life, in the artistic, spiritual life of our country.” The word “Tannhäuser” was not uttered by him - but it is clear that now all the performances that are closing in the country, all the trembling under the knees of the regional cultural authorities is due primarily to the memory of how the Novosibirsk Opera House was destroyed. (Tannhäuser was also remembered in Omsk.) A performance in which no one - as was established by the court - offended anyone's feelings. But this did not help the theater director, who was thrown out of his job. The initiator of the scandal was then a group of Orthodox citizens (who had not seen the performance under discussion), and this group was supported by the local metropolitan (who also did not visit the theater); the fact that it was this group, and not the theater, that was considered right by the Minister of Culture, actually speaks of the introduction of censorship.
“Our unfortunate church, which has forgotten how it was persecuted, priests were destroyed, crosses were torn down and vegetable storage facilities were made in our churches. She is starting to use the same methods now. This means that Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was right when he said that the authorities should not unite with the church, otherwise it begins not to serve God, but to serve the authorities,” Raikin noted bitterly.
It is important here that it is not one of the young experimental directors or the cheerful cynics of the middle generation who opposes censorship (including church censorship). They, of course, are also against it - but the former will not notice this censorship (because the “concerned public”, who is good at PR, appears where there are a lot of people; local parties for a few connoisseurs are not of interest to them), and the latter will turn the scandal on themselves benefit. The Konstantin Raikin Theater is by no means a revolutionary theater; it has a healthy dose of entertainment, and after the show the cloakroom sounds contentedly with “well rested.” But this is human, humane theater, and in a situation where ideology again begins to proclaim the primacy of the state while the person is of secondary importance, it also comes under attack. And Raikin feels it.
He talks about the need for solidarity among theater people. “We are very divided, I think. We have very little interest in each other. But that's not so bad. The main thing is that there is such a vile manner - to rivet and snitch on each other. It seems to me that this is simply unacceptable now! Shop solidarity, as my dad taught me, obliges each of us, a theater worker - artist or director - not to speak badly about each other in the media. And in the authorities on which we depend. You can disagree creatively with some director or artist as much as you want - write him an angry text message, write him a letter, wait for him at the entrance, tell him. But the media shouldn’t get involved in this and make it available to everyone.”
In fact, the call is “let’s join hands, friends.” Classic. But the wonderful actor and artistic director of the audience’s favorite “Satyricon” does not mention one important circumstance: increasingly, theater workers say unkind (to put it mildly) things about their colleagues, not out of habit of slander (well, the theater, as you know, is a terrarium of like-minded people, in the eyes - everything geniuses, mediocrities behind their backs), but for reasons of basic profit. The pie is drying up, money is decreasing (both government and sponsorship), and we have to fight for it. And now the director of the successful Vakhtangov Theater is calling to deal with unsuccessful theaters (to close them, whatever) - he certainly has nothing personal against his brothers who sell tickets worse. Purely business. And it is clear that, since immediate economic prosperity is not expected in the near future, the situation of competition for public money will push morally unstable directors to monologues in ministerial offices in the spirit of “take from this, give to me.”
And here it is worth being surprised that it was Konstantin Raikin who delivered this fiery speech at this very moment. Because right now he has an acute financial problem: the Satyricon building is being renovated, the troupe is playing on a rented stage, and renting this space eats up all the theater’s resources, they don’t have enough money to produce premieres. “Satyricon” needs government assistance (which is what Raikin is talking about) in order to live and produce new performances during the renovation period, and not barely survive. One would expect quite servile monologues from many, many artistic directors and directors in such a situation. And then a person comes out and talks not about what he personally needs at the moment, but about what is important for everyone - about the profession, about partnership. Idealist? Undoubtedly. But it’s great that such people still exist in the world.
On October 24, the head of the Satyricon theater, Konstantin Raikin, gave a speech about censorship in the field of culture, which immediately became the subject of discussion online. He spoke out against the "offended group" who control theater and cinema, citing ideas about patriotism and morality. Today Alexander Zaldostanov (Surgeon) commented on his speech, accusing him of wanting to turn Russia into a “gutter.” Social media users stood up for Raikin.
On Monday, at the congress of the Union of Theater Workers (UTD), Konstantin Raikin made a speech in which he expressed his disappointment and dissatisfaction with the situation in the country. In particular, he spoke about pressure on theaters from the state, unreasonable censorship, negative changes that have occurred in the Russian Orthodox Church, and the growing politicization in culture.
I am very concerned - I think, like you all - by the phenomena that are happening in our lives. These, so to speak, attacks on art, on the theater in particular. These are completely lawless, extremist, arrogant, aggressive, hiding behind words about morality, morality and in general all sorts of, so to speak, good and lofty words: “patriotism”, “Motherland” and “high morality”. These groups of supposedly offended people who close performances, close exhibitions, behave very brazenly, to whom the authorities are somehow very strangely neutral - distance themselves.
Our immediate superiors speak to us with such Stalinist vocabulary, such Stalinist attitudes that you simply can’t believe your ears!
Our unfortunate church, which has forgotten how it was persecuted, priests were destroyed, crosses were torn down and vegetable storage facilities were made in our churches. She is starting to use the same methods now. This means that Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was right when he said that the authorities should not unite with the church, otherwise it will begin to serve not God, but the authorities.
Alexander (Surgeon) Zaldostanov, who actively supports the policies of Vladimir Putin, the president of the Night Wolves motorcycle club and the initiator of the creation of the Anti-Maidan movement, commented on Raikin’s words to the NSN publication.
The devil always seduces with freedom! And under the guise of freedom, these Raikins want to turn the country into a sewer through which sewage would flow. We will not remain idle, and I will do everything to protect us from American democracy. Despite all the repression they spread throughout the world!
He also stated that Russia today is the only country where “there really is freedom.”
The Surgeon's criticism caused a strong reaction online. In particular, Dmitry Gudkov, a former State Duma deputy, wrote on his Facebook page that he is deeply disappointed with how quickly culture is losing significance, and “hooligans” are becoming national heroes.
Gudkov's subscribers supported him in the comments. The majority agreed that the Surgeon has no right to criticize a person of such stature as Raikin. And some even write that Zaldostanov is not worth the attention that is paid to him.
Former senator Konstantin Dobrynin also spoke out in defense of Raikin.
Surgeon against Raikin. It was worth living to see.
Konstantin Dobrinin (@k_dobrinin)
“Words about morality, the Motherland and the people, and patriotism, as a rule, cover up very low goals. I don’t trust these groups of indignant and offended people.” Why you shouldn't interfere in art - opinion.
On October 24, the head of the Satyricon theater, the son of actor Arkady Raikin, spoke at the congress of the Union of Theater Workers of Russia against censorship and the government’s struggle “for morality in art.” Full transcript speeches Raikina published"Jellyfish". DK.RU provides excerpts from it:
“...I am very worried - I think, like you all - by the phenomena that are happening in our lives. These, so to speak, attacks on art, on the theater in particular. These are completely lawless, extremist, arrogant, aggressive, hiding behind words about morality, morality, and in general all sorts of, so to speak, good and lofty words: “patriotism”, “Motherland” and “high morality”.
It seems to me that these are ugly attacks on freedom of creativity, on the prohibition of censorship. And the ban on censorship - I don’t know how anyone feels about it, but I believe that this is the greatest event of centuries-old significance in our life, in the artistic, spiritual life of our country...
So what's happening now? I now see how someone’s hands are clearly itching to change this and bring it back.
...Words about morality, the Motherland and the people, and patriotism, as a rule, cover up very low goals. I don’t trust these groups of indignant and offended people whose religious feelings, you see, are offended.
Actually, I think that we need to unite.<…>I can dislike some director as much as I want, but I will die so that he is allowed to speak out.
I suggest: guys, we need to speak out clearly on this matter. Regarding these closures, otherwise we are silent. Why are we silent all the time? They close the performances, they close this... They banned “Jesus Christ Superstar”. God! “No, someone was offended by it.” Yes, it will offend someone, so what?
And our unfortunate church, which has forgotten how it was persecuted, priests were destroyed, crosses were torn down and vegetable storage facilities were built in our churches. She is starting to use the same methods now.
It seems to me that now, in very difficult times, very dangerous, very scary; It’s very similar... I won’t say what it’s like. But you understand. We need to be very united together and fight back against this very clearly.”
Update. October 25 press - Presidential Secretary Dmitry Peskov, in response to Raikin’s speech, urged not to confuse censorship with government orders
“Censorship is unacceptable. This topic was repeatedly discussed at the president’s meetings with representatives of the theatrical and cinematic community. But at the same time, it is necessary to clearly differentiate those productions and works that are staged or filmed with public money or with the involvement of some other sources of financing,” - quotes Peskov "Interfax".
