The scenes that played out on Tuesday in the Moscow theater “Gogol-center” would be perfect for a play about life in Russia today. The cordon, police cars, masked men in military uniform.
However, unfortunately, it was not staged, but a real search. Police took the artists to mobile phones. For six hours no one was allowed to leave the building or enter it.
At the same time, was searched the apartment of the famous Director Kirill Serebrennikov, who runs the “Gogol-center”. The police called to his door at nine o’clock in the morning.
“I’m shocked”
Just after lunch he left the apartment, accompanied by officials and went for questioning. “We’re going now with the investigators and we will find out what I am accused. Because I’m totally shocked and surprised,” said silver before you get in the car.
In the evening he was released. Now he is a witness in the case about the alleged embezzlement. According to the short message from agencies involved in the investigation, we are talking in terms of about 3.2 million euros in public money, according to this, was stolen between 2011 and 2014 unknown persons from the leadership of the organization of the “Seventh Studio”.
Serebrennikov directs the drama Studio since 2012. Former CEO and former accountant, “the Seventh Studio” was on Wednesday also arrested.
Before the “Gogol-center” gathered in the evening on a spontaneous protest, intellectuals and artists. Here, no one believed the official version of the investigators. This theatre is considered one of the best in Moscow and is loved first and foremost liberal of the educated public. On the stage, Serebrennikov and many willingly tested out.
Long known texts of Russian classical literature he re-staged with many allusions to the present time. Perhaps the most famous play in the “Gogol-center” is now the setting of the poem by Nikolay Nekrasov “Whom in Russia to live well” from the 19th century.
From the text, which every Russian knows from school, emerged a fascinating dramatization with the use of folk music, Soviet songs and songs of the restructuring. The arbitrariness of those in power, powerlessness and despair of the citizens, which turns into aggression — these are such important topics for Nekrasov pieces of silver is the example of scenes from contemporary Russian life.
Ridiculed patriotism, mandated by the government
Pieces of silver that puts the pieces also in the “Komische Oper” in Berlin or at the Bolshoi theatre, became the darling of the Moscow cultural scene. It was his “Gogol-center” is to many intellectuals a place where we can talk about everything. Prescribed by state patriotism is mercilessly ridiculed.
In the fall of 2014, at the peak of the war in Ukraine and anti-Western paranoia, the audience applauded so vigorously at every stage of the political allusions in the satirical play “the Martyr”, as if reading their thoughts. When adapting this play by Marius von meyenburg (Marius von Mayenburg) we are talking about one student who infects the whole school as his Christian fundamentalism.
The only person who keeps sane, is school psychologist and its all considered crazy. This is the feeling that the liberal minority in Russia to this day are very familiar.
Place the “liberal depravity”
With his criticism of state propaganda pieces of silver did not make friends. Conservative politicians and organizations have repeatedly demanded to inspect the theatre and was particularly outraged by the fact that the place is “liberal depravity” is financed from the state budget.
© RIA Novosti Maxim Blinov | go to fotobanka and passers-by in front of the “Gogol-center” in Moscow
Because it is also part of Russian life — a few years ago government supported Moscow’s Minister of culture, which in the meantime has resigned. For some time he is credited with good connections with the gray cardinal of the Kremlin Vladislav Surkov.
The idea that this iconic Director may be accused, outraged many cultural figures in Russia. Actress Chulpan Khamatova was read Tuesday in front of the theater joint statement of the Moscow actors and Directors.
“We know him as honest, decent and open person,” she said. The General Director of the Bolshoi theatre have written directly to Vladimir Putin a letter of support. If it helps, nobody knows. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov distanced himself from the investigation and said that the Kremlin has nothing to do with him.
The people who gathered on Tuesday in front of the theater, I think, however, it is a political case. “The necessary enemy images, and in Russia, people with liberal views are declared enemies, regardless of whether they are political activists or artists,” says opposition leader Ilya Yashin.
“Here, in the “Gogol-center”, there is freedom without which there can be no creativity,” says student Yevgeny Lyapin, who wants to support your favorite theatre. “Now I want to strangle her”.
