Tobolsk played host to the fifth Theater of Nations FEST

5 july 2022

On June 23 through June 30, Tobolsk once again played host to the Theater of Nations FEST. It was held in the city for the fifth time thanks to the support from SIBUR and its Formula for Good Deeds social investment program. Originally born out of renowned actor and director Evgeny Mironov’s initiative, the festival represents a valuable contribution to spreading Russia’s culture and its devolution. The Theater of Nations FEST is a natural segue to the Festival of Small Russian Towns’ Theaters, one of the Theater of Nations’ most prominent projects seeking to strengthen provincial theaters and to promote better communication within Russia’s theatrical community.

The fifth Theater of Nations FEST opened on Tobolsk Kremlin’s Red Square with a concert production titled A Romance in Letters. Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda von Meck. People 's Artists of Russia Evgeny Mironov and Ksenia Rappoport recited selected excerpts from the correspondence between the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and philanthropist Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck. The rest of the festival’s events were held in the building of the Tobolsk Drama Theater including three productions by the Theater of Nations: Khoja Nasriddin, Winter notes on summer impressions, and Lovers. On top of that, the fest’s audiences will get to enjoy Mother Field, a plastic theater performance by the Moscow Pushkin Theater.

Tobolsk, a city with a unique history and ambience, has long become Siberia’s prime tourist destination. And now it also has a great opportunity to turn into a vibrant culture hub. I am very happy that the Theater of Nations FEST has become an important piece of this process. We feel the interest of local audiences, and this is extremely valuable. Since we are eager to showcase the art of theater in all its incarnations, in all of its varieties, this time we brought to Tobolsk a puppet show, a dramatic production, a plastic theater performance, and a concert. In addition, we are also expanding our educational program, Yevgeny Mironov, the Theater of Nations’ artistic director, People's Artist of Russia, noted.

Thanks to SIBUR’s support, the Theater of Nations FEST has been held since 2016. Over these years, Tobolsk saw 17 theatrical productions performed as part of the festival and played host to a festival of street theaters, master classes, public talks, and meet-the-star programs that featured celebrity performers including Olga Ostroumova, Avangard Leontiev, Sati Spivakova, Igor Vernik, Maria Mironova, Vladimir Koshevoy, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, and others.