Valery Ivanovich Shadrin
Valery Ivanovich Shadrin (1939–2022)
One of the founders and the thought leader of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival (1992)
General Director of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival (from its foundation until 2022)
Vice-President of the International Confederation of Theatre Unions (2001–2009), President of the International Confederation of Theatre Unions (2009–2022)
Concept developer for the artistic programme and director of the Pacific International Theatre Festival (2021–2022)
Awards
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation (2016).
He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1971), the Order of the Badge of Honour (1976), the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1981) and the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland, 4th Class” (2004). In 2020, he was awarded a Letter of Appreciation from the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation “For his significant contribution to the Year of Theatre in the Russian Federation”.
He is the recipient of the Mayor of Moscow Award, as the originator of the idea and concept and as the organizer of the Third World Theatre Olympics in Moscow (2002), and the winner of the K.S. Stanislavsky Award (1997). He has been a member of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia since 1986.
He is a recipient of three orders of the French Republic: Knight of the Legion of Honour, Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, and Officer of the Order of the Academic Palm.
He was awarded the Chinese Government’s Medal “For Cooperation and Friendship between Peoples”; in 2016, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services to the promotion of British and world art in Russia; in 2017, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette (Japan); and in 2019, he was awarded the Order of the Star of Italy in the rank of Grand Officer.
Theatre producer. For 12 years, he was a member of the Council for Culture and the Arts under the President of the Russian Federation.
Biography
He graduated from the Moscow State Technical University named after N. E. Bauman in 1962.
From 1982 to 1987, he served as Head of the Main Directorate for Culture of the Moscow City Executive Committee.
In 1986, at the Founding Congress of the Union of Theatre Workers of the USSR, he was elected Secretary of the Union’s Executive Committee for organizational and creative matters.
In 2001, he was elected Vice-President, and in 2009, President of the International Confederation of Theatre Unions.
In 1992, Valery Shadrin was one of the founders and, until 2022, served as Director General of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival (the Chekhov Festival), which, under his steadfast leadership, became one of the world’s largest and most prestigious theatre forums, presenting the finest international theatre productions to Russian audiences and the professional community.
The Chekhov Festival
Under the direction of Valery Shadrin, and over the course of its thirty-year history, the Chekhov Festival has presented more than 600 productions from 54 countries on Russian stages, introducing Russian audiences for the first time to the works of outstanding foreign directors and figures from the world theatre, such as Giorgio Strehler, Peter Brook, Peter Stein, Ariane Mnouchkine, Pina Bausch, Robert Wilson, Christoph Marthaler, Matthew Bourne, Robert Lepage, Tadashi Suzuki and many others.
Valery Shadrin paid much attention to presenting performances from the Chekhov Festival programme in cities across Russia, giving audiences in the regions the opportunity to see productions by the finest international theatre companies. As part of its Regional Programme, the Chekhov Festival organized tours of 40 different productions in more than 30 cities across Russia, as well as in the CIS and Baltic states.
As director of the Chekhov Festival, Valery Shadrin placed great emphasis on international creative projects that helped to promote Russian theatre abroad and strengthen Russia’s image as a country with a rich cultural and theatrical heritage. Among such large-scale projects were the “Russian Season” programme at the Avignon Festival in 1997, the Russian programme at Europalia in Brussels (2005), Russian theatre seasons in Japan, Brazil and Colombia; joint projects with the Edinburgh International Festival; and the “Russia Day” cultural programmes at the EXPO exhibitions in Nagoya and Zaragoza, amongst others.
Valery Shadrin initiated and fostered creative links between Russian and international theatre professionals, resulting in 40 joint projects and co-productions with leading international theatres, festivals, actors and directors.
Special mention must be made of the IV Chekhov International Theatre Festival, which took place in Moscow in 2001 in conjunction with the III World Theatre Olympiad. This was a theatrical event of unprecedented scale and significance. The Olympiad’s programme comprised several major sections: International, Russian, Experimental, Educational and Student. The world-famous French equestrian theatre “Zingaro”, led by Bartabas, visited Moscow for the first time. The International section comprised a “world series” of the most significant names and companies in global theatre. A total of 150 international theatre companies and troupes travelled to Moscow. The experimental programme included productions by young but already established directors from Russia (the Centre for Dramaturgy and Directing, led by A. Kazantsev and M. Roshchin), Lithuania, Italy, Bulgaria, Colombia, Georgia, Switzerland and elsewhere. The Russian programme featured the finest productions from the capital’s and provincial theatres. Two new theatre venues in the capital were specially built and opened: the Meyerhold Theatre Centre, under the direction of Valery Fokin, and the “School of Dramatic Art”, under the direction of Anatoly Vasilyev, both of which hosted extensive educational programmes. The “World Street Theatres” programme became a unique event, conceived and created by Valery Shadrin in cooperation with the outstanding clown Slava Polunin. It featured around 50 street theatre troupes from 20 countries, as well as six of the world’s most famous stage clowns. The number of guests and spectators at the Theatre Olympics in Moscow exceeded one million.
To mark the Olympiad, the President of the Russian Federation, V.V. Putin, endorsed the Chekhov Festival’s initiative and met with prominent figures from the Russian and international theatre world at the Kremlin. The meeting, held in the Grand Kremlin Palace, was attended by: Valery Shadrin, Anatoly Vasilyev, Declan Donnellan, Jacques Lassalle, Valery Fokin, Kirill Lavrov, Mikhail Shvydkoy, Tadashi Suzuki, Yuri Lyubimov, Mark Zakharov, Robert Wilson, Ikuko Saito and Vyacheslav Polunin. Such a meeting was, perhaps, the only one of its kind in the world.
Particular mention must be made of 2010, which marked the 150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov’s birth. The Chekhov Festival, led by Valery Shadrin, organized and staged a large-scale programme. “Chekhov Days in Moscow”: the Pashkov House hosted the international theatre conference “A Word on Chekhov”. Audiences were also treated to new productions by Moscow theatres based on the works of Chekhov, as well as projects by Russian and international directors, created in collaboration with the Chekhov International Theatre Festival to mark the writer’s anniversary.
On 29 January 2010, the birthday of Anton Chekhov, a meeting and discussion took place in the writer’s hometown of Taganrog between the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, and Russian and international theatre figures. Among them were Peter Stein, Mark Zakharov, Oleg Tabakov, Maria Bonzanigo, Valery Fokin, Bogdan Stupka, Muriel Mayette, Pera Arquillué, Andrei Konchalovsky, Jacques Lassalle, Rimas Tuminas, Alexei Dudarev, Hakob Kazanchyan, Daniele Finzi Pasca, Frank Castorf and Matthias Langhoff. Alexander Avdeev, Mikhail Shvydkoy and Yuri Laptev also took part in the meeting.
That summer, Moscow traditionally hosted the IX Chekhov International Theatre Festival. The programme centred on performances (dramatic, musical and theatre-circus productions based on Chekhov’s works and about him), which the Chekhov Festival organized in collaboration with theatres from Russia and abroad – France, Spain, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, the Republic of Belarus, Armenia, Japan and Taiwan. These included productions by Frank Castorf, Daniele Finzi Pasca, Mats Ek, Lin Hwai-min, Gerardo Vera, Josef Nadj, Jo Kanamori, Wajdi Mouawad, Nacho Duato, Hakob Kazanchyan, Alexei Borodin, Alexander Galibin and Dmitry Krymov.
A conference entitled “Chekhov Days in Yalta” was held in Yalta, and a production of “Three Sisters”, directed by Declan Donnellan, was staged at the Chekhov Theatre.
Throughout 2010, Chekhov’s plays were performed in cities across Russia and abroad: in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Kazan, Yalta, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, Vienna, Chicago, Montreal, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minsk, Baku, Yerevan and others.
In the challenging year of 2021, when the whole world was gripped by the pandemic and had shifted to online formats, three major international events were organized in live format on the initiative and under the leadership of Valery Shadrin: the XV Chekhov International Theatre Festival in Moscow, the I International Pacific Theatre Festival in Vladivostok, and the IV Youth Theatre Forum of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States and Georgia in Tashkent.
Pacific Festival
In 2019, Valery Shadrin, together with the Chekhov Festival team and with the participation of the Theatre of Nations, began preparations for the Pacific International Theatre Festival, in accordance with a directive from the President of the Russian Federation as part of the Programme for the Development of Theatre Arts in the Far East. The Pacific Festival was held for the first time in autumn 2021 in Vladivostok. Valery Shadrin devised the creative concept for the programme and became the director of the Pacific Festival, a national cultural project aimed at drawing attention to the Far East and highlighting its role as a dynamically developing cultural hub. The Pacific Festival has clearly demonstrated that world-class international projects can be successfully implemented anywhere in our vast country, Russia, offering the region’s residents the opportunity to experience the finest examples of world theatre without leaving their home region.
International Confederation of Theatre Unions
Valery Shadrin headed the International Union of Public Associations “International Confederation of Theatre Unions” for many years; this organization is the ideological successor to the Union of Theatre Workers of the USSR (1992), whose activities are aimed at preserving and developing creative ties with the countries of the post-Soviet space and implementing educational programmes and awareness-raising projects with young creative professionals throughout the post-Soviet space. Under Valery Shadrin’s leadership and within the framework of the Confederation, a number of international theatre projects were realized: the productions “The Wedding” (2009) and “The Stone of Folly” (2019) with Belarus; “Ave Maria” (1996) and “I Am the Seagull” (2010) with Armenia; and “The Demon” (2016) with Kyrgyzstan; the Young Directors’ Laboratory, which takes place as part of the Chekhov Festival; the I, II, III and IV Youth Theatre Forum of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States and Georgia (Chișinău, Moldova 2012; Minsk, Belarus 2015; Yerevan, Armenia 2018; Tashkent, Uzbekistan 2021).
Valery Shadrin passed away on the 3rd of December, 2022. He is buried in Moscow at Troekurovsky Cemetery in the “Alley of Artists”.
Valery Shadrin about the Chekhov Festival
“We were very keen to showcase world theatre in a way that would appeal to both professionals and ordinary theatregoers — to everyone who loves theatre, takes an interest in it, and keeps abreast of the trends and new directions that our times bring and which enrich contemporary theatre”.
“We often hear talks of the enigmatic Russian soul. If we consider the “soul” to be a rational, active spiritual force within a person, then I would venture to say that the Chekhov Festival also has a soul, and it has come into being thanks to the aspirations and efforts of all its participants and our numerous partners, each of whom contributes a part of their soul to the common cause”.
“The theatre is a living organism, whose very nature is characterized by a need for change, development and exploration. Thanks to the talent and creative endeavors of directors, actors, musicians and choreographers, the theatre world is undergoing a continuous process of renewal, and new forms, genres and theatrical technologies are emerging in response to the demands of the times. In this ever-changing world of theatre, we strive to find and present to our audience productions that will draw people back to the theatres time and time again. Great figures from the world of theatre have helped us to shape precisely this vision of the festival’s Mission. We are grateful to them for this”.
Partners, friends and public figures on Valery Shadrin
«Валерий Иванович принадлежал к плеяде талантливых, творческих, увлеченных делом людей, преданных служителей отечественной культуры. Неутомимых подвижников и созидателей. Он искренне заботился о развитии великих традиций нашего национального театрального искусства, продвижении в мире его гуманистических идеалов и ценностей» (Президент Российской Федерации В.В. Путин)
«Безгранично талантливый человек, он тонко чувствовал отрасль и чаяния зрителей, и создал уникальный проект, впоследствии ставший одним из самых крупных и авторитетных в театральной жизни не только нашей страны, но и всего мира» (Ольга Любимова, Министр культуры Российской Федерации)
«В театральном мире, в истории театра первой четверти 21 века заменить Валерия Ивановича не сможет никто. И не только потому, что истинно великие продюсеры рождаются не чаще истинно великих режиссеров, но и потому, что в нашу эру «хайпа» маловероятно появление человека, для которого жизнь в театре, возможность служения ему были бы важнее почестей, славы, наград» (Владимир Толстой, советник Президента Российской Федерации)
«Валерий, совершенно незаменимый человек... человек, получающий наслаждение, невероятное, всепоглощающее, пьянящее от больших театральных бурь! Укротитель подмостков, кулис, прожекторов, покровитель поэтов, безумцев, всех тех, кто умеет чувствовать, друг защитников искусств, мчащихся на корабле, груженом безумными надеждами человечества…» (Джеймс Тьере-Чаплин)
«Валерий – редкий, великодушный человек, чуткий во всем, в искусстве и в жизни. Он как никто понимал чаяния зрителей, рисковал, умел идти до конца в своих мечтах. Со своей фантастической командой он дарил свой фестиваль зрителям. Один из крупнейших фестивалей планеты. Как тепло умел он принимать артистов. Самое незабываемое турне – от Новосибирска до Калининграда, через Омск, Екатеринбург, Петербург и Москву. Валерий – незабываемый…» (Комеди Франсез, Эрик Рюф и Оливье Жьель)
«Валерий наш друг, носитель великой русской современной культуры. Мы долгие годы работали во взаимном доверии и дружбе. Он открыл для нас бесспорные театральные таланты России, и в то же время открывал французское искусство для своей страны» (Бернар Фэвр д'Арсье, директор Авиньонского фестиваля, 1979–1984 и 1993–2003 гг.)
«Валерий Шадрин был выдающимся деятелем культуры. С его именем тесно связана важная страница российского театра последних 30 лет. Валерий Шадрин создал престижный Международный театральный фестиваль имени Чехова и успешно продвигал театральные обмены во всем мире» (Гун Цзяцзя, директор Китайского культурного центра в Москве)
«Президент международной конфедерации театральных союзов, основатель легендарного Чехов-феста, руководивший им на протяжение тридцати лет, вдохновитель множества театральных проектов и театральных площадок, без которых невозможно представить современный театр, Валерий Иванович останется в нашей памяти как человек неугасаемой энергии, деятель огромного масштаба и явление мирового уровня» (Фархад Молдагали, художественный руководитель «Государственного академического Казахского театра для детей и юношества имени Г. Мусрепова»)
«Это был необыкновенный Человек с широким сердцем, так много сделавший для русской культуры» (Филипп Жанти и Мэри Андервуд)
«Он объединял артистов и художников со всего света на подлинном празднике искусства – Чеховском фестивале, и заражал нас даром постигать иные культуры, предоставляя при этом возможность делать то, что мы любим… Для нас было большой честью его знать. Удивительная личность, но, что самое важное, чудесный и добрый человек, преданный искусству» (Херман Корнехо, хореограф, танцор, художественный руководитель Компании Хермана Корнехо)
«Его наполненное щедростью сердце было примером мудрости и таких воззрений на искусство, которые действительно сближали людей» (ЛИН Хвай-мин, Театр танца «Клауд Гейт»)
«Верность и открытость Валерия и его сотрудников, то страстное рвение, с которым строится каждый фестиваль, делают его одним из самых желанных событий для артистов со всего мира, а приглашение на фестиваль в качестве участника становится счастьем и гордостью для каждого художника… Валерий горячо любит искусство и артистов… Играть на Чеховском фестивале – это всегда счастье… Мы чувствуем себя там как дома. В этом весь Валерий. Он – это само искусство и братство» (Эмманюэль Демарси-Мота, художественный руководитель Театра де ла Виль и Осеннего фестиваля в Париже)
«Валерий Шадрин стал гостеприимным хозяином для театрального мира. Дал возможность российским зрителям и профессионалам познакомиться с разными направлениями мирового театра и представил российский театральный авангард за рубежом» (Теодорос Терзопулос, режиссер)
«Валерий открыл мне целый мир, познакомил меня с русскими театрами и русскими артистами, он открыл для меня Мариинский театр… Чеховский фестиваль – это место, куда ты едешь с уверенностью, что встретишь открытые сердца и души, мысли и идеи… Валерий и его семья сумели создать островок, на котором пересекаются все дороги… Валерий и вся семья Чеховского фестиваля обворожили нас» (Даниэле Финци Паска, режиссер)