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New Leadership of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival

New Leadership of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival

The departing year was marked by both joyful moments and a deeply grievous event. The 30th anniversary of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival overshadowed by the demise of Valery Shadrin, the founder of our Festival and President of the International Confederation of Theatre Unions. Valery Shadrin’s life and career give ample proof that, whatever the circumstances and despite all the problems, one can devotedly serve the cause that one loves, the cause which means so much to others, and which is so important both to the culture of our nation and the entire world.

In accordance with Valery Shadrin’s spiritual testament, it was decided to approve the new leadership of our Festival, which will carry on the cause of his life. Mikhail Shvydkoy and Karina Tsaturova are his close colleagues, like-minded in their vision and spirit.
Mikhail Shvydkoy became the President of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival, while Karina Tsaturova assumed the post of the Festival’s Director General.

Concise CV’s
Mikhail Shvydkoy
Doctor (history of art), Professor. Graduated from the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) in theatre history.
From 1998 to 2000 he headed the All-Russian State Television and Broadcasting Company. For launching the Russia-Cultura TV channel in 1999 he was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation.
From 2000 to 2004 he was Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, and from 2004 to 2008 he headed the Federal Agency on Culture and Cinematography.
From 2008 to the present, he has been the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Co-operation, and Co-chairman of the Interstate Foundation for Humanitarian Co-operation of Member States of the CIS.
From 2011 to the present, he has been Artistic Director of the Moscow Musical Theatre.
From December 2022 he is President of the Academy of Russian Television Foundation.
He lectures at the Russian Academy of Theatre Art–GITIS, and supervises the Higher School of Cultural Policy and Management in Humanitarian Sphere at the Lomonosov Moscow State University.
He is the author of several books, including Drama, Theatre, Life and Secrets of Vagrant Comedians, as well as many articles in Russian and foreign academic publications.
He runs programmes on TV, and is a columnist for Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
His state honours from the Russian Federation include: Order for Merit to the Fatherland 3rd class (December 2022), Order of Aleksandr Nevsky (2018), Order of Friendship (2013), Order for Merit to the Fatherland 4th class (2008), Order of the Badge of Honour (1987). He won the State Prize of the Russian Federation in literature and arts (1999), the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the media sphere (2020) etc.
He also has several state honours bestowed by foreign countries.

Owing to Mikhail Shvydkoy’s efforts, his dedication and unfailing support, many of the most important projects of the Chekhov Festival and the International Confederation of Theatre Unions came into being.

Karina Tsaturova
In 1991 she graduated from the Moscow Financial Academy (currently Financial University of the Government of the Russian Federation).
In 1988 she joined the Union of Theatre Workers of the USSR as economist.
In 1991 she was appointed Chief Accountant of the Union of Theatre Workers of the USSR by Kirill Lavrov.
From 1992 to 1997 she was Chief Accountant of the International Confederation of Theatre Unions (legal successor to the Union of Theatre Workers of the USSR, and co-founder of the Chekhov Festival), and from 1997 to 2003 she headed its financial and economic department.
From 1993 she has been actively involved in the production and running of many shows and joint projects of the Chekhov Festival, in co-operation with the leading theatres and directors from Russia and abroad.
From 2003 to 2010 she headed the Office for funding municipal programmes at the City of Moscow Cultural Department.
From 2010 to 2021 she was Managing Director of the Regional Public Support Fund of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival. On Karina Tsaturova’s initiative, the Chekhov Festival, along with the Regional Chekhov Festival Fund, began to promote festival shows and programmes in Russian regions. More than 40 productions were shown in 24 Russian cities. Thus, viewers were able to appreciate the works by the world’s leading theatre directors: Peter Brook, Declan Donnellan, Daniele Finzi Pasca, William Forsythe, Philippe Genty, LIN Hwai-min, Ohad Naharin, Giorgio Strehler, Robert Sturua, Aurélia and James Thierrée-Chaplin, Anatoly Vasilyev, and many others.
From 2017 to the present, she has lectured on festival management at the Higher School of Cultural Policy and Management in Humanitarian Sphere, Lomonosov Moscow State University.
In 2018 she was in charge of the international street programme of the Chekhov Festival during the City of Moscow Day.
From 2014 to 2020 she was first deputy to the Director General of the Chekhov Festival.
From 2020 to the present, she has been Deputy President of the International Confederation of Theatre Unions.

From the very beginning, Karina Tsaturova took an active part in organising Chekhov Festival events. Thanks to her professional approach, creative intuition and commitment, many projects and initiatives came true and became brilliant achievements of the Chekhov Festival.