On 28 June 2024, the Moscow House of Nationalities hosted the International Conference "Russia – China in the Modern World: Economy, Culture, Science and Education", dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. The event was organised by the Russian‑Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
As part of the round table "Eurasian Dialogue of Cultures and Civilisations. Cross Years of Russian and Chinese Culture", Karina Tsaturova – General Director of the International Chekhov Theatre Festival and Head of the International Pacific Theatre Festival – spoke about the Festival's activities, its organisers, partners, founders and objectives. She also highlighted that Chinese companies occupy a special place in this year's programme, as 2024–2025 have been declared cross‑years of Russian and Chinese culture.
This autumn, the Third International Pacific Theatre Festival – taking place in Vladivostok as part of the state Programme for the Development of Theatre Arts in the Far East – will open with the stunning production "Poetic Dance: A Journey Through a Legendary Landscape" , inspired by the famous painting "Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" by a Chinese artist from the Song Dynasty (10th–13th centuries). The unique 11‑metre scroll is a masterpiece of traditional Chinese landscape painting, with a history spanning nearly a thousand years. Thanks to refined choreographic skill and elaborate sets – including a revolving stage – the legendary scroll will literally come to life before the audience's eyes. The meticulous work of creating this large‑scale production, involving over 40 dancers, took the Group of Eastern Performing Arts more than a year and is, without exaggeration, a cultural treasure of China.
Also as part of the Festival, the National Theatre of China will present its reading of Edmond Rostand's play "Cyrano de Bergerac". Combining the European acting school with the captivating art of Chinese opera, blending Eastern and Western traditions, director Ding Yiteng – hailed at home as "the most popular young director‑innovator" – will tell the famous story of a brave warrior and gifted poet, valiant in battle but timid in love.
The International Chekhov Theatre Festival will take place in Moscow in the summer of 2025. Its extensive programme will also include productions from China. A landmark event will be the performance of "Poetic Dance: A Journey Through a Legendary Landscape" , directed by Zhou Liya and Han Zhen. The performances are scheduled for 23 and 24 May at the State Kremlin Palace.
Cultural and humanitarian dialogue between China and Russia within the International Chekhov Theatre Festival
In 2001, during the 3rd World Theatre Olympics – held in Moscow in conjunction with the 4th Chekhov Festival – audiences witnessed a spectacular display on Tverskaya Street: the Eastern Carnival from China, featuring the famous Chinese dragons that embody Eastern carnival traditions.
The Chekhov Festival has presented its productions in China: in 2017, Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" was shown in Beijing; in 2012, Shakespeare's "The Tempest" , directed by Declan Donnellan, was presented; in 2007, Pushkin's "Boris Godunov" , directed by Declan Donnellan, was shown in Hong Kong; and in 2004, "Hamlet" , directed by Peter Stein, was presented in Hong Kong. These productions – created by English and German directors with Russian actors – generated great interest among Chinese audiences.
In 2005, the Experimental and Youth sections of the 6th Chekhov Festival featured the first Russian‑Chinese theatre project – the production "Beautiful Time" by Zhao Yaomin. This co‑production of the Chekhov Festival and the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, directed by Russian director Nikolay Druchek (a student of P.N. Fomenko), involved Chinese actors working with set designer Emil Kapelyush, composer Alexander Bakshi and vocal coach Lio Yilon.
In 2011, the 10th Chekhov Festival offered Moscow audiences the opportunity to encounter Chinese drama. The Beijing People's Art Theatre – China's leading theatre company, founded in 1952 on the model of the Moscow Art Theatre – presented "Thunderstorm". Written in 1934 by Chinese playwright Cao Yu, "Thunderstorm" tells of the struggle against feudal family mores and Confucian domestic hierarchy. It has been in the theatre's repertoire since its founding. The production brought to Moscow was already the third version; its premiere was timed to the 70th anniversary of the play's publication and the 50th anniversary of its first staging at the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Many actors – both those who had performed in earlier productions and those currently in the cast – regard the play as "inexhaustible". They are convinced that new stage incarnations and new possibilities for passing on cultural heritage to future generations will emerge. In China, it is believed that Chinese dramatic theatre begins with Cao Yu, and many consider him the founder of China's "new drama". The production has enjoyed great success – Chinese audiences are accustomed to different traditions, and this production marked a new chapter in the history of Chinese theatre.
In 2013, Chinese directors took part in the Laboratory for Young Directors as part of the Educational Programme of the 11th Chekhov International Theatre Festival.
It was not long before a Chinese presence was heard again at the Chekhov Festival. In 2015, the Ming Opera Cultural Development Centre from Fuzhou brought to Moscow the production "The Women Generals of the Yang Family". Fragments had previously been seen in Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and France. The theatre decided to present the full three‑hour work for the first time in Russia. "We did not adapt the production for a European audience; we want to show authentic Chinese culture. The plot is more than a legend – it is based on a real 12th‑century war between Chinese dynasties. We value our history and wish to share it," said director Jian Bing Zhang. The creators were understandably concerned about how this opera would be received in Moscow. The Fuzhou Opera troupe – one of the oldest (over 200 years) and most accomplished in China – requires its performers to master singing, pantomime, acrobatics, wushu, and the playing of ancient Chinese instruments, demonstrating endurance – all in the best traditions of Chinese opera. Moscow audiences witnessed this unforgettable spectacle.
In 2019, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries was celebrated. At the same time, in accordance with a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, 2019 was declared the Year of Theatre in Russia. Given the long‑standing fruitful cooperation and strong cultural ties between the International Chekhov Theatre Festival and its Chinese partners, a special programme block – "Chinese Theatre – Honoured Guest of the Chekhov Festival" – was presented to Russian audiences as part of the 14th Chekhov Festival. For the first time, China's contemporary theatre art was presented so extensively and diversely at the International Chekhov Theatre Festival: the programme included Kunqu opera, classical and contemporary dance, dramatic arts and a contemporary acrobatic show, performed by leading Chinese theatre companies. The programme opened with "The Peony Pavilion", presented by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Centre in the open air – at the Moscow State University Botanical Garden "Apothecary Garden". It was followed by the Shanghai Ballet's "Echoes of Eternity", a choreographic work based on an ancient Chinese legend of the emperor's fateful love for his concubine, directed by Patrick de Bana. One of Asia's most famous actors, screenwriter, director, stunt and action choreographer Jackie Chan and his troupe Long Yun Kung‑Fu presented "The 11 Warriors" , in which dancers and athletes demonstrated leaps, flying sequences and other martial arts stunts. Russian audiences also saw for the first time the TAO Dance Theatre – one of China's most interesting and promising dance companies. The National Theatre of China (Beijing) presented "Prince Lan Ling" – a contemporary interpretation of an ancient legend about a great general from the Northern Qi Dynasty. As part of the programme, an open‑air photography exhibition dedicated to contemporary Chinese theatre and the history of Chinese companies' performances at the Chekhov Festival was available to all visitors, featuring photographs from the Festival's archive.
In 2021, the production "Tea Spell", choreographed by renowned Chinese choreographer Zhao Liang, inspired by the contemplation of an ancient tea set discovered during excavations at a Tang Dynasty temple, proved to be a true revelation for audiences of the 16th International Chekhov Theatre Festival.
In 2024, the Year of Russian and Chinese Culture, the Chekhov Festival presented this landmark production in Yekaterinburg as part of its Regional Programme.
The International Chekhov Theatre Festival is held with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Moscow Government, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Moscow Department of Culture.
General Partner of the Festival: Channel One.
The Festival is supported by embassies of foreign countries whose theatres participate in its programmes, as well as cultural centres and organisations from those countries.
Information Support: Russia‑Kultura TV Channel.