The Chinese theme at the Chekhov Festival continues

The Chinese theme at the Chekhov Festival continues — and is becoming increasingly prominent: a visit of students from China to the Chekhov Festival House in Moscow

 Karina Tsaturova, Director General of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival, has just returned from a working visit to China organised by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Russian Federation, where she visited leading theatres in Beijing and Shanghai and held a series of professional meetings.
And today, right at the start of the academic year, we are delighted to welcome Chinese students to Moscow, to our festival house on Leontievsky Lane – students from the Faculty of the Higher School of Cultural Policy and Management in the Humanities at Lomonosov Moscow State University. These students are studying in Russia under a joint educational program between Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Jiangxi University of Economics and Finance (Faculty of Arts) and show great interest in Russian culture and, of course, theater. and have shown great interest in Russian culture and, of course, in theatre. That is why the meeting with Karina Tsaturova was a real treat for them – a professional lecture on Russian-Chinese theatre cooperation, its history and current state.

The conversation turned out to be very warm and incredibly substantive.
Karina Sergeevna spoke about the Chekhov Festival’s long-standing collaboration with Chinese theatres and creative groups, which began back in the days of the USSR and continues to this day. China is a reliable partner, a friend and a true creative ally for both the Chekhov Festival and Russia. Over the years, the festival has featured dozens of Russian-Chinese theatre collaborations and productions across a wide range of genres.
But the theatrical bridge between our countries does not merely exist — it continues to thrive right now. On 18 September, the Pacific International Theatre Festival kicks off in Vladivostok, with its programme featuring no fewer than two productions linked to Chinese theatre and drama:
 ‘The Lady with the Dog’ by A. P. Chekhov
directed by She Muzhe
performed by the ‘Tower of Babel’ theatre company (China)
 ‘I Did Not Kill My Husband’
directed by Ding Yiteng
based on the novel by Liu Zhenjun
performed by the State Theatre of Nations (Russia)

Karina Tsaturova also told the students about how the programme for the XVIII Chekhov International Theatre Festival is currently being put together. And yes – Chinese productions are very likely to feature in it once again!
Because the theatrical dialogue never ends. The theatrical bridge is still standing. The exchange continues. And China is an important part of this vast international conversation.