A Moscow theater is bringing a novel by Russia's culture minister to the stage

Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky says he won’t collect any royalty fees for an upcoming stage presentation of his novel “Stena” (The Wall), which takes place during Russia’s “Time of Troubles,” in the tumultuous years preceding the establishment of the Romanov dynasty. The book was released in 2012 to polarizing reviews, including a lot of really nasty ones.

On January 24, Moscow’s Maly Theater revealed that it is working on a stage presentation of Medinsky’s novel. The show could premiere as soon as May 2018.

In a press release, Medinsky pointed out that he’s not legally required to forego his fee for the production, but he will nonetheless because Maly Theater operates under the Culture Ministry’s control. He insists that the theater chose his novel entirely of its own accord.

• In 2016, the Maxim Gorky Moscow Art Academic Theater expressed interest in a stage presentation of Medinsky’s book, but it later abandoned the idea. In November 2016, the state-run television network Rossiya-1 aired a three-hour film adaptation of the novel.
• Vladimir Medinsky has served as Russia’s culture minister since May 2012. Stena first hit bookshelves in February 2012.