“We have a good theater”

Director of the Ostankino museum-estate Gennady VDOVIN told newspaper columnist Sergei KHACHATUROV why the Association of Historical Theaters of Europe (AITE) chose the Sheremetev Palace Theater as the venue for the first festival “On Both Sides of the Scenes.”

-- When did AITE originate and what are its functions?

-- The meeting of leaders of historical theaters in Europe to discuss pressing problems and exchange experiences is a long-standing tradition. Until recently, these meetings were informal. In October 2003, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the first founding congress of AITE took place. The Italian city of Vicenza was chosen as the venue for the congress, where the most famous Renaissance theater “Olympico”, created by the great architect Andrea Palladio in the 16th century, has been preserved (by the way, the material there is also wood imitating stone). The association includes representatives of European countries that have theaters of the 16th-18th centuries on their soil. The association brings together specialists from various fields: museum workers, restorers, historians, musicians, directors, actors. Now AITE has 23 museums and theaters from 11 European countries. Dr. Bernd Heimühle (Germany) was elected Chairman of the Board. Honorary President of the Association Hans Dietrich Genscher.

— Why did the honor of discovering the history of the AITE festival movement fall to Russia and Ostankino specifically?

- Our theater is good. And then, my colleagues and I have been meeting for several years now. And always the meeting place is an ancient museum-theater. We started from Sweden. Now we have made a European circle and moved to Russia. In every sense, the choice of Ostankino turned out to be a milestone.

— How was the project financed?

-- The festival is held with the participation of the north-eastern prefecture of the Moscow government, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Committee for Culture of Moscow and the Moscow City Duma, professional museum organizations: ICOM, the Union of Museums of Russia, the Open Museum association. Moreover, the project won the grant competition of the V. Potanin Charitable Foundation and the Agency for Culture and Cinematography “A Changing Museum in a Changing World” (nomination “Joint Museum Programs”) and received a grant from the Charitable Foundation in the amount of $25 thousand.

Interviewed by Sergei KHACHATUROV