"We received an order, we fulfill it"

Because of what in Mytishchi the pride of the city-the Fest Theater

The defeat of the Fest Theater in Mytishchi is unprecedented. For thirty years, the theater of drama and comedy collects halls and rewards, plays for children and adults Gogol, Ostrovsky, Pushkin, Tolstoy, Shakespeare ... During suddenly, the police came, cordoned off the building, defeated the dressing rooms and accounting, confiscated tickets. And all this - a stone's throw from the capital. Apparently, the “theatrical business” is a toxic format. Looking around how they do with the accused, the local founder decided: with the theater it is possible - to frighten, stomp, crush. "New" spoke with the creator and permanent leader of Fest Igor Shapovalov about the background of what happened.

- I know that the group from the theater was just at the reception of Alexander Kalyagin. What did you agree on?

- STD gathered a meeting on the difficult situation with the theater. And we are very grateful for their active support; Right during this meeting, Alexander Alexandrovich, having sorted out all the details, called the head of the district. And very seriously asked him to stop the pursuit of the theater, to return him the possibility of a normal life.

- With a search at Fest came on the eve of the theater?

- Yes, it was the most natural plaque. Trypaces were smashed, children's toys were trampled, which the mothers stored at work at work, the entire theater turned over.

We said: why are you doing this?! If you have questions about the buffet, take specific documents. As a result, everything was seized - and accounting, administrative documents, and ticket books, and all computers. Even my phone is selected by the investigator.

The theater ended up in a situation where it cannot legally continue its activities. We are forced to play performances at our own peril and risk. They also accused the illegal trade in alcohol when we found bottles in the back room, which we threw ourselves in front of the banquet in honor of the theater day. People who came to us with a search did not hide - they received an order, they fulfill it. They said directly: "We work out our bread."

-Right after the pogrom there were any movements of power?

-Yes, right on the theater day in the Government of the Moscow Region, chaired by the first vice-governor, a meeting was held with the participation of the Minister of Culture of the region, the deputy governor. The head of Azarov Viktor Sergeevich also was present

- What arguments did he bring in his favor?

- He began with the fact that he watered the theater and personally mud. But the regional government was attentive to the requests of the theater, almost all of them supported them. Narmin Shiralieva, Minister of Culture of the region, took an active position in the support of the theater. Based on the results of the meeting, a protocol was drawn up, which reflect all the requirements of the theater.

- What are these requirements?

- The most important thing is to resolve the issue of the charter. Fest has existed for thirty years, we have our own art school, and in the Charter all these years there was such a norm: the artistic director of the theater is appointed in agreement with the team, and the director of the theater is appointed at the proposal of the artistic director. This made it possible to maintain the theater in the artistic state in which it was all these years. Now it is removed from the charter. Removen in order to change the leadership of the theater, to put their people.

- When did it all start?

-In the spring of 2018, we were sent a very strict verification of the Control and Account Chamber. It lasted three months. Nothing serious was found, but the work was extended for a month, then another one. Total five months. The inspectors themselves explained to us: "Guys, we have a task - to find!" In the end, they stated that there was a hidden lease in the work of the buffet. Although there is an act of inspection by the prosecutor’s office and an act of inspection of the administration itself, they clearly say that there is no hidden lease. In the agreement with the organization that created the buffet, there is the coordination of the owner - the property committee.

It turned out that this organization at the time of verification ceased its activities. How could we know about this?!

The buffet works, all contracts are concluded. But on this occasion they raised a noise, and the director was fired, they broke the charter. And they introduced such rules by which we must coordinate any changes in the staffing with the founder.

- serfdom?

- And now the existing legislation, in truth, puts the theater in serfdom. But after all, such broad powers are given to the founder not in order to deal with theaters, but in order to support them. And in this case, they decided the opposite.

- Is there a reason outside the theater?

- Certainly! Building!

- Draw or use differently?

- There are many assumptions on this subject. Different information reaches us. First: to open in the building that belongs to us (by reducing the theater to the minimum size, leaving it only a chamber scene), a cultural and entertainment center. Second: to demolish the building and again put a cultural and entertainment center in its place. And the third-we are talking about the complete restructuring of the entire center, the construction of a business apartment. In all cases, the theater is a stumbling block.

- Because not small and stunted, but respected and sounding?

- Yes, we play 250 performances a year, 50 thousand spectators pass through us, for several years in a row Fest was recognized as the most economically effective among cultural institutions of the Moscow Region. Plus, the most popular theater of the Moscow region. For many years, we were very lucky with the leadership of both the district and the city district. At the head stood people who had a soul for the theater, helped him be equipped with new equipment, expand the troupe.

- Until while? ...

- Until the leadership Viktor Sergeyevich Azarov came to the leadership. At first, he treated the theater neutral, and then every year everything is worse and worse. And for four years now I have not come to any performance.

- How did this affect business days?

- They tried to lead us to the breakdown of the federal program for assistance to theaters of small cities. They did not agree on anything, they did not sign anything. Signatures were placed when the deadline for submitting documents has already passed. When the director was fired, we almost flew beyond the scope of this year. Fortunately, I had the right to sign contracts like a Khudruk. Thanks to this, we were not scared throughout the country. Imagine, they allocated money, but they didn’t put a performance?! On the basis of this, it was already possible to drive a scar ...

At the beginning of the year, we were cut off the budget, and secretly. The Council of Deputies approved it in the amount of 74 million, and only 61 million reached us, just robbery. And as soon as we began to raise noise, complain, turn to the public, the investigative authorities began to consider the buffet. And when they wrote a complaint to the prosecutor’s office against the funds illegally taken from the theater, police outfits came to us.

PS

Fest is preparing for the “Millioned Spectator” campaign, and the city administration to continue the struggle. She officially formulated her position on the VKontakte social network: “The inspection act establishes illegal use of municipal property, the organization of food trade and alcohol products by a commercial organization under the beautiful name of the Astoria. "..." The buffet in the theater is an expensive pleasure, in four years they earned a lot. But who? The answer, apparently, will be received after the completion of the criminal case. "