Translated material
You need to protest in silence
The Ministry of Culture objects to criticism and confirms its relevance
In Novaya Gazeta, an article by our observer Marina Tokareva "Remove - the verb of the year of the theater!" With the subtitle "Minkalt it is time to retrain into a cleaning company." The day after the exit of the article from the Ministry of Culture, the text of “Reutering” came. We publish literally, preserving the absent punctuation and actual errors. In brackets in italics, we give excerpts from the article of our observer, the conclusions of which are referred to by the directors.
Evgeny Marcelli
Former artistic director of the theater. Fedor Volkova in Yaroslavl
- Today the article “Novaya Gazeta” was published where the version was made about the reasons for your dismissal from the Volkov Theater. How much does this version correspond to what actually happened?
- It was absolutely my initiative, and it seemed to me that this is the most normal human act that I should commit in this situation. The Ministry of Culture, on the contrary, showed tolerance and intelligence towards me, for which I am grateful to the minister . (“Rebel artists openly sided with the chief director, and the ministry was forced to correct their clumsy work”).
As a result of the fact that there was a war inside the theater - between the leaders, a serious story inside the troupe, such a major trouble happened. And, of course, it seemed to me that the Ministry of Culture in this situation could make a categorical decision - just to dismiss two leaders who are to blame for the unleashing of this war . But one was dismissed, and it seemed to me that humanly I just had to leave in this situation with dignity (“Turkalov“ freed ”, and for some reason Marchelli was“ placed in appearance ” ). The minister proposed supporting personal directorial projects, a full -time place in one of the federal theaters, but now I want a little freedom.
- Is it true that the prosecutor's office came to you?
- The prosecutor's office was sent, first district, then city, then the regional. Endless checks. And the best forces were hired there to find compromising materials. But, apparently, they were not found. I am still invited to conversations in the prosecutor's office, where I should give explanations. A few days ago, they called me from the regional prosecutor’s office, where I was supposed to explain why I distributed roles in such a way that one actress played in all my performances, although there are 40 other actresses nearby.
The difficult situation, of course, did not manage to find a compromise either with the director or the authorities of the region, at some point we passed the point of no return.
- The other day, the Ministry of Culture announced an open competition for the development of concepts for the development of the theater. A. Volkova. What do you think is it appropriate?
- I know that this is a very difficult process - to appoint the artistic director of the theater, and so that it coincides that the theater is worthy of the artistic director, and that the leader be worthy of this theater. I don’t even know whether the competition is able to give the right candidate (“... there are rumors that the leader was decided to put Sergey Pukepalis before all concepts ”).
Valery Fokin
Artistic director of the Alexandrinsky Theater
- Today the article of the new newspaper was published where the version of the reasons for the dismissal from the Volkov Theater by the artistic director Yevgeny Marcelli was published. What do you think was a reprimand for a catalyst, was this the right decision of the Ministry of Culture or is it possible for the reason for leaving in something else?
-The article does not directly say that Marcelli quit due to pressure from the Ministry of Culture. Rather, it is indirectly said. (“The logic of a bossy reprimand is unable to the artist: first, the Ministry of Culture imposes a deliberately inappropriate person to the directors of the director. Apparently, this served as the same fur that broke the back of the camel. Marcelli wrote a statement and left ”). This statement is not so unfair - it is a lie.
The fact is that Marcelli was simply exhausted by the whole situation - the general situation that occurred in the theater. And morally he was completely devastated, he was tired and simply could not.
They just wanted to save him in the theater, but he decided that he should definitely leave. Because just could no longer be there. (" ... the administrative structure was destroyed, the artistic director, which created the current reputation, was lost, the artists-premiers left" ). I understand him very well. Many years ago I myself was in a similar situation - when I left the Moscow Theater. Ermolova. The whole atmosphere and in the city brought him to the point that a person wants to run away anywhere, if only not to be there. (“The Yaroslavl Volkovsky had to withstand the fierce attacks of the“ patriots ”, the prosecutor’s office, the governor, deputies, opponents of the idea, and finally, common sense and arbitrariness of the authorities”).
I am very sorry that Marcelli was gone. I always said this - I am very sorry that he left. Because, firstly, he is a talented director, and the director, whom the theater supported. The city did not work out in the city, but this is another question. I always feel sorry for the idea of combining our theaters with him - we invented it together, we wanted to. But I say once again: humanly, I understand him.
- The other day, the Ministry of Culture announced an open competition for the development of concepts for the development of the theater. A. Volkova. What do you think is it appropriate?
- In principle, this approach can be. Another thing is that it must be prepared. The only thing that confuses me is the time of preparation. (“... We must determine with candidates who will have a minimum time, at least 7-10 days, before the season to get acquainted with the team and understand what the Volkovsky Theater is ”). I would say a competition not of concepts, but a competition of artistic leaders - and this is the right approach in general for all theaters of the country. I think so. The new artistic director must publish his program, his idea of the theater what he wants. And the founders, with the involvement of experts, the public and the city, if it concerns the province, should decide whether it is possible to give this specific person a card-blanche, whether we conclude a contract with him and give him the opportunity to work for a certain period.
This is the right approach. So, by the way, they receive in many countries when the future candidate publishes his program, they choose him and do not touch him for several years until the contract ends. And then they decide whether he had completed the program, whether he did something correct for the city. And they take into account everything - his prizes, a reward, criticism, the state of the theater, and the cash desk. So, in principle, this approach is true . Another thing is what he does, what he does not . (“... the appointment of the Ministry of Culture is not without reason cause a screech and outrage of any space where they are forcibly placed; however, this screech is called by a hype”).
From the editorial office
The point that the personnel policy in the field of the Theater under the deputy minister Stepanov, personified in the appointments of Alexei Turkalov, director of the Yaroslavl drama, Yuri Sherling, deputy director of the Central Theater of Puppete Puppet, Eduard Boyakov, the artistic director of the Gorky Moscow Pheds Medical University, leads artists to the streets with one demand - to remove! The diagnosis, meanwhile, is the “unhealthy environment”. As a result, the Turkals were dismissed six months after the appointment, Sherling - a month later.
The commentary taken by the employees of the apparatus from two large directors - Valery Fokin and Evgeny Marcelli, is, minus, the reservations necessary in a conversation with the Ministry of Says only confirms the position of our observer: the aggressive incompetence of the director and prosecutor's office made the life of the artistic director of the unbearable, and the competition of development concepts, which was deprived of a serious meaning, formalized formality.
The phrase of our observer “in the department in the year of the theater is nobody who would professionally versed in the theater process” is confirmed in the sent text at the basic level: there is no theater in Russia “named after them. A. Volkova ”, which the ministerial interviewer mentions twice. There is a Russian state academic theater of drama named after Fedor Volkov . Repeat: Fedor.