But our tobacco is of different brands: why two theaters on Taganka do not want to unite

Angelica Dean

After the death of the artistic director of the theater "Commonwealth of Taganka Actors" Nikolai Gubenko, the issue of uniting two neighboring theaters - Na Taganka and "Commonwealth of Taganka Actors", as they say, has matured. On September 15, at a troupe gathering at the "Commonwealth of Taganka Actors" theater, a representative of the Moscow Department of Culture said that "the whole season the theater will work as before, release premieres under the direction of Vladimir Zaviktorin".

Shortly before his departure, Nikolai Gubenko named him, a graduate of the Schepkinsky Theater School, actor, playwright, his successor. The widow of Nikolai Gubenko, People's Artist of Russia Zhanna Bolotova, came to support the Zaviktorin and the theater staff at the gathering of the troupe and the opening of the season. It's no secret that Zhanna Andreevna's authority in the theater, in the cinema, and in the government is high. She is the daughter of a Hero of the Soviet Union, laureate of the State Prize.

Let me remind you that back in 1993 Nikolai Gubenko divided the theater of Yuri Lyubimov - the legendary Taganka into two theaters, between which lay the so-called "cold wall". Gubenko himself was categorically against the unification of theaters, as he spoke about in one of our interviews with him two years ago:

- Until the generation of artists who have worked since the founding of the theater after leaving Yuri Lyubimov dies, there can be no question of uniting the two theaters. Yuri Petrovich unjustly offended a lot of good actors and artists, and they have nothing in common with the Taganka Theater. We are different theaters, with different aesthetics, aspirations... For us, the Taganka Theater, directed by Irina Apeksimova.

It is surprising that the two current directors of the two theaters - Apeksimova and Zaviktorin - do not even know each other:

- I have never met Irina Apeksimova. I know that she is the director of the Taganka Theater, I saw her in the movies, but I don't know her personally. But I knew Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov and worked with him, - Vladimir Zaviktorin told NI. I will note that Irina Apeksimova, according to her, never met Yuri Lyubimy personally.

Gubenko's successor explained why today he does not see the point in uniting the two theaters:

- If today there was a leader of the level and scale of Yuri Lyubimov, then we could talk about the unification of the two theaters. But I don't know such a leader. I'm afraid that he simply does not exist.

People's Artist of Russia, Moscow City Duma deputy Yevgeny Gerasimov has been considered a candidate for the post of artistic director by a large theater for some year. After the death of the artistic director of the Lenkom theater Mark Zakharov, there were rumors that he would become the new leader. Theater director Mark Varshaver concentrated all power in his strong hands and, it seems, is in no hurry to share it with anyone. The director of the Taganka Theater, Irina Apeksimova, has also “settled down” in the theater and does not seem to be going to move for the artistic director. Only in the case of the unification of the two theaters on Taganka is Gerasimov's coming to the post of a single leader. He, of course, is not a figure of the level of Lyubimov or Gubenko (he worked a little in the theater, yes, and a beginner director), but an experienced, diplomatic, flexible person. But for some reason, Gubenko did not name Gerasimov as his successor, although both are graduates of VGIK, both have sat in the Moscow City Duma for years.

Why do ideas of uniting theaters come up from time to time? During the collapse of the USSR, there were two Moscow Art Theaters, two Taganka, and this was facilitated by both the political situation in the country and the economic one. Democratic mayors generously distributed buildings in the capital to their favorite directors and artists, allocated state money (however, due to the conflict between Gubenko and Yuri Luzhkov, the "Commonwealth of Taganka Actors" theater was deprived of finances), and now, in an era of crisis, it is more profitable to maintain one theater. than a few. Moreover, if one theater is successful, and the other is unprofitable. The artistic director of the Moscow Theater of the Moon, Sergei Prokhanov, believes that "the time has come for unification", as told by Novye Izvestia:

- At one time, the Moon Theater merged with the Musical Comedy Theater, and both only benefited from this. There are a huge number of theaters in Moscow, and not all of them enjoy success with the audience, and at the same time public funds are spent on them. Why not merge theaters?

But unification requires not only the political will of the government, but also a collective desire. You cannot force people who do not love each other to live under one roof, much less force them to create together. It’s like returning to the idea of the USSR (the name may be different), only those who wish to become part of Russia today are few. Theater is in many ways a model of the state, its reflection. So, it is unlikely that large theaters from both Moscow and Russia will be united. Everyone will survive on their own.