The Success Scene: who received the Golden Mask in Kazan

The most prestigious theater award in Russia has moved to Kazan for the first time in its more than 30-year history. This time it was presented in the new building of the Galiasgar Kamal Theater. According to Vladimir Mashkov, President of the Golden Mask and Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, four regions are ready to follow the example of Kazan and spend money on holding the next ceremony. The Black Boards of the Vladimir Regional Drama Theater was recognized as the best performance in a drama. And this year Valery Gergiev, co-chairman of the STD of the Russian Federation, head of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theaters, introduced a new Maestro prize, which marked the performance "The Master and Margarita" by the Samara Opera and Ballet Theater named after D.D. Shostakovich. Izvestia learned the details and congratulated the laureates.

The last time in the old way

The decision to move the XXXI Golden Mask award ceremony from Moscow to the regions is programmatic. According to the STD management, it emphasizes the nationwide character of this prestigious theater award. But, of course, it also demonstrates the seriousness of intentions to change the course of the award, which has always been considered refined, and the most refined theater, of course, is in Moscow. If you give up this status, then you need to go deeper into the country, at the same time opening new theatrical territories.

The competition for the award includes productions that premiered from August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024. This is the format of the award: to be awarded not at the end of the season, but a year after its completion. A total of 734 applications were received from 170 cities of the Russian Federation. 567 applications were moderated and allowed to participate.

In the main nomination "Best Performance", 36 productions were nominated for the award in eight directions (ballet, opera, drama, large and small forms, experiment, puppet theater, musical, modern dance). 93 candidates claimed victory in private nominations.

The jury selected the best performances of the 2023-2024 season based on the results of the Golden Mask Festival, which was held in Moscow and other Russian cities. 44 performances were presented in the festival poster.

Next year, the awards will be different. In December 2024, a new regulation on the Golden Mask Award was approved, according to which the play becomes the winner of the award. Private nominations, in which they were awarded for the best female role, male role, director, conductor, director, composer, are excluded.

"Our expert council was the last one working under the old regulations, we selected the nominees for the 2023-2024 season," Dmitry Rodionov, editor—in—chief of the Stage magazine, shared with Izvestia. — According to the new regulations, only the "Best performances" remained, all other nominations were abolished. But now, if the play is recognized as the best, then all its creators and participants will be considered laureates. And everyone will be given a chest Mask.

The best performance in eight categories will be named not one, but five at once. Accordingly, the number of nominees will increase. There may be 10 or 15 of them. Starting next year, the Golden Mask will name the 40 best performances.

— It is difficult for experts to choose one of the best of the best every time, they all seem to be winners to us, since we preferred to take them among the nominees, and already the jury makes its choice in favor of one, and there is some inaccuracy in this, - says Rodionov. — The theater is not a canned food factory, each performance has its own characteristics, stylistic and conceptual. They are completely different, but both are talented. Why do we have to cut off talent? Why can't Russia name the top five performances in Drama? When we discussed the new position, I suggested awarding seven or ten performances altogether. We stopped at five.

A big maneuver

There are many applicants for the "Mask". Moreover, as experts say, provincial theaters will give a head start to large metropolitan theaters in the "Drama". There are also fantastic actors in the regions. The applicants for the latest private "Masks" mainly included artists from Yakutia, Minusinsk, Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Ulan-Ude, Elista, Yelets, Izhevsk and other regions.

One of the objectives of the festival is to identify cultural points on the map of Russia, to attract the attention of not only experts, but also critics, according to the STD. Otherwise, if they don't write or film about the theater, it doesn't seem to exist.

Therefore, the Golden Mask no longer relies on big names, but, on the contrary, struggles with "loudness". There are few titled and recognized luminaries of the capital's theaters among the nominees for prestigious awards. This year, even in the Opera and Ballet categories, there are no applicants from the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky. Maybe because Valery Gergiev, the head of these theaters, is the co-chairman of the STD of the Russian Federation? The premiere productions of the Oleg Tabakov Theater and Sovremennik, directed by Vladimir Mashkov, also did not get into the nominations.

— The number of names in ballet categories has decreased significantly, there used to be more. Now the "Best Ballet" is chosen from four, and the "Best Modern Dance" from two altogether," says ballet critic Anna Yeltsova. — In my opinion, the favorite was "Rachmaninov. A Symphony Long in Life" by Oleg Gabyshev, which he staged at the Bashkir Opera and Ballet Theater. He was Boris Eifman's lead soloist for 20 years, and his performance turned out to be a kind of "Eifman Light". But this is a very high level. Oleg himself goes on stage in the role of Rachmaninov. The performance is very lapidary, huge, for three acts, illustrative, multigenre. Opera numbers performed by Askar Abdrazakov, who plays Chaliapin, appear in the ballet. A kind of mix of genres. But I'm attracted to the pure genre.

This is Oleg Gabyshev's second production after the ballet "Personalities of Milligan", which he staged on the stage of the Kazan Opera and Ballet Theater. But the Golden Mask was awarded to Sergei Bikbulatov, the second performer of the Rachmaninov part, for the Best Male Role. And the winner was named the play "Shining Stone" from the Yakut theater "Sakha Opera Ballet". Maria Kuzmina, the winner of the Mask for Best Actress, is also dancing in it. Vyacheslav Samodurov won the prize as the best choreographer who staged the play "598 bars" at the St. Petersburg Ballet Theater. Leonid Yakobson.

Evgeny Pisarev, artistic director of the Pushkin Theater, became the best director at the opera house. His "Not only love" on the stage of MAMT was also called the best performance. Three "Masks" will leave for Ufa. The opera "On the Night of the Lunar Eclipse" has the best conductor Valery Platonov, actress Lyubov Tutorina, and actor Vasily Efimov.

It is difficult, almost impossible, to compete with the productions of the main theaters of the country. Previously, everyone who was shortlisted for the Golden Mask could be proud to be placed next to the celestials, now the regions have increased their chances of being awarded. There is an opinion that the absence of recognized leaders of musical theaters in the competition is explained by the loss of objectivity of experts in evaluating the work of their colleagues. Experts are accused of taste and personal predilections for the characters. Experts defend themselves: we need to broaden our horizons and work for the future, they say.

The production of the Vladimir Academic Regional Drama Theater "Black Boards" was named the best performance in a drama. It was directed by the Golden Mask director Vladimir Kuznetsov. And Polina Agureeva's play "The Cathedral People" brought together the best artists. People's Artist of Russia Natalia Egorova (Best Supporting Actress) and Mark Burlaya were awarded the Golden Masks. The director also attracted People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Bashmet to the production. His orchestra is a full-fledged participant in the performance.

Province, let's go

Vladimir Mashkov likes to say that the development of Russian culture is impossible without theater.

"Russia is an absolutely theatrical country, we have 660 state—owned theaters and twice as many private ones," Vladimir Mashkov told Izvestia. — Last year we came to Kazan with the Oleg Tabakov Theater. We were invited to the Galiasgar Kamal Theater. He made a huge impression on me. In our difficult times, building a new theater with such innovative stages is not an easy and costly task. And I would really like the whole theatrical Russia to see how the republic is developing, which is famous for its teams that have repeatedly received the Golden Mask.

The gala evening anticipated a street festival with theatrical performances for residents and guests of the city. An educational program, lectures and master classes were organized for the experts.

But on the evening of June 26, the stage masters and their fans gathered at the Galiasgar Kamala Theater. His new building looks like a huge iceberg near Lake Kaban. Once inside, the guests are amazed: the sheer volume of beauty is breathtaking. Tatar folk ornaments are lit with lights. And there seemed to be huge ice floes frozen on the ceiling. It feels like you've entered a temple of art. Performances in the native language are performed here.

"The Golden Mask has undergone a great transformation," Yevgeny Knyazev, People's Artist of Russia, told Izvestia. — I remember the first prize. The ceremony took place on the stage of the Maly Theater. Our Vakhtangov Theater was the first winner. We didn't think much of it then. It was just beginning then.

As Evgeny Knyazev says, the award has had its ups and downs. The Golden Mask, like any festival, depends on the artistic tastes of the personalities who lead this festival.

"It is important that The Mask has become a national award and an all—Russian pride for all theaters," says the People's Artist. — Even the Vakhtangov Theater is not covered with awards, what can we say about regions and small towns. Even if their nameplates say "Golden Mask nominee", it's a matter of pride. And I understand them.

Dmitry Bertman, People's Artist of Russia, artistic director of Helikon Opera, who directed Puccini's Madame Butterfly, was awarded the special jury Prize "For his Contribution to the development of opera art." The special Award of the President of the Golden Mask Award and Festival Vladimir Mashkov "For courage and dedication to the profession" was awarded to the staff of the Khabarovsk Musical Theater. Its building completely burned down on October 3, 2024. The whole country responded to the collective's misfortune. Some theaters invited us on tour, while others helped with decorations, instruments, and costumes. At the suggestion of the co-chairman of the STD of the Russian Federation, Valery Gergiev, a special Maestro award appeared in the Golden Mask. It was awarded to the performance of the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after D.D. Shostakovich "The Master and Margarita". The award was presented by NOVAT's chief director Vyacheslav Starodubtsev.

Kazan became the first city in the new history of the Golden Mask to host an awards ceremony. But whether she will continue her journey to the regions is difficult to predict. As Vladimir Mashkov said, he would like the Golden Mask to visit those regions where theater is treated with the same care as in Tatarstan. But it's not easy. There are many reasons: complicated logistics, the need to bring a large number of festival participants and resettle them. However, the award's management is already considering proposals from four regions that are ready to take over the organization of the Golden Mask. The names of the regions are still kept secret.