On August 30, 2010, a traditional meeting of the Alexandrinsky Theater’s troupe will take place at 11 a.m. Prior to the start of the new 255^th season, the traditional ceremony of wreath laying on the tombs of the two Russian Empresses, whose names are inextricably tied with the history of the Russian theater, will take place at the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Empress Elizabeth’s Highest Order of 1756 had established a “Russian Theater for presenting comedies and tragedies,” while Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (Alexandrina), the spouse of Nickolas I, inaugurated the newly opened theater in 1832, the theater was named Alexandrinsky in her honor.

On August 7, 2010 actress Tatyana Kulish passed away after siege of illness. She came to Pushkin Theater in 1979 and immediately turned into the leading young actress with the lyrical line of roles. In the very first season, she played Sasha in A. Chekhov’s “Ivanov,” Nastyona in V. Rasputin’s “Live and Remember,” Neghina in A. Ostrovsky’s “Talents and Admirers.” Her characters had always uniquely combined gracefulness and natural elegancy with firmness and ability to withstand attacks of destiny.

Artistic Director of the Alexandrinsky Theater Valery V. Fokin by Presidential Verdict was honored with "The Order of Merit for the Motherland of the III Degree" for "The big contribution to the development of the national theater art and the many years of creative activities."

On August 4, 2010, People’s Artist of Russia Victor Smirnov will turn 65. His artistic talent was as if specially designed for the Alexandrinsky Stage. Back in 1984, Rostislav Goryayev invited a bright, handsome and temperamental actor with impressive features and strong voice to play the role of Yemelyan Pugachev, “the peasants’ tzar,” in his performance “The Captain’s Daughter.” This job brought well-deserved success and popularity to the actor. His following works included a number of major roles: Zheleznov (“Vassa Zheleznova,” M. Gorky, 1985), Mitrich ("The Realm of Darkness," L.N. Tolstoy, 1986), Chalyapin ("The Bells," Y.Nagibin, 1989), Skotinin ("Ignoramus," D.I. Fonvisin, 1990), Bolshov (“It's a Family Affair — We'll Settle It Ourselves,” A.N. Ostrovsky, 1990)

The Expert Council of the Golden Soffit, the top St. Petersburg Theater Award, shortlisted nominees of the Award by the results of the 2009/2010 season. M. Durnenkov’s “Izotov” and W. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” were named among the best performances on the Big Stage. Andrey Moguchy and Valery Fokin, directors of these two performances, were also nominated for “The Best Director’s Job;” Alexander Shishkin and Alexander Borovsky, scene-designers of the performances, were included in the list of “The Best Artist’s Job.” Semyon Sytnik was announced for “The Best Male Role” for the part of Professor Serebryakov in A. Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” and Sergey Parshin was nominated for the secondary role of Cabman Nikolay in “Izotov.”

The first nights of W. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” directed by the Artistic Director of the Alexandrinsky Theater Valery Fokin will take place on April 16,17,18, and 23 of 2010.

A new unique item appeared in the collection of the Russian Drama Museum affiliated with the Alexandrinsky Theater. People’s Artist of Russia Galina Karelina presented an amber pin which had once belonged to Irina Meyerhold, a theater pedagogue and director and daughter of Vsevolod Meyerhold. Irina Meyerhold was fond of this pin and gave it to Galina Karelina after the first night of A. Ostrovsky’s “Last Victim” play. Galina Karelina played the role of Yulia Tugina in this performance which Irina Meyerhold had directed in 1971. People’s Artist of Russia Vasily Merkuriev, Irina Meyerhold’s husband, was Galina Karelina’s partner in this performance. He played the role of Pribytkov. This was a long-awaited performance for Irina Meyerhold; it was her hard-won and very personal artistic statement (a daughter of an executed director, she had had no ways to practice her profession, direct performances, and teach for a long while).

On March 4, 2010, a workshop on “The Theater and the Media: Methods of Efficient Cooperation” took place at the Actors Lobby of the Alexandrinsky Theater. The workshop was organized under the umbrella of the IX Inter-University Research and Practical Conference of Graduate and Post-Graduate Students. Professor Chepurov, Head of the creative and research department of the Alexandrinsky Theater opened the conference. Associate Professor of the St. Petersburg State University M.N. Drobysheva, Head of the Theater’s Department of Youth Projects S.I. Yurtaikina, and student of the St. Petersburg University School of Journalism A.V. Eterskova were the moderators at this workshop. Students of several leading St. Petersburg universities and young journalists from Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Perm and other cities of Russia took part in the workshop. The first part of the workshop was dedicated to the art of writing theater reviews.

On February 17, 2010, Distinguished Artist of Russia Maria Kuznetsova will celebrate her jubilee. The theater biography of this outstanding actress is inextricably intertwined with the Alexandrinsky Theater. A student of Igor Gorbachev, she was admitted to the company right after graduation in 1975. Her unique creative individuality along with colossal workability and mastership, her exceptional feeling of the partner and the ensemble allowed Maria Kuznetsova to turn into one of the leading young actresses after a short while: in the 1980s, she was engaged in nearly all performances of the Pushkin Theater and had been carrying a huge part of the theater’s repertoire. In the years of her work on the Alexandrinsky Stage, Maria Kuznetsova had played 70 roles.

On January 25, 2010, the Honorable Emblem of St. Tatiana Award Ceremony took place in the St. Isaacs Cathedral. Hertzen Pedagogical University endorsed Valery Fokin’s nomination in the category of “Educator of the Youth.” The Artistic Director of the Alexandrinsky Theater was honored “For the many years of enlightening and social activities.” Founders of the Honorable Emblem were: the Council of Rectors of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Eparchy, the Committee on the Youth Policies and Cooperation with Public Organizations, the Pokrov High School Association of the Spiritual and Moral Enlightening, the St. Petersburg Orthodox Seminary and the Committee on Science and Higher Education.