On September 4, 2009, Distinguished Artist of Russia Kira Kreilis-Petrova celebrated her creative jubilee of 30 years of work at the Alexandrinsky Theater. Kira Kreilis-Petrova is a brilliant performer of both dramatic and comedian sharp-character roles. The following characters belong to the list of her best roles: Agraphena Kondratievna Bolshova (“Scratch My Back and I’ll Scratch Yours!” by A. Ostrovsky, 1992), Fana “The Cap with the Jingle Bells” by L. Pirandello, 1993), Malanya (“Not Every Day Is Sunday” by A. Ostrovsky, 1991), Matchmaker Fyokla Ivanovna (“The Marriage” by N. Gogol, 1998), etc. Presently, actress’s repertoire includes roles in Valery Fokin’s performances: Lyapkina-Tyapkina (“The Inspector General” by N. Gogol, 2002), Arina Panteleimonovna (“The Marriage” by N. Gogol, 2008). The bright creative individuality, a talent of a comedienne, and the highest level of professionalism make Kira Kreilis-Petrova a favorite of the theater public.

On September 4, 2009, Distinguished Artist of Russia Tatyana Kulish celebrated her creative jubilee of 30 years of work at the Alexandrinsky Theater. The actress has played more than 40 roles on this stage and created a whole line of wonderful images of female lyric characters. Typical for the actress fine lyricism is carefully balanced with dramatic approach and detailed elaboration of each role. At the same time, Tatyana Kulish has an outstanding talent of a comedienne and ability to create character roles. Tatyana Kulish is a multifaceted actress and a broadly talented person: besides her work at the Alexandrinsky Theater, she contributes a lot of her time and forces to the School of Russian Drama – a theater institution founded by People’s Artist of the USSR Oleg Gorbachev.

Yesterday, on August 30, 2009, onal get-together of the company took place on the eve of the 254^th season opening. At 10 AM, a memorial flower laying ceremony took place at the St. Peter and Paul cathedral in the honor of two Empresses: Empress Elizabeth, who had signed the Verdict on establishment of the Russian theater in 1756, and Empress Alexandra, spouse of Nickolas I, the name of which was given to the theater in 1832. At the company gathering, Artistic Director of the theater Valery Fokin told about plans for the upcoming season: new performances, tours, festival demonstrations, and introduced a new actor, graduate of the B. Shchukin Theater Institute Tikhon Zhiznevsky, to the troupe. The list of first premieres of the new season on the big stage includes: “Uncle Vanya” by A. Chekhov directed by Andrey Serban (the first night on September 11), “Izotov” by M. Durnenkov directed by Andrey Moguchy (the first night on October 23), “Hamlet” by W. Shakespeare directed by Valery Fokin (the first night is scheduled for April 2010).

A press-conference dedicated to the opening of the 254^th season and the IV International Alexandrinsky Festival will start at noon on August 28. Artistic Director of the theater Valery Fokin will speak about the plans, upcoming premieres, and tours of the theater. Special attention will be paid to the festival program which will start on September 11 with the first night of A. Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” directed by American director Andrey Serban. Performances of the Hungarian Katona National Theater’s “Barbarians” by M. Gorky (16-17.09) and “Ivanov” by A. Chekhov (18-19. 09) directed by Tamas Asher will continue the festival program. The Greek Attis Theater under direction of Theodoros Terzopoulos will present Paolo Murzio’s one-man show “Eremos” (25-26.09) and a “Voice and Body in the Ancient Greek Theater” master-class (24.09).

On August 25, 2009, Distinguished Artist of Russia Arkady Volgin will celebrate his 70^th birthday. Arkady Volgin’s creative biography is entirely connected with the Pushkin Drama Theater where he was admitted right after graduation from the theater institute in1960. In the half century he dedicated the Alexandrinsky stage, he had played a big number of roles including: Pilot Yan Sun (“The Good Person from Sezuan” by B. Brecht, 1962), Egmont (“Before the Sunset” by H. Hauptmann, 1963), Ustimentko (“The Cause you Serve To” by Yu. German, 1968), Duke (“The Little Tragedies” by A. Pushkin, 1965), Saint-Exupery (“The Life of Saint-Exupery” by L. Malyugin, 1969), Kshishtof Maksimovich (“Rush Hour” by Ye. Stavinsky, 1973), Chepurnoy (“Children of the Sun” by M. Gorky, 1976), Michel (“A Murder in Nemur” by A. Christie, 1991), Pinsky (“Judas of the City of Piter” by the Strugatsky Brothers, 1996), Colonel Pikering (“Pygmalion” by B. Shaw, 1998), Holy Fool (“Boris Godunov” by A. Pushkin, 1999), and many other.

On August 20, 2009, actor Joseph Koshelevich will celebrate his 60^th birthday. Prior to his coming to the Pushkin Drama Theater’s Company in 1989, Joseph Koshelevich had been one of the leading actors of the Russian Samed Vurgun Drama Theater (Baku, Azerbaijan), where he had been playing the most diverse roles: from Armand Duval in the “Lady with Camellias” by A. Duma to Molliere’s Tartuffe; from ardent Cassio in “Othello” to scheming Shiruie (“Farkhad and Shirin” by S. Vurgun); from Prince Myshkin in “Idiot” by F. Dostoyevsky to Benya Krik in Babel’s “Sunset.” The role of provocateur Lippanchenko in the performance after Andrey Bely’s novel “Petersburg” turned into one of the most interesting roles in the period of his work at the Alexandrinsky Theater (2005).

At the meeting of the Expert Council nominees of the top St. Petersburg Theater Award Golden Soffit 2009 were announced. Among them are young actors of the Alexandrinsky Theater; Yanina Lakoba was nominated for the role of Ksenia in the performance “Ksenia. The History of Love” (nomination for the “Best Female Role”), Dmitry Lysenkov was nominated for the role of Gary Gay in the performance “Man Equals Man” (nomination for the “Best Male Role”), and Alexandra Bolshakova for the role of Leokadia Bagbick in the performance “Man Equals Man” (nomination for the “Best Supporting Role”). Yury Butusov’s performance “Man Equals Man” by Berthold Brecht was nominated in the nomination for the “Best Performance on the Big Stage.”

Yesterday, on June 29, closing ceremony for the “Theater 1:20” exhibition took place in the gallery of the 4^th circle. Works of students from the scenography shop of Distinguished Artist of Russia Vyacheslav Okunev, Theater and Direction Department of SPbSATI, were presented at the exhibition. A young Alexandrinsky Theater actor Andrey Matyukov showed episodes from his new one-actor performance after the poetry and prose of Osip Mandelshtam. Closing of the exhibition season was concluded by a meeting with the actor who answered students’ questions about his work at the theater and in the cinema, his experience of working with various directors, his roles and everyday theater life.

On June 25, 2009, an open for public rehearsal of the performance “Uncle Vanya” by A. Chekhov took place at the Alexandrinsky Theater. The first night of this performance will open the 254^th season and the 4^th International Alexandrinsky Theater Festival. Students of St. Petersburg higher educational institutions became the first viewers of the new performance: student groups from the St. Petersburg State University, Academy of Arts, University of Cinema and Television, Bonch-Bruyevich University of Telecommunications attended the rehearsal.

Yesterday, June 22, 2009, a new exhibit called "Pro domo mea" was opened at the Anna Akhmatova Museum in the Fountain House. Named with a line from Akhmatova’s “Poem with No Hero,” the exhibit is dedicated to two jubilees: Anna Akhmatova’s 120^th birthday and the 20^th anniversary of the museum. The exhibit presents paintings, graphic works, theater costumes, and dolls from the funds of the Anna Akhmatova Museum, the State Russian Museum, the Museum of Theater and Music Arts, the Demmeni Puppet Theater’s Museum and the Alexandrinsky Theater’s Museum. The latter provided the costume of Polichinello, a character from the second episode of Vs. Meyerhold’s performance “The Masquerade” (1917) created after A.Y. Golovin’s sketch. This very masquerade character became one of the principle character of Anna Akhmatova’s “Poem with No Hero.”