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.

On January 23, 2010, the Alexandrinsky Theater performance “Uncle Vanya” directed by Andrey Serban gave start to the theater decade dedicated to the 150^th Birthday of Anton Chekhov. On the next day, January 24, another Chekhov’s performance was shown: it was “The Seagull” directed by Khrystian Lupa. In the course of the jubilee decade, the following plays will be presented: “The Three Sisters” of the Youth Theater on the Fontanka; “A Man in a Case” of the Bryantsev Youth Theater; “The Happy People” of the Theater in Liteiny; and “Chekhov. Vaudeville” of the Lensoveta Theater.

On January 16, 2010, Actress of the Alexandrinsky Theater will celebrate her jubilee. Her entire creative career is connected with the Alexandrinsky stage. She studied nuts and bolts of her profession here then still a student of Igor Gorbachev’s actor course. After graduation from the theater institute in 1983, she was admitted to the company. A temperamental, bright young actress with strong beautiful voice and good looks, Marina Roslova played the most various roles: from merchant woman Belotelova in A. Ostrovsky’s comedy “Balzaminov’s Marriage” (1984) to Marina and Akulina in L. Tolstoy’s play “The Power of the Dark” (1986); from Ganka in G. Zapolskaya’s cornball tragic comedy “Moral of Mrs. Dulskaya” (1987) to Raisa Filippovna and Zinka Pas d’Spain in N. Erdman’s comedy “A Suicide”(1988).

Yesterday, on January 13, 2010, the award ceremony for laureates of the firth youth theater award “Break-through” took place at the Comedian’s Shelter Theater. This award was founded by the Committee on Culture of the St. Petersburg Administration. The leading actors of the Alexandrinsky Theater and Dmitry Lysenkov were among the nominees. Yanina Lakovba was honored with the Award as “The Best Young Actress of a Drama Theater.” In the last season, she had played the role of Ksenia in the performance “Ksenia. The History of Love" by V. Levanov and the role of Sonya in the performance “Uncle Vanya.” The actress has also received a special prize of the MTS Telephone Compan, the general sponsor of the “Break-through” Award.

On January 13, 2010, had suddenly died Distinguished Artist of Russia Ludmila Gorbacheva. The actress had served at the Alexandrinsky Theater for more than 50 years. In the years of her work the actress had palyed more than 60 roles, among which were Nina (“The Years of Wondering” by A. Arbuzov, 1955), Girl (“The Optimistic Tragedy” by V. Vishnevsky, 1959), Irochka (“The Noble Nest” by I. Turgenev, 1959), Natasha (“A Lost Son” by A. Arbuzov, 1962), Ludmila (“Friends and Years” by L. Zorin, 1962), Beloved (“The Wild Captain” by Y. Smuul, 1965), Jane (“Maria Tudor” by V. Hugo, 1965). Her heroines were marked with charm of youth, sincerity and innocence, but with internal strength and personal integrity.

The “Choice of the 33” independent theater award was established in St. Petersburg by initiative of the Committee on Culture.

“We decided to launch this experiment because outcomes of professional awards, including the theater ones, often do not meet aspirations of many people. Jury and expert council’s members are often reproached in prejudices and lack of objectivity, along with a number of other sins. This is why we decided to establish an independent theater award,” – Anton Gubankov, Chair of the Committee, said to ITAR-TASS. Theater critics, directors and people professionally not affiliated with theater became members of the expert group.