BDT will show “Baptized with Crosses” at the Mayakovsky Theater

September 20 and 21 on the stage of the Moscow Academic Theater named after Vl. Mayakovsky will host performances of the play “Baptized with Crosses” based on the book of the same name by Eduard Kochergin, timed to coincide with the artist’s anniversary. The performance was staged by Veniamin Filshtinsky.

It is curious that “Baptized with Crosses. Notes on the Knees” is an autobiographical book by the chief artist of the BDT Eduard Kochergin, which brought the author one of the most prestigious literary awards in Russia — the National Bestseller Award.

The performance was based on Kochergin’s own memories of his childhood spent in heating wagons on the way from Siberia to Leningrad: such a route had to be overcome by the son of “enemies of the people” in order to return from the NKVD orphanage to his mother in his native city. The odyssey of the little homeless Stepanych stretches for almost seven years, and his fellow travelers on the journey are the same as he is, homeless shkets, veteran front-line soldiers and thieves-jumps, robbing passenger trains.

The minimalistic scenography of the performance was created by Eduard Kochergin himself. From the objective world on the stage there are only two coils of wire, from which the future artist bent the profiles of leaders, which earned him a living, giving free rein to the imagination of the audience. BDT artists – Ruslan Barabanov, Karina Razumovskaya, Alena Kuchkova, Viktor Knyazhev, Rustam Nasyrov alternately become the little hero of the novel, then his only friend during the trip – the “blind” Mitka, then the orphan “kid”, then the guards and ” educators” of the children’s home, then soldiers returning from the front. At the same time, the “off-screen voice”, which belongs to the People’s Artist of Russia Gennady Bogachev, helps to understand the chain of events and ratings.

“Baptized with Crosses” became the second work of Veniamin Filshtinsky in the BDT. Three and a half decades ago, the audience saw here his “The Barmaid from the Disco” based on the novel by Yuri Andreev, and Georgy Tovstonogov acted as the director of the production. The title role was played by the brilliant Alisa Freindlich.

The performance, which this time Moscow will see, was awarded the highest theater award of St. Petersburg “Golden Soffit” in the nomination “Best ensemble cast”, became the winner of the award of the St. Petersburg Society of Spectators “Teatral” and a special jury award of the St. Breakthrough” “for the acting ensemble”.

At the end of the production, on the phrase “Before Peter, there were still five years of running …”, the author himself comes out to bow. It is perceived, of course, fantastic. Before us is a venerable artist, one of the best in modern theater. The viewer sincerely admires this man, having seen firsthand what an incredible path to himself this man has made with such a low “starting capital”. He admires and freezes … As, one of the critics said, “as if we were watching Peer Gynt, and Ibsen himself would bow to bows.” Very well marked.

Elena Bulova.

Photo provided by the press service of the BDT