Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater named after A. N. Ostrovsky

Pre-Revolutionary and Soviet Period

The appearance of the theater in Melekess (the name of the city of Dimitrovgrad until 1972) was promoted by the construction in 1908 on the initiative of the Posadskaya Duma , headed by KG Markov, the building of the National House with the theater . By “theater” they understood only the stage and the auditorium, which were rented by amateur directors for performances, since the theater troupe, neither amateur nor professional, did not yet exist in Melekess. The repertoire, for the most part, consisted of plays by V. Shakespeare and A. N. Ostrovsky ^[1] .

In 1920–30s of the 20th century, theater groups quite often toured Melekessa. So, in 1927 the Samara Drama Theater opened its summer season with the play “Love Spring” in Melekess. In 1928, the Ukrainian theater troupe “Promen” staged the performances “Gritsu”, “Mazepa”, “Viy” and others on the stage of the National House. The Melekessky theater itself in the 1920s traveled to the First Moscow Festival of propaganda performances, on whose jury were Stanislavsky , Meyerhold , Vakhtangov , Tairov ^[1] .

In the 1930s, the city of Melekess was part of the Kuibyshev region ; That is why, under the former People’s House, a professional collective-farm and state-farm theater of the Kuibyshev Region was located. Unfortunately, time has not retained its traces, except for the only program from which it is known that in 1935 a performance was staged on the play by Ostrovsky “ Let 's count our people ” ^[1] .

During the Great Patriotic War , when Melekess turned into a rear town, which received evacuated residents of the front line, the theater of a musical comedy, evacuated from the city of Zhytomyr occupied the scene of the People’s House in 1941-1943 . At its base, the city drama theater was organized by the collective farm and state farm theater from the working village of Karsun - in 1943 the city newspaper Vlast Truda reported that on December 25, according to the decision of the Ulyanovsk regional executive committee , the opening of the Melekessky professional drama theater would be held. according to A. N. Ostrovsky ^[1] .

The first decade of the theater was headed by Anna Sergeyevna Kalnitskaya, who was at the same time both the artistic director and the production director. The first actors of the theater were: N. A. Dikaya, S. B. Geyentse, Yu. G. Gilev, M. A. Sukhodolsky, I. I. Meshcheryakova, N. P. Kolpakov, V. M. Stepanova, P. K Daryalov, N.I. Borel, D.S. Losik.

From 1955 to 1979, the director and actor of the theater was Georgi Fedorovich Miller. He was a professional actor, played central roles in the theaters of Gorky , Uralsk , Ulyanovsk . At his time, the theater repertoire was rich in plays by A. N. Ostrovsky. In 1979, the theater moved to the city subordination.

Modern Time

In 1996, the Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater was renamed the Municipal Cultural Institution on the basis of the Resolution of the Administration of the City of Dimitrovgrad. Since January 25, 2006, the theater has been called the MUK Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater named after A. N. Ostrovsky.

In December 2003, having celebrated its 60th anniversary, the Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater gave life to the First Theater Festival “Theater -“ MU ”” (a municipal institution), which included theater groups of cities: Moscow , Ulyanovsk, Kostroma , Zhytomyr . The Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater was presented with the play “Behind Closed Doors” by J. Sartre.

May 17, 2003 The Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater named after A. N. Ostrovsky performed in Moscow for the first time on the stage of the Central House of Artists (“Little Piaf ”, director - Georgy Makarov) ^[2]

In 2004, the Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater named after A. N. Ostrovsky took part in the Festival of Small Cities of Russia in Lysva with the play “Behind the Closed Doors”.

In March 2007, the “Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater” MUK takes part in the I Festival of the Lycedees-2007 of the Ulyanovsk region with the play “The Strange Mrs. Sevij” ( eng. The Curious Savage ) based on the play by J. Patrick . Since then, the Dimitrovgrad Theater has become a regular participant and partner of the Litsedey Regional Festival, and has been awarded various prizes.

According to the results of the jubilee V Festival of theaters of the Ulyanovsk region "Litsedei-2011", the prize of the Governor - Chairman of the Government of the Ulyanovsk region S. I. Morozov "Promotion" for the greatest number of performances played in the districts of the region was awarded to A. N. Ostrovsky Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater.

In June 2011, Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater. A. N. Ostrovsky was invited to the IX Festival of Theaters of Small Towns of Russia, which was held in the city of Balakovo, Saratov Region . As a participant in the festival, the performance “ Balzaminov 's Marriage ”, staged by Honored Artist of Russia Vladimir Rubanov from A. Ostrovsky’s play “What You Go, You Will Find” was presented to the jury and the audience.

In 2011, Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater. A.N. Ostrovsky was the organizer and participant of the 1st Interregional Festival "Theater AtomGrad" among professional theaters from cities with the nuclear industry (in Dimitrovgrad one of the city-forming enterprises is the SSC " Research Institute of Atomic Reactors "). The festival was held from 5 to 12 November, it was attended by professional drama theaters, operetta theaters and puppet theaters from cities with nuclear facilities. The festival was held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation , the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom , the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation and under the patronage of the Governor - Chairman of the Government of the Ulyanovsk Region S. Morozov ^[3] .

In 2012, the Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater won the Presidential Grant for the production of the play “Execution”. In 2013 - a grant from the Union of Theater Workers for the production of the play “ Romeo and Juliet ” for children and teenagers.

From 3 to 10 October 2013, the II Interregional Theater Festival “Theater Atom Grad” was held. In addition, in 2013 Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater. A. N. Ostrovsky celebrated his 70th birthday ^[3] .

In 2014, the Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater accepted into its troupe refugees from Ukraine , as part of the workers of the Lugansk Academic Russian Drama Theater named after P. B. Luspekaeva and Donetsk State Academic Music and Drama Theater . It was with the arrival of Oleg Valeryevich Aleksandrov, the main director and the main artist, honored art worker of Ukraine Vladimir Ivanovich Medved, that the play “ Thunderstorm ” was based on the play by A. N. Ostrovsky, which became the record breaker in the entire history of the Dimitrovgrad theater. In addition, this production took five prizes at the Litse-2015 regional festival held in Ulyanovsk .

From November 8 to 15, 2015, the III Interregional Festival “Theater Atom City” was held. The play "Thunderstorm", which was presented at the festival Dimitrovgrad theater became the winner, the owner of the Grand Prix. Performance artist Honored Art Worker of Ukraine Vladimir Medved became the winner in the nomination "The Best Set Design".

In 2016, the theater presented the play “The Thunderstorm” at the IV All-Russian Festival “Ostrovsky Days in Kostroma”. Theater actress Natalia Konstantinova, the performer of the role of Katerina, became the winner in the nomination “The Best Female Role”.

Since 2018, there has been a change of leadership in the theater. Olga Panchenko became the artistic director of the theater. Ilya Kostinkin was invited to the post of chief director, who took up his duties in May 2018.

  During the 75th, jubilee season, the performances were staged “The House Where All is Tumbled” (dir. A. Melnikov), “Once I lived in the world K ...” (dir. K. Zemlyansky), “Miserly” (dir. A Melnikov), “Anna Karenina” (dir. I. Kostinkin), “Crime and Punishment” (dir. I. Kostinkin), “All over again” (dir. A. Melnikov), “And if not tomorrow?” (Dir M. Kopylov), “Dasha and the Snowman” (dir. I. Kostinkin), “Elevator” (dir. I. Kostinkin), “Flying over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (dir. A. Melnikov), “All that Was” ( dir. I. Kostinkin). 

Since May 2019, Ilya Kostinkin has been performing the duties of artistic director in connection with the resignation of Olga Panchenko at her own will.

In 1908, this building as the People’s House was built at the request of the Posad Duma at the expense of the Melekess Posad, treasury and private donations designed by Samara architects A. Voloshin and I. M. Krestnikov. The building was built in an eclectic architectural style , and today it has not changed the internal layout, has retained its external architectural forms. Two-storey red brick building on a low basement , relief masonry, lined with shaped brick . The facade is decorated with two risalits with gothic turrets on the upper rectangular projections, with high narrow twin arched windows. The walls of the first floor are cut by rectangular windows, the second - arched. The former People’s House is one of the most beautiful in architectural design of the surviving historical and architectural monuments of the suburb of the late XIX - early XX century.

In 2018, on July 12, the theater celebrated the 110th anniversary of the theater building with a theatrical concert, Jubilee on the Balcony, directed by the main theater director Ilya Kostinkin.

Over the years, almost all the works of A. Ostrovsky were staged in the theater, plays by A.P. Chekhov , M. Gorky , and other Russian classics were staged. Western classics were presented by W. Shakespeare, P. Calderon , J.-B. Moliere , F. Schiller , G. Ibsen , B. Brecht , F. G. Lorca . Has found its admirers and modern drama.

Outstanding productions of past years

• "Late love" A. N. Ostrovsky
• "Funny case" Goldoni
• Belugina's Marriage by A. N. Ostrovsky
• Balzaminov's Marriage by A. N. Ostrovsky. Stage Director: Georgiy Makarov
• " Inspector " N. V. Gogol
• "Shines and not warm" A. N. Ostrovsky
• " Love Spring " K. A. Trenyova
• "Guilty Without Guilt" A. N. Ostrovsky
• "Sauna" Irina Vasilkova . Production Director: Alexey Melnikov
• "A chance meeting" by Nadezhda Ptushkina . Director: Alexey Melnikov
• "Not like everyone else." Director: Igor Malov (Minsk)
• "Uncle's dream". F. M. Dostoevsky. Stage Director: Yegor Grishin

• “Execution” (based on the play by N. V. Gogol “ Marriage ”). Director: Konstantin Demidov (Moscow)
• "Michel" Valentina Azernikova . Director: Elena Epihina ( Moscow )
• "Chekhov, Chekhov, Chekhov!" Stage Director: Georgiy Makarov

Current repertoire

EVENING PERFORMANCES:

• "Anna Karenina" Leo Tolstoy.

Directed by: Ilya Kostinkin

• "Flying over the cuckoo's nest" Ken Kesey.

Directed by: Alexey Melnikov.

• “Crime and Punishment” Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Directed by: Ilya Kostinkin.

• "All over again" Antoine Ro.

Directed by: Alexey Melnikov.

• "Lift" Marina Zaslavskaya.

Directed by: Ilya Kostinkin.

• "Miserly" Moliere.

Directed by: Alexey Melnikov.

• "Late love" Alexander Ostrovsky.

Directed by: Ilya Kostinkin.

• "All that was" Ivan Unknown.

Directed by: Ilya Kostinkin.

CHILDREN'S REPERTOIRE:

• "The Incredible Adventures of Emyrenka"
• "Chun has the right!"
• "Frost"
• "Overcome the grass"
• “About Koshchei’s daughter”
• "Dasha and Snowman"

READY PREMIERE 76th theater season:

• "Julia (theater of her life)" Somerset Maugham.

Directed by: Ilya Kostinkin.

• "Happy Day" Ray Cooney.

Directed by: Alexey Melnikov.

• "The beauty and the Beast".

Directed by: Ilya Kostinkin.

• Alexander Anfinogenov, Honored Worker of Culture of the Ulyanovsk Region
• Alvira Belovodskaya
• Pavel Bulgakov
• Andrey Lazarev
• Marina Salina
• Vasilya Sultanova
• Elena Kochetova
• Ilya Kostinkin (chief director of the theater)
• Evgenia Kostinkina
• Marina Lazareva (ballet master of the theater)
• Elena Lazurenko
• Dmitry Tokhomov
• Maria Taymolkina
• Natalia Grigorenko
• Natalya Frolova
• Damir Mannapov
• Andrey Kosarev
• Nina Shkalova, Honored Worker of Culture of the Ulyanovsk Region
• Oleg Kozovnikov, Honored Worker of Culture of the Ulyanovsk Region (head of the theater troupe)
• Olga Unguryanova
• Rustem Shaydullov
• Svetlana Chaplanova
• Sergey Evdokimov
• Julia Kustova
• Roman Gaev
• Danil Zavyalov
• Polina Bukhovets
• Ivan Semenov

• Artemiev Gennady Mikhailovich, Honored Artist of Russia
• Anatoly Popukalov
• Azat Nigmatullin
• Alexandrova Larisa
• Alexander Ilyin
• Andrey Krasko
• Vladimir Kukushkin
• David Sahakyan
• Dmitry Tymchuk
• Lyubov Tirskaya, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation
• Lyudmila Munirova
• Leonid Genelevich
• Petr Tashirev
• Maria Petrova
• Oleg Rusin
• Sergey Burkin
• Alexey Melnikov (Chief Director)
• Yegor Grishin (Chief Director)
• Oleg Alexandrov (Chief Director)
• Vladimir Medved, Honored Artist of Ukraine (main artist)

• History Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater. A. N. Ostrovsky
• Official site of Dimitrovgrad Drama Theater