State Russian Drama Theater named after F.A. Iskander

Founded in 1981 as the Sukhumi State Russian Theater of the Young Spectator ^[2] . In 1990, the theater was transformed into the Russian Drama Theater of the Republic of Abkhazia.

During the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict , both the building and the theater troupe were lost. Two drama studios, existing since 2000 and 2007, was reconstituted post-war generation of actors including: Jambul Jordania, Mikhail Gerasimenko, Romeo Kurmaz Arthur Gurgenyan Dmitry Shchukin, Ruben Depelyan, Andrey Karpov Denis Saratnikov, Seraphim Spafopulo Anna Gyuregyan, Marina Skvortsova, Natalya Papaskiri, Anastasia Tsyganova, Marina Sichinava and Alina Pshenichnaya.

From 2009 to 2014, the theater building was overhauled and refurbished by the Government of Abkhazia. The grand opening of the theater was held on December 16, 2014, with the staging of the play “Tartuffe” by Jean-Baptiste Moliere ^[3] .

May 24, 2016 in the theater there were organizational and personnel changes dictated by life and time, the need to improve the efficiency of the theater and the transition to a new stage of development. A new charter of the State Russian Drama Theater was adopted, and the statesman, diplomat, candidate of political science Irakli Khintba was appointed to the newly created post of Director General ^[4] .

In the theater began an active reform. The General Director set the task to dramatically increase the activity of the theater, to make its work regular, to bring the number of annual prime ministers to 4-5, to raise the artistic level of the performances. Irakli Khintba relies on preserving the best traditions of the theater with a fundamental renewal of the repertoire and expansion of the artistic politics. As a result of the rebranding, a new corporate identity was developed and the abbreviated name of the theater was introduced - RUSDRAM. Contacts were established with the largest theatrical universities of Russia - GITIS and the Theater Institute. Shchukin, with the theater. Vakhtangov and other theaters. Russian production directors were invited to stage productions in 2016–2017. Five premieres are planned for 2017 in the production of full-time and guest directors ^[5] .

On December 28, 2016, the Ministry of Culture of Abkhazia declared RUSDRAM “the breakthrough of the year”. “The reasons for such a rapid development of the theater are the presence of a clear concept from the management, a clear formation of the repertoire policy and a sensitive reaction to everything new,” said Elvira Arsalia, Minister of Culture ^[6] .

March 6, 2017 the theater was named after the prominent Russian and Abkhaz writer Fazil Iskander ^[7] .

In the updated repertoire of the theater plays ^[8] :

“Tartuffe” based on the play by J.-B. Moliere staged by Merab Chitanava;

“Christmas in the House of Coupiello” based on the play by Eduardo De Filippo , staged by Andrey Timoshenko (Russia);

“Black Chicken, or Underground People” after the tale of Anthony Pogorelsky directed by Anastas Kichik (Russia);

“Five Evenings” based on a play by Alexander Volodin , staged by Anton Kissels;

“Divas” based on the play by Ken Ludwig staged by Sergey Efremov (Russia);

"Brother Rabbit & Brother Fox" based on the play by Dmitry Astrakhantsev directed by Anastas Kichik (Russia);

"Shirokoloby" based on the work of Fazil Iskander directed by Iskander Sakayev (Russia);

"All My Sons" based on the play by Arthur Miller, staged by Anton Kissels (Estonia);

"Inspector" based on the play by Nikolai Gogol, staged by Andrey Timoshenko (Russia);

"Player" of Fyodor Dostoevsky staged by Anton Kissels (Estonia);

"The Clinical Case" based on the play by Ray Kuni, staged by Sergei Efremov (Russia);

"Chiogia's skirmishes" based on a play by Carlo Goldoni directed by Alexander Koruchekov (Russia).

The artistic leadership of the theater team was carried out by M. Marholia, G. Nikolaev, D. Kortava, A. Kove, N. Balaev ^[9] .

The general director of the theater is Irakli Khintba . ^[ten]

First Deputy General Director - Nina Balayeva ^[11] .

Deputy General Director - Denis Jopua ^[12] .

The main artist is Vitaly Katsba ^[13] .

• Russian Drama Theater of the Republic of Abkhazia (Neopr.) (Inaccessible link) . Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Abkhazia . The date of circulation is July 3, 2016. Archived August 10, 2016.
• Official page of the State Russian Drama Theater (rus.) In the social network Facebook