December 27, 2023

Closing Curtains for a Cancelled Show


Closing Curtains for a Cancelled Show
Ivan Vyrypaev. Izba Arts, X.

The Bratsk Drama Theater in Irkutsk Oblast canceled the performance of a play based on the works of playwright and director Ivan Vyrypaev due to his in absentia conviction for "spreading false information about the Russian army."

Vyrypaev, an Irkutsk native, is renowned for his work on stage and film. The award-winning 49-year-old has rotated between playwriting, screenwriting, acting, and directing. He is also known for focusing on long monologues and relying on rhythm and sound, earning him recognition in Russia's avant-garde play and film directors' circles.

"Illusions," a play based on Vyrypaev's work, premiered in February 2022 at the Bratsk Drama Theater to widespread acclaim. The show was set to return to the theater on January 25, February 15, and March 7, 2024. But, on December 15, Vyrypaev was convicted in absentia to eight years in prison for "spreading false information about the Russian army."

Vyrypaev has been outspoken in his opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In an open letter, Vyrypaev announced that all royalties from performances staged in Russian state theaters would be transferred to help Ukrainian victims.

According to the head of the Bratsk Drama Theater, Yelena Chaykovskaya, the theater "didn't even know [about Vyrypaev's beliefs]. Well, we don't monitor the decisions of Russian courts." However, an unnamed person filed a complaint, and the theater decided to cancel the remaining performances.

Chaykovskaya said the theater did not wish to align themselves politically with the playwright. In her Telegram account she wrote, "But it's still a pity. Good material. About love."

You Might Also Like

An Anti-War Art Awakening
  • December 18, 2023

An Anti-War Art Awakening

Anonymous artist Zless creates anti-war art that juxtaposes traditional Russian symbols and the horrors of the invasion of Ukraine.
No More Music
  • November 08, 2023

No More Music

So far this year, Yandex.Music has eradicated more than 4000 bits of content.
Antidepressants on the Rise
  • August 03, 2023

Antidepressants on the Rise

Antidepressant use in Russia has skyrocketed over the last year, especially in St. Petersburg.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955