{"id":529087,"date":"2026-03-28T00:19:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T21:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reform.news\/?p=529087"},"modified":"2026-03-28T11:54:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:54:47","slug":"theatre-day-in-belarus-a-report-of-success-against-the-backdrop-of-cultural-survival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/theatre-day-in-belarus-a-report-of-success-against-the-backdrop-of-cultural-survival","title":{"rendered":"Theatre Day in Belarus: A Report of Success Against the Backdrop of \u201cCultural Survival\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On World Theatre Day, First Deputy Minister of Culture of Belarus Dzmitry Shliakhtsin<\/b> announced<\/a> positive statistics: 150 new productions per year and millions of spectators. We compared the official\u2019s statements with the real situation in Belarusian theatres.<\/p>\n

On Money: \u201cThe Main Motive Is Not Profit\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cThe festival movement is one of the components of the development of theatrical art in Belarus […]<\/i>, he said in an interview with Pervyi Informatsionnyi. But the main work takes place within the theatre buildings themselves, and given the financing system that has been operating for several years for theatrical and entertainment organizations, the primary goal is to create something new that will attract more spectators to the theatre itself. The main motive is not making money, but finding new forms, approaches, and changes in repertoire policy so that more and more spectators attend. The positive trends we observe show that work in this direction is actively ongoing.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

What it looks like in reality:<\/p>\n

Since January 1, 2025, Belarusian theatres have been transferred to a 50\/50 scheme. The state covers only half of the expenses, while the rest must be earned by the theatres themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, theatres are forced to engage in \u2018anything at all\u2019 to attract audiences, which leads to an overabundance of cheap entertainment content. Creativity is replaced by commerce, and the quality of productions is rapidly declining,\u201d<\/i> a theatre critic noted in a summary review by the Belarusian Council for Culture.<\/p>\n

On \u201cNo Censorship\u201d: \u201cWe Are Not Afraid to Ask Questions\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cWe take part in the acceptance of productions; if there are any questions, we are not afraid to ask them, and of course we receive answers. This is not censorship in any way… Here we must understand the artistic level of the production, whether the target audience was considered from the outset, and how it corresponds to important events in the life of the country,\u201d<\/i> noted Dzmitry Shliakhtsin.<\/p>\n

What it looks like in reality:<\/p>\n

It was precisely within the framework of such \u201cacceptance\u201d that last year the production Ihar Karniah<\/b> \u201cThe Grimm Sisters\u201d was banned. A commission of the Ministry of Culture deemed it too \u201cdark\u201d for Belarusian audiences. This case showed that even a production that had been on stage for 10 years (its predecessor \u201cInterview with Witches\u201d had been a hit at the capital\u2019s Puppet Theatre) can now be cut due to \u201cnot fitting the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Youth and a \u201cNew Sound\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cEven classical works can be given a new sound that will attract a new audience, especially young people, so that the stereotype that young people do not attend cultural institutions changes,\u201d<\/i> the official argued.<\/p>\n

What it looks like in reality:<\/p>\n

While the ministry speaks about youth, the Academy of Arts has abolished its separate theatre faculty, merging it with the film and television faculty.<\/p>\n

Russification Through Classics<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cClassics are classics… but they can be given a new sound,\u201d \u2014<\/i> one can again refer to this thesis by Shliakhtsin.<\/p>\n

What it looks like in reality:<\/p>\n

This \u201cnew sound\u201d is increasingly acquiring a Russian accent.<\/p>\n

More and more, Russian specialists are replacing dismissed directors, actors, and artistic directors in Belarusian theatres. One example is the Opera Theatre, where the artistic director is People\u2019s Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan, conductor Artsiom Makarau<\/b>, and the chief choreographer is Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation Ihar Kolb<\/b>, with more and more Russian performers appearing in the troupe. Even the Kupala Theatre\u2014the country\u2019s (former) leading national theatre\u2014was headed in March by Russian director Dzmitry Akimau<\/b>.<\/p>\n

One should also mention the activities of Rossotrudnichestvo, which promotes the values of Russian culture through its network of \u201cRussian Centres for Science and Culture\u201d (known as \u201cRussian Houses\u201d).<\/p>\n

It is through Rossotrudnichestvo that substantial budgets are allocated for trips by Russian directors, the supply of equipment to Belarusian theatres, and the organization of laboratories during which Russian directors stage productions based on Russian classics. If a Belarusian institution lacks funds for stage design, Rossotrudnichestvo can \u201chelp\u201d\u2014but in return, the repertoire will include the desired ideological content.<\/p>\n

The head of Rossotrudnichestvo Yevgeny Primakov<\/b> openly calls this the \u201cpromotion of the Russian theatre school\u201d and the preservation of \u201chistorical and memorial heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, Russification is also underway: even the iconic Viciebsk theatre \u201cLyalka,\u201d which had always performed in Belarusian, has begun staging productions in Russian.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Culture\u2019s \u201csuccess\u201d figures:<\/p>\n