The meeting was held at the Samed Vurgun Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre.
Mikhail Mishustin at the Samed Vurgun Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre
Mikhail Mishustin at the Samed Vurgun Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre
Mikhail Mishustin at the Samed Vurgun Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre
Mikhail Mishustin meeting with women representing Azerbaijani public organisations
Mikhail Mishustin meeting with women representing Azerbaijani public organisations
Mikhail Mishustin meeting with women representing Azerbaijani public organisations
Mikhail Mishustin at the Samed Vurgun Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre
The Samed Vurgun Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre is a key part of Russia-Azerbaijan cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
Established in Baku in 1920 as the State Theatre of Independent Criticism and Entertainment (Satiragit), it was renamed the Baku Workers Theatre in 1923, the Azerbaijan State Red Banner Theatre of Russian Drama in 1937 and the Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theatre named after Samed Vurgun, the first People's Artist of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, in 1956.
Over the past ten years, the theatre company has given several guest performances in Russia (Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Moscow, Pskov, Saransk, Smolensk, Sochi, St Petersburg, Surgut, Velikiye Luki and Yaroslavl), where it enjoyed great public success.
The theatre has hosted many performances by Russian repertory and non-repertory theatres and recitals by theatre and movie actors and variety performers.
Excerpts from the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin: Friends, dear ladies and gentlemen who are also present.
I would like to use this occasion to extend our greetings on International Women's Day marked on 8 March. It is a wonderful holiday.
Today we attended a rehearsal of “Eight Loving Women.” Your director told me that it will premiere on 8 March. I have no doubt that it will be received with joy, like all performances by your theatre, and will be a great success.
I would like to wish you good luck and to extend our warmest greetings to your women again. I know that in addition to your actresses, there are also women here who work in Russian culture and in the Russian language. It will be a delight to talk with you.
I would like to say that we are paying considerable attention to families in Russia. President Vladimir Putin, who recently delivered the annual address to the Federal Assembly, declared 2024 the Year of the Family and said that the family is the foundation for societal development.
And families are unthinkable without women, wouldn’t you agree? Therefore, I would like to repeat that 8 March is a joyous holiday in Russia and, I have no doubt, in Azerbaijan. I would even describe it as another day of the family because everything depends on women.
We have many family support programmes, including the support we provide through the Social Treasury initiative. We try to support families as soon as they have children, and even during pregnancy, and until children officially become adults at the age of 18. Incidentally, we are cooperating with our Azerbaijani partners in this area, exchanging best practices. We also have many other similar programmes, including related to cultural exchanges.
I know that Baku will soon host Russian Seasons. We have agreed on this. We will also hold the big Intervision competition, in which I hope brilliant performers from Azerbaijan will take part. The competition will be big, and we are preparing for it now. This is the first one for us. It will take place in St Petersburg.
We have a sizable plan for this. Our ministers of culture have it. I hope we will soon complete it and sign it. It includes many exchanges and events related to culture, arts and development.
I would like to wish a happy holiday again to you, your families and children. I hope everything in your life goes well. Thank you for inviting me. If you have any questions or would like to tell me something, I will be happy to listen.
Natalya Sharovskaya (People’s Artist of Azerbaijan): Mr Mishustin, we are very happy to welcome you in our home. I’m an actress at this theatre. We are so delighted that you have come to see us. The theatre is our home. We welcome Russian theatre companies quite often. Their guest performances are always a success. Our audiences give them a hospitable reception. We also give guest performances in Russia but much less often. We would like to present them more often.
I have a question: will Russia continue supporting Russian theatres abroad? As actors, we are particularly interested in your answer.
Mikhail Mishustin: In preparing for this meeting, I looked at your schedule. You will have guest performances in Kemerovo and St Petersburg.
Natalya Sharovskaya: We will be in Kemerovo later, but will soon go to St Petersburg.
Mikhail Mishustin: And what about Novokuznetsk?
Remark: It will host a festival, not a guest performance.
Mikhail Mishustin: That’s also good.
As for your question, we are now implementing a programme for supporting Russian theatres in CIS countries. Our Ministry of Culture has a list of 15 theatres, including your distinguished theatre.
We also have a resolution on financial support for new plays that are related to Russian classics and other works representing Russian culture. I am certain your theatre is on this list. A Deputy Minister of Culture can tell you about this in more detail. Basically, I think we will not just continue this programme but we will see what else we can do to help.
You have my full support on guest performances. If you have a certain desire or any questions, here is our esteemed representative. We will see what we can do and will be happy to welcome you in any Russian city.
Lyubov Yakunina (Chair of the Teachers Association of Russian-Language Educational Institutions in Azerbaijan): Mr Mishustin, I would like to welcome you to our sunny city, thank you for your positive work that we are watching closely, and we wish you all the best and excellent health. This year, we will observe 210 years since the birth of our favourite great poet and writer Mikhail Lermontov. He served in the Caucasus, in Gusary in the north of Azerbaijan. This year, we plan to unveil a bust of him in front of the house where he lived during his service.
Then we would like to hold a large, diverse music and poetry festival called “Lermontov’s Evenings.” We will invite a delegation from the Tarkhany Museum where our wonderful poet was born and raised. So, we have a request for you. We would like primarily the deputies from the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Tarkhany Museum staff to take part in our big plans. As for the museum staff, they have visited us many times. They will be in our theatre on March 12–13.
I would like to add that our republic treats the Russian language with great esteem and deep respect. Students study Russian at general education schools, lyceums, colleges and universities in Azerbaijan.
A lot of literature in Russian is published in Azerbaijan. We have information channels broadcasting in Russian. We stage plays in Russian. Of course, this requires a lot of work. Most elderly people speak Russian. We are now seeing that young people have also become very active in studying Russian. This gives us hope that the Russian language will remain in Azerbaijan forever, and will develop and spread.
We would like to hear what your Government is doing in this respect.
Mikhail Mishustin: Let me begin with the fact that we will definitely send representatives of our Ministry of Culture and, I think, we can make it broader to include those who honour and study the work of Mikhail Lermontov. Actually, I was interested in his work at school, I read a lot, and I know his biography, where he served and what events influenced his great works in one way or another. And I want to say, thank you for hosting this event. We will definitely take part in it.
As for Russian, recently Vladimir Putin said in his Address [to the Federal Assembly] that it was necessary to expand our support for the Russian language, above all in the Commonwealth of Independent States, where Russian is a tool of international communication. It is through Russian that the Russian culture and traditions reach other countries. There is no doubt that we will continue our systematic work to support the Russian language.
As for Azerbaijan, we always say that we are grateful to both Ilham Aliyev and all the Azerbaijani leaders and people who are very attentive to Russian here. There is an enormous number of schools. We have founded several new schools that will teach in Russian.
The Centre for Open Education opened here, and I know that it is in great demand. More than 400 students have already received an education there. And of course, we will continue to promote Russian and provide any possible assistance we can in this regard.
Language is the most important element of culture, and preserving it helps strengthen our common, humanitarian, historical and cultural space.
Galina Manafova (Director of the Russian Culture Centre of the Russian community in Azerbaijan): Mr Mishustin.
I represent and lead the Russian Culture Centre of the Russian community.
The centre, like the community, is 30 years old. The office given to us by Heydar Aliyev is very good. About five years ago we received a high quality renovation with assistance from St Petersburg. We keep the facility in proper order.
I would also like to say that Russia and Azerbaijan have strong ties both in the economic and the cultural spheres. And our people have an interest in culture, a great interest. This tradition has been developed over the centuries.
I would like to ask you whether there are plans to expand our cooperation, because we would like to see more Russian creative teams. Yes, many theatre troupes and performers come here now. But this is more on a commercial basis. Of course, theatre companies also come every year with productions, which our compatriots, members of the Russian community, can attend for free with invitation cards.
I would like to see more creative groups come here to reach more people, you might say, the poor or the middle class of the population.
Mikhail Mishustin: As for Russia, we are most interested in having as many guest performances by Russian theatre troupes as possible. They will introduce people of friendly countries to Russian culture and our national culture more broadly. As I have already said, Azerbaijan will soon host the Russian Seasons – we have agreed on this – and you will see many representatives of our creative ensembles. At this point, we must think of how we can expand the opportunities of the community for visiting them. I think we will find a solution.
I would also like to ask our Deputy Minister of Culture to make note of your requests.
Baku will soon host Russian Cinema Days. It is also an interesting event, of course.
Galina Manafova: Yes, our people are fond of Russian movies.
Mikhail Mishustin: I can to tell you that we have done a lot for Russian cinema with our President’s support. We have had a relevant programme since 2020. Olga Lyubimova, our Minister of Culture who, unfortunately, could not take part in our meeting today, headed up the Cinema Department in the Ministry of Culture. She is a wonderful specialist. Government members also often share their impressions of the films they saw. We are even surprised at the progress that has taken place.
I will tell you that box-office receipts in January and February of this year practically exceeded all former figures when our cinemas also showed foreign movies that are now subject to certain restrictions. So many good Russian films have been made. I am hoping the Azerbaijani public, our colleagues will see new films. Later I can advise you informally on several movies and shows.
Galina Manafova: Thank you.
Mikhail Mishustin: As for guest performances, I know that the Alexandrinsky Theatre is going to be here soon. There are other plans as well. I would like to draw your attention to the roadmap of our ministries of culture. The esteemed Ambassador, as a man who has done much for Azerbaijani culture and for Soviet and Russian culture could suggest good formats. As for our country, we will support everything sensible that will be suggested. But it is necessary to tailor events with relevant schedules because such tours and trips must be planned in advance.
A few more words. Our museums held many travelling events last year. They went to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This year, they went to Brazil, Bahrein and Oman. In other words, they are engaged in intensive activities. I believe it is necessary to talk with our colleagues and agree with them on tours of our museums. As I have already said, this year Russia will host the first big Intervision festival, an international competition. I would like Azerbaijani artists to pay attention to it – everything will be done at top level – and to represent their country well.
Galina Manafova: We would like to see more dance companies. Our people are fond of their guest performances, when Russian dancers come here.
Mikhail Mishustin: I promise you that we will consider everything in our roadmap. I am glad you told us about all this.
