The XIV International Platonov Arts Festival took place from May 31 to June 29 in Voronezh, Russia. Performers from 12 countries around the world (Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, Ghana, Armenia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, North Macedonia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Russia) honored the festival with their presence. Theatre, music, literary, and educational programmes included 75 events, which were attended by more than 60,000 people.
The Platonov Festival featured 50 performances of 23 plays including 31 street theatre shows and 4 promenade audio performances, 7 concerts, including 4 open-airs, an exhibition, and 16 educational and literary programmes.
The XIV Platonov Festival was held at 15 venues across Voronezh and the Voronezh Region. The celebration was opened by the Street Theatre Festival called «Stranniki» in the park «Alye Parusa», which took place from May 31 to June 1. The audience enjoyed performances by 12 groups from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Almetyevsk, and Mytishchi. In total, 31 shows were held, including a theatrical street march and a street band. During the workshops, young viewers created their own puppets. As a result, the festival was attended by over 35,000 people over these two days!
The Theatre Programme of the XIV International Platonov Arts Festival featured eight performances from Russia, Colombia, Armenia, Belarus, and Brazil. As part of the Regional Programme of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival, the audience enjoyed the plays «No One Writes to the Colonel» by the Delia Olivella National Arts Center and People’s Theatre Workshop (Colombia); «Money. Passion. Power» by K. Stanislavski State Russian Drama Theatre (Armenia); and «A Gentle Creature» by the City Theatre Company (Brazil) in collaboration with Valle University (Colombia). Additionally, the International Programme included the performance «Cow» by the Brest Puppet Theatre.
Russian collectives also took part in the Theatre Programme: Moscow N.v. Gogol Drama Theatre together with the Russian Concert Agency presented «The Cathedral Folk. Paintings of Russian Life»; Moscow Academic Mayakovsky Theatre presented «Dream in a Russian Night»; Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre presented «Pugachyov» and Vladimir Academic Drama Theatre presented «Black Boards». Also, the night promenade audio performance «Voronezh Not About Voronezh» by the Voronezh Academic Street (VAU) Theatre was presented at the Platonov Arts Festival.
The festival’s Music Programme traditionally featured classical music concerts and open-air performances. Pianist Marcel Tadokoro (France-Japan) performed with the Symphony Orchestra of the Voronezh Concert Hall under the baton of Yuri Androsov, an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, while violinist Gyehee Kim played a concert with the Voronezh Academic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Verbitsky, a National Artist of the Russian Federation. Stars of the world opera stage, Sultonbek Abdurakhimov (Uzbekistan), Maria Jelich (Serbia), and Grigoriy Tsutskovski (North Macedonia) also appeared on the stage of the Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theatre. They performed together with the Voronezh Academic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Igor Verbitsky, an Honored Artist of the Voronezh Region.
Four open-air concerts were included in the Music Programme of the XIV Platonov Arts Festival. The show World Hits with Aidar Gainullin was held together with the Euphoria ensemble and the Symphony Orchestra of the Voronezh Concert Hall near Oldenburg Palace, led by Yuri Androsov, an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. The new festival project, Sounds Above the City, brought audiences together on the 10th floor of the Voronezh Marriott Hotel with a view over the historic part of the city. The concert of contemporary music «PIER» featured young performers such as Tolko Nastya, ALLERGIA, and Karmannii Tomik on Petrovskaya Embankment. The festival’s largest musical event, an open-air concert in the picturesque White Well chalk quarry, attracted over 2,000 spectators. The show featured performances by La Dame Blanche (Cuba), SANTROFI (Ghana), and S.A.R.S. (Serbia). As always, these artists' compositions showcased the unique cultures of various nations, blending traditional motifs with contemporary rhythms.
As part of the Literary Programme, several meet-the-writer events were held with contemporary writers Anna Chukhlebova, Islam Khanipaev, and Euphrosynia Kapustina, along with a workshop on writing stories that are impossible to put down, led by Islam Khanipaev, the author of the popular books «Like Me» and «Moon 84». The book fair brought together more than 170 publishers from different cities across the country; several thousand guests visited over three days, and more than 6 tons of books were purchased.
Traditionally, the festival pays special attention to the work of the outstanding 20th-century writer whose name it bears. This year featured two events: Scientific Results of the Anniversary Platonov Year in Memory of Professor T. A. Nikonova and «Inspired People» by Andrey Platonov in the Years of War and Peace, a celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Both events were led by Natalia Kornienko, a renowned literary scholar and head of the Platonov Group at the Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A relay reading of Andrei Platonov’s story about the defense of Sevastopol, «Inspired People», took place at the Voronezh Concert Hall. Forty-two people of different ages and professions took turns reading it. Among them were teachers, doctors, lawyers, economists, schoolchildren, journalists, actors, a participant of the Special Military Operation, a microbiologist, and a military retiree.
The Art Programme of the XIV Platonov Art Festival was presented by the exhibition Platonov’s Worlds in Sketches by Valery Arkhipov, an Honored Artist of Russia.
The Educational Programme encompassed meet-the-writer events, lectures, and workshops with festival participants, including actors, directors, musicians, and artists. This year featured open talks with Polina Agureeva (theatre director); National Artist of the USSR Yuri Bashmet; and actors from the play The Cathedral Folk. Paintings of Russian Life. In addition, spectators attended a creative meeting with Petr Aida, director of the play Dream in a Russian Night (and the author of the adaptation, Anna Litkens); meetings with actors from the Brest Puppet Theatre; a session with Vladimir Kuznetsov, director of the play Black Boards; workshops held by street theatres; a creative meeting with Valery Arkhipov, a renowned artist; and an interview with Sergey Zhenovach, winner of the Platonov Award.
The Festival Directorate of the Voronezh Region would like to thank everyone who made this art festival possible: the founders, partners, sponsors, participants, and, of course, the audience. Thank you for your support, sincere emotions, warm feedback, and endless applause after each festival event!
The XIV International Platonov Art Festival has now concluded. See you next year!