THE CATHEDRAL FOLK

A joint project of the Russian Concert Agency and the Moscow Drama Theater named after N.v. Gogol
With the participation of the chamber ensemble «Soloists of Moscow» under the direction of Yuri Bashmet
A musical-dramatic performance based on the novel by Nikolai Leskov
Director-producer — Polina Agureeva

The chronicle The Cathedral Folk intertwines various human types. Leskov, the artist, approached the mystery called the «Russian soul." In it, he perceived something capable of transforming a sinner into a righteous man. Leskov’s righteous ones are the blessed; their holiness is a metaphysical phenomenon, eternally Russian. His characters are «the waiting movements of water» aspiring for spiritual and physical healing. These people are far from perfect; they are, according to the Gospel of John, «sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed» but thirsty for salvation. By creating vivid characters, the writer contemplates philosophical problems: the connection of the present, past, and future, the meaning of human existence, and the unity of all living things.