People’s Artist of Russia Alexander Lazarev became the chief director of the Russian Army Theatre, reported To the Ministry of Defense. Before that, CATRA was headed by Boris Morozov for 25 years. He resigned as general manager in 2020 and the position remained vacant for three years.
Lazarev’s mother, People’s Artist of the RSFSR Svetlana Nemolyaeva in an interview with the publication “Paragraph” saidHe said that the family kept the secret of the artist’s appointment to this position until the end. He also added that they would like to see Lazarev as the main director of CATRA and will guide him so that he can seriously engage in creativity. True, the artist is not yet aware of his son’s creative plans.
“It was a secret until the last moment. Of course, he is afraid and worried, but he really wants to try. It suddenly fell on him. He is still at an energetic age, a man without great years. I wish him success, although it is difficult and challenging,” Nemolyaeva said.
Lazarev himself stated RIA Newsthat after his appointment he would “work from two houses” – combining the post of general director of CATRA with work at Lenkom.
“Of course I can’t speak out loud about the plans yet. “Naturally, I will not break anything in this theater because I am very committed to traditions,” he added.
“Rossiyskaya Gazeta” before reportedThat Lazarev could lead the Union of Theater Employees. His candidacy for this position was recommended by the previous head of the STD, director Alexander Kalyagin, at the course that Lazarev studied at the Moscow Art Theater School.
However, the artist refused. Lazarev announced that he had already been offered the post of chief director in one of the theaters. According to him, he could not combine such a responsibility with a new theater.
STD was eventually led by Vladimir Mashkov, the 60-year-old artistic director of the Oleg Tabakov Theatre.
Alexander Lazarev with actors Alexander Lazarev Sr. in Moscow in 1967. and was born in the family of Svetlana Nemolyaeva. Lazarev Jr. He started his theater career at the age of 12, his first role was in the play “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” at the Moscow Academic Theater. VI. Mayakovsky.
In 1980, while still a schoolboy, Lazarev made his first film. In 1985 he served in the Central Theater of the Soviet Army. In 1990, he graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School and was accepted into the troupe of the Moscow State Theater “Lenkom Mark Zakharov”, where he is still one of the leading actors. Lazarev played more than 20 main roles in plays and starred in more than 80 films.
Lazarev’s directorial career began in 2021. On the stage of Lenkom Mark Zakharov staged a new version of the play “Funeral Prayer” based on the play of the same name by Grigory Gorin. This was followed in 2023 by the play “Don’t Run”, based on Mikhail Bulgakov’s play.
Alexander Lazarev Jr. is the recipient of the Russian State Prize, the Moscow Government Prize, the Stanislavsky Theater Prize and the Crystal Turandot prize, and was awarded the Order of Friendship.
Other candidates for the post of chief director of CATRA
Before the start of the Northern Military District, Serbian film director Emir Kusturica could become the head of the Russian Army Theater. In this respect reported RBC, citing a message from the Ministry of Defense.
According to the publication, the head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, personally offered Kusturica the post of chief director of CATRA. Shoigu met with Kusturica and highlighted his “talent and great work from the heart”. The Serbian director described this offer as a great honour.
However, later Kusturica said in an interview with RIA Novosti statedHe said he would not manage the theatre. He explained this because of the word director (Can mean both director and director in English) There was some confusion regarding the word “director”. Kusturica himself planned to stage only a few performances on the CATRA stage.
“Of course I will stage these shows. They know this in Russia, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu knows that I am not a leader, but a director who will come there to stage a play when the conditions for this arise. “I have never taken part in any theatre,” the director added.
Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army “KVZh.D.”, dedicated to the events on the Chinese border on February 6, 1930. It opened with the premiere of the play. In 1940, the Central Theater of the Red Army moved to a new building, as it was then called. Since then, the theater has hosted more than 300 premieres and nearly 45,000 performances, according to the CATRA website.
The theater was directed by People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Boris Morozov until 2020. Morozov, the chief director of CATRA, gave performances such as “The Drummer”, “The One Who Lives Forever”, “Wolves and Sheep”, “Molière (Cabbal of the Holy One)”, “Tsar Fyodor Ioanovich” and others.