Leonid Kanevsky, a well known actor and TV presenter, spoke candidly in an interview about why he moved from Russia to Israel. He cited the harsh reality of the 1990s as a major factor behind the decision.
He arrived in Israel in 1995 with the aim of helping establish the Gesher Theater, a project that would come to symbolize a new chapter in his life and in Israeli theater.
“First of all, I accepted the invitation because in the early 1990s many theaters were struggling with closures and emptiness. I even met his daughter Natasha at the Palace of Pioneers, during a period when walking the streets could feel risky. It was a remarkable time to be involved in the arts, full of both humor and challenge”, he recalled.
The second motivator was Kanevsky sharp desire to build a theater from the ground up at the age of 56. He recalls making his first trip to Israel in December 1990 for concerts that would later become part of his envisioned theater.
“We toured the country and the halls were filled. It was clear how much people longed for theater and for Russian art, for the cultural touchstones they had grown up with”, he explained.
Kanevsky has repeatedly spoken about his satisfaction with the choice to relocate. He described Gesher Theater as a wonderful project and noted that his ensemble spent time touring across the globe to share their work.
Earlier remarks from Kanevsky also touched on his admiration for colleagues such as Mironov, noting their refined taste and style. This perspective underscores the broader cultural exchange that characterized his career and the theater’s mission across continents. attribution: interview excerpts from original talk, preserved for context and historical reference.