St. Petersburg Youth Theater Expands to CIS with First International Festival
The St. Petersburg Youth Theater, named in honor of Alexander Bryantsev, is preparing a landmark achievement by organizing an international theater festival across CIS countries for the first time. The announcement, reported by TASS, signals a new era of cultural exchange as young performers showcase Russian stage craft to audiences beyond their borders.
The festival is scheduled to run from April 4 to May 11 and will travel through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Armenia. Svetlana Lavretsova, the theater’s director, explained that Russian theater troupes that participate in the annual May festival will bring their productions to these inviting venues. This cross-border program intends to strengthen ties among theater communities and provide a platform for emerging talent to gain international exposure.
On the opening day, April 4, the festival will lift its curtain in Karaganda with a production that revisits a classic tale. The troupe will present William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, directed by Ulanbeke Bayaliev. Bayaliev also brings to Kyrgyzstan a staging of Zheleznova Vassa Mother, a work inspired by Maksim Gorky and presented by the Sverdlovsk Drama Theater. The director expressed enthusiasm about the experience, noting that the journey to these countries will be a chance to connect with fellow countrymen who have not yet witnessed his work on this stage.
Locations across the five-city outreach include performances in Almaty, Tashkent, Yerevan, and Gyumri. The festival promises a diverse lineup that blends time-honored literary classics with contemporary interpretations, all performed by young talents trained in the traditions of the St. Petersburg theater school. Audience members can expect bold directorial choices, fresh dramatic voices, and an atmosphere that invites discussion about culture, heritage, and the power of storytelling to bridge nations. The initiative also aims to foster collaborations among regional theater centers, inviting local actors, designers, and technicians to participate in a shared artistic dialogue.
While this festival marks a significant expansion for the St. Petersburg Youth Theater, it also reflects a broader trend in which Russian performing arts institutions seek to reengage with audiences across Eurasia. By traveling with full-scale productions and presenting them in peer cities, the company offers an accessible window into a tradition of stagecraft that values ensemble work, precise acting, and inventive staging. The touring program is designed to be both educational and entertaining, giving young regional theater makers practical exposure to production processes, rehearsal discipline, and the professional standards that characterize a major national company. This approach not only broadens the troupe’s artistic horizon but also strengthens cultural ties with partner theaters and audiences who increasingly crave live, immersive theatre experiences.
Additional context for the festival highlights a growing curiosity about how classic works can be reinterpreted for contemporary stages. Directors and cast members alike will explore universal themes, such as conflict, reconciliation, and resilience, through the lens of current social and political realities. The festival’s organizers emphasize that the event serves as a platform for artistic experimentation while honoring the rich legacy of Russian drama. Critics who have followed the troupe note the level of craft that accompanies each production, from nuanced acting to thoughtful set and costume design. The result is a series of performances that resonate with audiences regardless of language, thanks to strong expressiveness and careful translation work. [Source: TASS]