Author: VK
Tomorrow in Moscow Taganka Theater Valery Zolotukhin commemoration gathering will be held.
After the leaving of Yuri Lyubimov, director and artistic director of the Taganka Theater, Zolotukhin was appointed director with the functions of artistic director. But in early March, he resigned from his post due to illness. So theater faced two great losses.
Meanwhile, the actors of the theater, including Timur Badalbeyli, Felix Antipov, Lyubov Selyutina, Dmitry Mulyar and Dmitry Vysotsky, asked Yuri Lyubimov, who left the post of artistic director in 2011, to return.
“It must be admitted that the experiment on life and the development of the Taganka Theater without Yuri Petrovich has failed”, Timur Badalbeyli said. “If you hear some irony in these words, then you are right at all, because it's not a discovery. It was predictable, and perhaps this could not happen in a different way. It was a very dramatic period. Believe me, everyone here is concerned about this situation. None of us would fall into any euphoria, though it was heavily planted by some members of our team. So after many months of anguish, lies, distortion of the facts we just wished to say some words that were really obvious. Without Lyubimov this theater cannot live and develop, especially when you consider that a few blocks from the theater lives Yuri Petrovich, full of creative plans. We treat this as a monstrous historical injustice that happened, and a monstrous misunderstanding. We'll talk from out heart. We do not represent any person or theater groups. Each of us will say what he thinks, so we’ll have a subjective conversation. I think that if you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. The theme is probably stated. We want Yury Lyubimov to work and live in the theater which he created. I think that in our memory we will not find any similar example in the history of world theatre, when over half a century the theater is living, from its foundation headed, except for some unfortunate periods, by its founder. The case is unique”.
Actors supporting Lyubimov waited for March 29, when the meeting between the former artistic director and the head of the Moscow Department of Culture Sergei Kapkov should take place. However, the meeting did not produce results. "Yuri Lyubimov is not yet ready to return to the Taganka Theater, while he did not refuse to participate in the upcoming celebration of the anniversary of the theater," – Kapkov said after the meeting. Lyubimov refused to discuss the possibility of returning to the theater. Kapkov expressed the opinion that the director is not ready to reconcile with the troupe, but he assured that the talks will continue....
Meanwhile, a correspondent of VK was able to talk to Timur Badalbeyli not only about theater, but also about cinema and Baku. "I have been working at the Taganka Theater for nearly 20 years. My creative plans are usually associated with the theater or the cinema. Two films with my participation are about to be completed. These are “Moscow Twilight” and "Intimate Moments" The first film is a film by a remarkable director Alena Zvontsova, and the second film is made by Natalia Merkulova and Alexei Chupov. I look forward to these films. This is not always possible to play in such projects, but I was lucky, I wait for these films. Also, I am looking forward to the movie by Yuli Gusman "Don’t Be Afraid, I Am With You! 1919". There are a lot of fans of this film in the former Soviet space, so I hope not to disappoint them. The role I have there is great. This is a favorite image, according to Yuli Solomonovich himself, the role of a character named Choni. This is a kind of superhero. For this movie, I went through serious physical training, including the martial arts. It will be a shooter.
In the theater, we now have a difficult situation, but I hope that there will be some positive changes".
“I have historical relations with Baku”, Badalbeyli said. “I was born in Moscow, my father is from Azerbaijan, Baku resident. First there were trips to relatives. Then I was invited to star in a movie, I did a few films. I like to go there, I love the city, I have a lot of friends there. Therefore, I have the warmest relationship with my native city. "
