By Vestnik Kavkaza
Last summer the director Robert Sturua was dismissed from the position of art director of Shot Rustabeli State Academic Dramatic Theater of Georgia and moved to Moscow. The minister of culture and preservation of monuments of Georgia, Nika Rurua, explained the dismissing of Sturua by “ethnic metaphors” which were used by the director, speaking about politics.
The Georgian director was immediately seen as a disgraced artist. Recently he has held a press-conference in Moscow and stated his views on events in Georgia in recent months. Sturua didn’t expect that the shifting of power from Saakashvili to Ivanishvili would be so calm. “However, it is not as peaceful as it seems from Moscow, as people were frightened ahead of the elections, up to physical violence, especially in some certain regions of Georgia. I arrived to Georgia on September 29. I had an interview on an opposition channel (there are only two of them). And then I told them Saakashvili had already lost.” Videos of tortures and raping in the Gldan prison, which made many Georgians vote against the authorities, didn’t play a crucial role – “Georgians knew about this, as prisons are full and rumors drained from them.” The director concludes that Saakashvili “has lost long ago; he doesn’t exist for Georgians.”
According to Sturua, the United National Movement headed by Saakashvili “tried to destroy the essential traditions of the nation. I cannot say all of them are wonderful, but certain foundations of the nation’s life should exist. It became difficult to understand where good and where evil is; everything is mixed.” Speaking about honored people for Georgians today, the director said: “There are people who managed to leave the swamp and stay clean. There are several of them. Of course Ivanishvili. But in the post-Soviet space wealthy people evoke suspicions. Ivanishvili is included into Forbes’ list, and some people are furious about this. People who get prosperity due to their talent irritate those who couldn’t do it.”
Regarding the normalization of Russian-Georgian relations, Sturua said that “there are no obstacles for this. We are neighbors, even though it looks like an elephant and a small dog. But we have to be friends. It is difficult to tear off historic and relative ties. Russia bought everything in Georgia – Kakha Bendukidze sold everything. Foreign investors were not enthusiastic about Georgia. Electricity, gas, oil are Russian in our country. At the moment, the authorities hide this. So, Georgia cannot live without Russia.”
During the year Sturua visited Georgia 6 times. His wife, sons and grandchildren, and friends live there. At the same time, he called Russia his alma mater: “Mikhail Tumanishvili was my tutor. I learnt Russian theater traditions through my tutor. I feel Russia is like my motherland. Theater is a country. There no nationalities. Actors and directors, whether they are English or Israeli, are a solid nation. I was given a hand. I cannot return to Tbilisi right now – I have to thank them somehow. My identity comes from an attitude of a Georgian to theater. Theater cannot be a routine for a Georgian. It is always a festival.
As for the interference of directors and theater into politics, since the beginning of professional drama, I mean ancient Greek drama, it is always about politics. Oedipus and Electra spoke about politics. Shakespeare – chronicles, Hamlet, even comedies… We have no choice. We are talking to people. The audience demands a conversation about truth, life, changes. Life includes politics. We have to speak about acute things. Russian theater has always done it and it is its peculiarity.”
