The country’s main New Year premiere presented at the National Centre RUSSIA

---

The premiere of the multi-genre production "Morozko" was held at the National Centre RUSSIA on 27 December. The performance is based on the Russian folk tale of the same name, presented in a contemporary interpretation. The production features leading artists from the country’s top theatres as well as stars of the Russian stage. "Morozko" is a magical family story about kindness, love, and unity, combining tradition with modernity and helping to refocus attention on those closest to us.

The National Centre RUSSIA was established by an Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation, and one of its key missions is to preserve culture and pass it on to future generations, said Anastasia Zvyagina, Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA.

"We strive to do things that no one has ever done before. Our production is a new take on the beloved childhood fairy tale "Morozko". We preserve tradition, but tell this story in the language of the present, using multimedia scenery and new technologies. In the production, Nastenka and her family go through trials in the world of Russian fairy tales, and in the end, of course, a New Year miracle takes place. Folklore on stage is seamlessly interwoven with ballet, contemporary music, and choreography. This is a production for the whole family," said Anastasia Zvyagina.

While working on the script, the creators drew on the research of folklorist Vladimir Propp, according to which a fairy tale develops according to a strict narrative structure. Under this framework, chaos emerges first, followed by trials through which the characters transform, and the story concludes with a happy ending.

The idea for "Morozko" was proposed by Bolshoi Theatre principal dancer Igor Tsvirko, who suggested staging a New Year production at the National Centre RUSSIA.

"Last year, I performed the role of the Prince in "The Nutcracker" at the National Centre. My niece, who was four at the time, came to see the performance and was absolutely delighted. That inspired me to create something entirely new, yet close to all of us from childhood. I remembered "Morozko" and proposed the idea of a New Year production to the National Centre RUSSIA <...> I hope that in the future this production will tour successfully across the country," said Igor Tsvirko.

The defining feature of the production is its multi-genre nature, said chief director and scriptwriter Chulpan Piotrovskaya. According to her, the performance successfully brings together ballet, opera, folk elements, and artistic choreography.

"The production is multifaceted, varied in both tempo and content, which makes it unique. Every adult will find something of their own, and every child will receive a piece of happiness. When all elements come together within the single scenic world of "Morozko", audiences leave with a genuine New Year mood. We built the balance between immersiveness, multimedia, and live performance around an approach that is especially relevant today," noted Chulpan Piotrovskaya.

At the heart of the story is an ordinary family that once had a warm tradition of staging home performances based on Russian fairy tales on the eve of the New Year, but over time the family members became absorbed in their smartphones, and the unifying tradition was lost.

The production features leading artists of the Bolshoi Theatre, the Kremlin Ballet, soloists of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, the Russian National Ballet "Kostroma", the country’s main Baba Yaga — By BABA YAGA, the musical folk group "Buranovskiye Babushki", actors from the Vakhtangov Theatre and the Theatre "At Nikitsky Gate", as well as other performers.

Costume designer Tatyana Staselovich created costumes that became an integral part of the project’s dramaturgy — an expressive tool uniting the stage action, the director’s vision, and the emotional dimension of the production.

The performance is presented as part of the "New Year Russia" project, which also includes the exposition "Book of Fairy Tales", the festival "Winter Wizards", master classes, and much more. Performances will take place at the National Centre RUSSIA on 28 and 30 December, and from 6 to 11 January. The final performance will be held on 14 January. We invite you to attend the production. Registration is available on the russia.ru website in the "Events" section.