The multi-genre performance "Diaghilev Forever" was held at the National Centre RUSSIA
The multi-genre performance "Diaghilev Forever," dedicated to the life and work of the famous Russian impresario, was held at the National Centre RUSSIA. The performance took place on 28 April as part of the international Open Dialogue "The Future of the World. New Platform for Global Growth."
Different generations have been raised on the creative legacy carefully gathered by Sergei Diaghilev. The music of Modest Mussorgsky and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the masterpieces of Nicholas Roerich and Alexander Benois, the craftsmanship of outstanding actors and talented choreographers — all of this and much more found reflection in his "Russian Seasons."
"There has never been an impresario of the level of Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev. It is like in sports, if one may say so — the champion’s highest bar, which no one has surpassed to this day. Therefore, it is no coincidence that today’s performance dedicated to Diaghilev — the man who introduced Russian opera and Russian art as a whole to the entire world — is a multimedia performance where we see both dramatic actors and ballet stars of our Russian theatre. And, of course, the fact that it is taking place at the National Centre RUSSIA is also a symbolic event," emphasized Roman Volodchenkov, member of the Union of Theatre Workers, ballet critic, ballet historian, and Candidate of Art History.
The creative path of Sergei Diaghilev is in many ways echoed by the activities of the National Centre RUSSIA. Just like the impresario who revealed the beauty of Russian art to the world through the "Russian Seasons," the Centre creates a platform for dialogue among different cultures, where classical art finds new interpretations and traditions are reimagined through the lens of contemporary formats, as noted by the participants of the event.
"This project of the National Centre RUSSIA is essential so that our generation remembers, and the younger generation learns that there is a historical legacy, that there are cultural codes and high art, and that it must always prevail above all else, because it nurtures and enriches us. In doing so, we pave the way for everything good and kind, preserving our cultural legacy," said Askar Abdrazakov, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan, soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre, Artistic Director of the Bashkir State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and Cultural and Artistic Advisor to the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan. In the performance, he portrayed Boris Godunov inspired by the greatest representative of the Russian opera school, Fyodor Chaliapin.
Guests of the performance witnessed fragments from the most famous and brilliant ballet and opera pieces that were part of Sergei Diaghilev's productions over the years. Through the interactions of the main character of the performance with other figures, based on historical materials and memoirs, the audience discovered the secrets of the impresario’s personality. They saw the fashion icon Coco Chanel, a friend of Diaghilev, the artist and stage designer Nicholas Roerich, the character Petrushka from one of the most renowned ballets of Diaghilev’s productions, the mysterious Scheherazade, and other characters.
A distinctive feature of the performance was the multimedia scenery, which created a complete immersion effect into the atmosphere of the dramatic narrative, presented by stars of theatre, opera, and ballet on one stage.
The spectators of the performance — participants of the Open Dialogue "The Future of the World. New Platform for Global Growth" — shared their impressions of the event.
"The performance impressed me with its diverse nature, while also being truly soothing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I experienced a whole range of emotions during the performance. It was a wonderful experience, thank you very much," noted Muskan Gharge, a journalist from India.
"The performance made a tremendous impression on me. Although I do not consider myself a connoisseur of ballet, the show touched me deeply. Especially the second part, when the artists began to sing. Perhaps it is related to my personal preferences, but it was the vocal part that truly lifted me emotionally," shared Michel Bauwens, founder of the P2P Foundation from Belgium.
"I believe this performance is very important because it allows the rich cultural legacy of Russia to be showcased to the entire world. Obviously, every major cultural event in Russia — whether it is a musical performance, ballet, or other forms of art — plays a significant role in achieving this goal. I really enjoyed the performance; I was captivated from the very first minute until the very end. Thank you," noted Juan Manuel Rincon, Advisor for Creative Industries and International Cooperation from Colombia.
The production featured theatre and film actor Dmitry Solomykin (as Diaghilev), theatre and film actress, actress of the Yevgeny Vakhtangov Theatre Yekaterina Kramzina (as Coco Chanel), theatre and film actor Sergei Belov (as Roerich), Honoured Artist of Russia, prima ballerina of the Kremlin Ballet Theatre Yekaterina Pervushina (as Anna Pavlova), Honoured Artist of Russia, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, laureate of the "Nika" and "Golden Mask" awards Yevgenia Obraztsova (Russian Dance embodying the Motherland), Honoured Artist of Russia, principal dancer of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Semyon Chudin (as the alter ego of Sergei Diaghilev), laureate of international competitions Eduard Akhmetshin (as Petrushka), prima ballerina and principal dancer of the Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre Anastasia Limenko and Innokenty Yuldashev (as Pavlova and Cecchetti), Alina Kaicheva and Artur Mkrtchan (as Scheherazade), Anastasia Teterina and Daniil Roslanov (as the Firebird). The climax of the multi-genre performance was a grand fragment from Alexander Borodin's opera "Prince Igor" — the Polovtsian Dances, featuring the corps de ballet, choir, orchestra, and opera diva of the Bolshoi Theatre Daria Zykova, with the main ballet parts brilliantly performed by Eleonora Shaidullina (as a Polovtsian maiden) and Edgar Egiazaryan (as a Polovtsian warrior).
Event photobank
One of the tracks of the Open Dialogue is "Investments in Human Capital." The pitch session on this topic brought together over 30 speakers.
One of the key topics for discussion within the initiative became "Investments in Connectivity," which attracted 24% of the essay authors about the future of the world.
The pitch sessions on four tracks took place at the National Centre RUSSIA on April 28, with the participation of authors whose essays were selected by the expert council of the National Centre.
