Interviews from Russia
Part 2: Mikhail Shvydkoy
„So believe me,
for the Investigation Committee
having to deal with „art“ cases is worse,
than the torture with fire or water“.
Mikhail Shvydkoy
for the Investigation Committee
having to deal with „art“ cases is worse,
than the torture with fire or water“.
Mikhail Shvydkoy
In the spring of 2015, the young journalist Nina Mochalova from Moscow interviewed several personalities of cultural journalism and cultural policy on the current situation of theatre in Russia.
Interviews from Russia #2
The second part of the series shows an interview with the former Russian Cultural Minister, now Special Envoy for International Cultural Cooperation and fairly known professor for theatre history, Mikhail Shvydkoy in Moscow. Shvydkoy outlines the foundations of cultural policy: freedom of artistic expression and the equal right to access culture. He discusses its complex idealistic as well as bureaucratic incarnation in form of diverting theatre institutions (federal, regional, municipal and private theatres) and theatre criticism as the other half of the executive force of cultural policy.
To watch this interview with English subtitles, please clic on the [cc] button and choose: "English"
To watch this interview with English subtitles, please clic on the [cc] button and choose: "English"
Since 2008, Ambassador Mikhail Shvydkoy has been Special Envoy for International Cultural Cooperation, a former Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation. He is a distinguished professor of foreign theatre history and a member of the Academy of Humanities. He is also a member of the Russian Writers Union, Union of Theatre Workers, and Union of Journalists. Major publications include the books Drama, Theatre, Life; Secrets of Lonely Actors; and Notes on Foreign Theatre of the Second Half of the Twentieth Century. He is the author of the Russian and Soviet theatre section in the World Theatre Encyclopedia published by Toronto University.
His lecture experience includes more than 20 years of teaching at GITIS (the state academy theatre) and at several universities throughout the United States, including Yale and Stanford. He also speaks in Europe on the subjects of theatre history of the Soviet Union, Russia, and European theatre.
Published on 17 June 2015