The Snow Maiden is perhaps the least typical of all the plays by Alexander Ostrovsky, which stands out sharply among other things in his work with lyricism, unusual problems (instead of social drama, the author paid attention to personal drama, designating the theme of love as the central theme) and absolutely fantastic surroundings. The play tells the story of the Snow Maiden, who appears before us as a young girl, desperately longing for the only thing she never had - love. Remaining faithful to the main line, Ostrovsky simultaneously reveals a few more: the structure of his semi-epic, semi-fairytale world, the customs and customs of the Berendeys, the theme of continuity and retribution, and the cyclical nature of life, noting, albeit in an allegorical form, that life and death always go hand in hand.

History of creation

The Russian literary world owes the birth of the play to a happy accident: at the very beginning of 1873, the building of the Maly Theater was closed for major repairs, and a group of actors temporarily moved to the Bolshoi. Deciding to take advantage of the possibilities of the new stage and attract the audience, it was decided to arrange an extravaganza performance unusual for those times, immediately involving the ballet, drama and opera components of the theater team.

It was with the proposal to write a play for this extravaganza that they turned to Ostrovsky, who, taking advantage of the opportunity to put a literary experiment into practice, agreed. The author changed his habit of looking for inspiration in unsightly sides real life, and in search of material for the play turned to the work of the people. There he found a legend about the Snow Maiden, which became the basis for his magnificent work.

In the early spring of 1873, Ostrovsky was hard at work on the creation of the play. And not alone - since staging on stage is impossible without music, the playwright worked together with the still very young then Pyotr Tchaikovsky. According to critics and writers, this is precisely one of the reasons for the amazing rhythm of The Snow Maiden - words and music were composed in a single impulse, close interaction, and imbued with each other's rhythm, initially forming one whole.

It is symbolic that Ostrovsky put the last point in The Snow Maiden on the day of his fiftieth birthday, March 31. A little more than a month later, on May 11, the premiere performance was shown. He received quite different reviews among critics, both positive and sharply negative, but already in the 20th century literary critics firmly agreed that The Snow Maiden was the brightest milestone in the work of the playwright.

Analysis of the work

Description of the work

At the heart of the story - life path the girl-Snow Maiden, born from the union of Frost and Spring-Red, her father and mother. The Snow Maiden lives in the Berendey kingdom invented by Ostrov, but not with her relatives - she left her father Frost, who protected her from all possible troubles - but with the family of Bobyl and Bobylikh. The Snow Maiden longs for love, but she cannot fall in love - even her interest in Lelya is dictated by the desire to be the only and unique, the desire that the shepherd, who evenly gives all the girls warmth and joy, be affectionate with her alone. But Bobyl and Bobylikha are not going to bestow their love on her, they have a more important task: to cash in on the beauty of the girl by marrying her off. The Snow Maiden looks indifferently at the Berendey men, who change their lives for her sake, reject brides and violate social norms; she is internally cold, she is alien to the full of life Berendei - and therefore attracts them. However, misfortune falls to the lot of the Snow Maiden - when she sees Lel, who is favorable to the other and rejects her, the girl rushes to her mother with a request to let her fall in love - or die.

It is at this moment that Ostrovsky clearly expresses the central idea of ​​his work to the limit: life without love is meaningless. The Snow Maiden cannot and does not want to put up with the emptiness and cold that exists in her heart, and Spring, which is the personification of love, allows her daughter to experience this feeling, despite the fact that she herself thinks bad.

The mother turns out to be right: the Snow Maiden, who has fallen in love, melts under the first rays of the hot and clear sun, having managed, however, to discover a new world filled with meaning. And her lover, who had previously left his bride and was expelled by the Tsar, Mizgir, parted with his life in the pond, seeking to reunite with the water, which became the Snow Maiden.

main characters

(Scene from the ballet-performance "The Snow Maiden")

Snow Maiden - central figure works. A girl of extraordinary beauty, desperate to know love, but at the same time cold at heart. Pure, partly naive and completely alien to Berendey people, she is ready to give everything, even her life, in exchange for knowing what love is and why everyone is so hungry for it.
Frost is the father of the Snow Maiden, formidable and strict, who sought to protect his daughter from all sorts of troubles.

Spring-Krasna is the mother of a girl who, despite a premonition of trouble, could not go against her nature and her daughter's pleas and endowed her with the ability to love.

Lel is a windy and cheerful shepherd who was the first to awaken some feelings and emotions in the Snow Maiden. It was because she was rejected by him that the girl rushed to Spring.

Mizgir is a merchant guest, or, in other words, a merchant who fell in love with the girl so much that he not only offered all his wealth for her, but also left Kupava, his failed bride, thereby violating the traditionally observed customs of the Berendey kingdom. In the end, he gained the reciprocity of the one he loved, but not for long - and after her death he himself lost his life.

It is worth noting that despite the large number of characters in the play, even the secondary characters turned out to be bright and characteristic: that the king Berendey, that Bobyl and Bobylikh, that the former bride of Mizgir Kupava - all of them are remembered by the reader, have their own hallmarks and features.

"The Snow Maiden" is a complex and multifaceted work, both compositionally and rhythmically. The play is written without rhyme, but thanks to the unique rhythm and melodiousness that literally exists in every line, it sounds smoothly, like any rhymed verse. Decorates the "Snow Maiden" and the rich use of colloquial phrases - this is a completely logical and justified step by the playwright, who, when creating the work, relied on folk tales telling about a girl from the snow.

The same statement about versatility is also true in relation to the content: behind the outwardly simple story of the Snow Maiden (published in real world- rejected people - received love - imbued human world- died) lurks not only the assertion that life without love is meaningless, but also many other equally important aspects.

So, one of the central themes is the interconnection of opposites, without which the natural course of things is impossible. Frost and Yarilo, cold and light, winter and the warm season outwardly oppose each other, enter into an irreconcilable contradiction, but at the same time, the thought runs through the text that one does not exist without the other.

In addition to lyricism and the sacrifice of love, the social aspect of the play, displayed against the backdrop of fairy-tale foundations, is also of interest. The norms and customs of the Berendey kingdom are strictly observed, for violation they face expulsion, as happened with Mizgir. These norms are fair and to some extent reflect Ostrovsky's idea of ​​an ideal old Russian community, where fidelity and love for one's neighbor, life in unity with nature are at a premium. The figure of Tsar Berendey, the “kind” Tsar, who, although he is forced to make harsh decisions, regards the fate of the Snow Maiden as tragic, sad, and evokes unambiguously positive emotions; such a king is easy to sympathize with.

At the same time, in the Berendey kingdom, justice is observed in everything: even after the death of the Snow Maiden, as a result of her acceptance of love, Yarila's anger and argument disappear, and the Berendey people can again enjoy the sun and warmth. Harmony prevails.

“If there are thirteen at the table, then there are lovers here,” noted Chekhov's Three Sisters. Thirteen actors performances testify to the same. On the stage of the theater named after M.N. Yermolova played a love story in which there were no victims - "The Snow Maiden". Fairy tale? Lie! musical performance. If the first is indisputable, then the second is still on the rise.

Father Frost, according to Ostrovsky, the father of the Snow Maiden, was withdrawn from the play. Spring-Red appears before the audience in a quilted jacket and felt boots - Spring in a different outfit would not have reached our northern regions. With a large janitor's shovel, she collects from the stage traces of her husband's stay - snowdrifts. However, the story is fabulous, and therefore the snowdrifts come to life and turn into Berendeys asleep under the snow: it is warmer under the snow. They also want to warm the audience of Yermolovsky with the "Spring Tale", but it is perceived with coolness.

Alexey Kuzmin-Tarasov in this performance is one in three persons - the author of the idea, embodiment and music. There is enough music in the performance and the audience is quite satisfied with it. "The Snow Maiden" is defined as "Scenes from the Outback in 12 Songs", so that the operatic creation of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov remained untouched. But the text of A.N. Ostrovsky, written 140 years ago, freely fit into the rhythms of folk, reggae and rock and roll performed by the musicians of Garik Sukachev's group "The Untouchables". After all, the author of the play also provided for songs, and therefore such a musical interpretation does not seem alien to the original source. The music in the performance is lively and incendiary, and the singers do not cause any complaints - everything is in time: the sounds, the voices, and the swaying of the audience's legs. And yet "The Snow Maiden" is far from a musical, because twelve songs are diluted with "scenes".

The Snow Maiden is a winter, festive character, but A.N. Ostrovsky wrote a spring fairy tale, and therefore the daughter of Frost, who went with her soul to her father, would not celebrate for long. Veronika Ivashchenko, who plays this role, appears either as an angular disheveled (from the forest) “blue stocking” (in a blue dress), or as a spectacular cold blonde, on which field wreaths wither every now and then - a sharp temperature drop. Well, without the motives of a children's matinee and a white and blue fur coat with an inventory number, it could not have done here. The Snow Maiden desires love, having no idea about it. For her, in the performance, an arrogant and arrogant person, love is something like a dress code, without which she will not be allowed to a party on the occasion of Yarilin's Day. Because the words: “Mom, give me love!”, She pronounces with an impassive everyday intonation like: “Mom, give me money!”. The Snow Maiden will dress up both the camp and the heart, but this outfit is akin to what Medea Kreusa gave to a dress soaked in poison (in this case, love). The finale is known - "melts, melts, disappears." The Snow Maiden will leave a wet place and dry eyes of the audience.

The ups and downs of The Snow Maiden, for reasons that come from childhood, cannot surprise, therefore you expect a reason for surprise from the actors. And you get it. The actors of the performance, recent graduates of theatrical universities, oddly enough, did not bring the heat and energy of youth into the performance. On the contrary, they play according to the weather - "the sun shines, but does not warm." Not that they can be called "Thugs" (play by Kirill Serebrennikov), but their reaction and dynamics leave much to be desired. The performers are slow, relaxed, pampered, but their characters lack the sun, there is no “golden laziness” from the sky, and severe frosts, it would seem, should stir up the Berendeys. Sbiten is not boiled, and it is not clear how they are warmed. Soul fire? But his sparks do not reach the audience. The words in "The Snow Maiden" do not "sound", but the songs do.

Lel (Artem Efimov), the first guy in the village (and the village, judging by the scenery of Leonid Shulyakov, is in one house), also sings with an overweight guitar (from which, however, he does not extract a sound), along with Spring (a wonderful work by Elizabeth Pashchenko) and the Snow Maiden. A barely noticeable competition for the shepherd's heart is planned between mother and daughter. Good and "guys from our yard" like the Smoking Room (Anton Kolesnikov), a kind of street bully with chains on his jeans, twirling the keys to ... a non-working motorcycle on his finger, or the big man Brusila (Nikolai Zozulin). Noteworthy are the girls-friends of the offended Kupava (Anna Kuzmina) - Radushka (Margarita Tolstoganova) and Malusha (Valentina Oleneva), the funny-strange Beautiful Elena (Kristina Pivneva). Only the oriental youth Mizgir (Rustam Akhmadeev) and his bodyguard, unforeseen in the play, called by the simple "Slavic" name Emil (Yegor Kharlamov) stand out from the general motley canvas of the performance. If the Sloboda residents of Berendeevka would have been fine with a light patter, then Mizgir would not at all like a clear accent. However, Mizgir is a stranger in Berendeevo Posad, and therefore his oriental flair as an addition, opposing him to the townspeople. Another excellent feature of the actor is deliberate seriousness in the interpretation of the proposed circumstances: the actor presents his hero with an anguish, a sharp gesture, a tragic grimace, which makes him ridiculous against the backdrop of relaxed, calm "colleagues". And this is not so much a problem of the performance, but of an actor who weighs down a light production. “The East is on fire,” remarks the Snow Maiden, and, judging by the ardor of Mizgir, it seems that he will answer her; "Juliet is the sun."

The Snow Maiden, set to music, is pleasant to listen to, but strange to see. No folklore, in extreme cases - folk. They saved money on the costume designer - he is not in the program, there is no trace of him on the stage either. The actors are dressed in everyday clothes, devoid of a single style, who is in what - in a summer sundress, in a sweater, in a dress. Musicians in hats (although they take them off), actors with thermoses and plastic cups, outsiders (not from Ostrovsky) remarks ... In combination with student signs of the performance, a complete illusion of an open rehearsal is created, to which the audience was allowed. People on the stage are like people from the street, at least in terms of external characteristics, and this "democratism" is not good for the "Snegurochka". The lack of a unified style can only be justified by the capitalized outback mentioned in the program. There is such a “shelter of tranquility, work and inspiration” on the map of the Pskov region, but it is unlikely that the costumes were painted from the local residents.

Despite the lightness of the idea and the significant editing of the text, there are curious, but undeveloped (by the director) moments in the performance. Thus, the dialogue between the Tsar (Sergey Badichkin) and the “near boyar” Bermyata (Yuri Kazakov) turns out to be very consonant with the time (not stage, local). The tsar complains that the people "disappeared to serve beauty", in general, the decline in morals, to which the adviser offers a universal remedy for those in power at all times: "Issue a decree!" “But will we wait for some good?”, Specifies the Tsar, “None,” he hears in response, “Cleaning us.”

The state of affairs in the kingdom of Berendey is akin to Karamzin's diagnosis - "They steal", however, this kingdom is "not enough, there is nowhere to roam", and therefore Bermyata specifies: "A little bit." “And catch?” His Majesty asks without much interest; – “Why catch them, / Lose labors? / Let them steal for themselves, / Someday they will get caught ... ". But, judging by the simple decoration of the royal chambers, everything has already been plundered. Yes, and the king himself, who exchanged the scepter and orb (or maybe with a capital letter?) For a massive clock and an ax that he thrusts into the platform on the stage, does not look much like a king. Although it just so happened, they are kings either with or under an ax. In a different way - only in fairy tales, where "porridge from an ax." For The Snow Maiden, both porridge - a mixture of genres, and an ax - a montage of text and meanings - are symbolic.
“The magnanimous people are great in everything,” the Tsar sings a fervent song at the end of the performance. Berendey sing sadly to the king. As befits the people under the Tsar - in chorus. A few scenes before the finale, the “generous people” rejoiced at the death sentence handed down to Mizgir, shouting: “And when? What time?". Winter crops with spring crops - in the field, but you need to nourish your soul - with spectacles. But the execution will be canceled, however, Mizgir's death cannot be avoided. People's sacrifice is manifested here in the minute-by-minute readiness to make a sacrifice. Rather, as a sacrifice of those who do not live "in the Berendey way", those who are not used to bowing "more often, but lower."

The musical numbers go with a bang in the performance, but it’s as if those who voted go astray to the recitative, the record seems to stick. The style of the performance is a kind of jam session (not musical, but artistic), which is played out without any special preparations, thoughts and effort. It seems that the artists on stage are having a good time, the audience, in general, is also happy with everything. Both those who are on the stage and those who are in the hall for about two hours manage to spend their leisure time quite tolerably. "The Snow Maiden" is not an evening at the theater, but a theatrical evening. There is no need to talk about interpretations of images, super-tasks and relevance, but you can’t call such an evening wasted either. "Snegurochka" in combination with the democratic and hospitable buffet of the theater is an ideal option for meetings, while away the evenings and moments when there is an acute desire to be in public. Nice, smart, not expensive. Not to the heart, but not to the wallet. But even this kind of theater, which is “not low, not high,” not only can, but must exist. “Drive your worries away: there is a time for caring,” they sing in the play, and they are right.

The Snow Maiden, according to the director, is played in "timelessness", but this is due, perhaps, to its temporary presence in the theater's repertoire. Her appearance, however, is fully justified - the theater is not afraid to open its doors to young directors, and this is worth a lot. Of course, we are not talking about losses. "Snegurochka" is a universal, family, easy and spring project. “Spring is coming”, “the mind is not in harmony with the heart”, but the “Snow Maiden” has every chance not to melt, but to tune in the right way.

"Komsomolskaya Pravda", "Teatron"

Not only decorated Christmas trees and bright illumination on the street, but also many New Year's performances speak of the approach of the New Year. The show has already started at the Children's Variety Theater fairy tale"Snow Maiden"!

Kira and I were honored to be among the first to see this magical story)))

The Snow Maiden lives in solitude with Father Santa Claus. Mother Spring is invisibly present nearby: she will always support and comfort her. And she has a dream: to live with people, listen to their songs, dance with them tirelessly. So far, she only dares to listen to the soulful songs of the shepherdess Lelya from afar. Santa Claus, seeing her longing, decides to let her go, but sends his faithful servant Leshy along with her for protection and help.
The Snow Maiden meets Lel, but she does not understand how such a soulful song can be worth just her kiss. Kupava is ready to become a true friend to the Snow Maiden and introduces her to her betrothed Mizgir. But then the unexpected happens...

Very interesting, folk motifs sounded in a new interesting way in the fairy tale. And in combination with dancing, it turned into a vivid spectacle: there are winter fun (“blinded” an excellent snowman), and the custom of giving gifts not only to the bride, but also to her girlfriends, and the Shrovetide round dance, when everyone takes on a colored ribbon, etc.
I really liked the costumes of the heroes: bright, original, interesting, having their own unique style. The costumes of Ded Moroz, Snegurochka, Goblin and Mizgir stood out especially. Kokoshnik, fluffy skirt, blue flowers in Gzhel style: you can admire the clothes of the Snow Maiden endlessly) I still don’t understand the trick with which the big flower on the skirt changed color!
I also want to add about the scenery: the air structures, which either turned into a throne, or into bushes in the winter forest, were beautiful. And a transparent curtain dividing the stage into two parts, which either twinkled with stars, or was highlighted in different colors.

The original ending of the tale is unexpected and, I would say, in a modern style: good songs for a strong and mutual feeling is still not enough. For me, the whole production was unexpected: for some reason I thought I would see the classic fairy tale about the Snow Maiden, but I had to get acquainted with the original source) Ostrovsky had his own view of the story about the Snow Maiden))) The authors of the production decided that New Year- This is a fun holiday, so at this magical time, fairy tales cannot end sadly! Therefore, the fairy tale ends in an extraordinary way and, perhaps, not even logically, but this is the most interesting thing!

Very cozy and comfortable auditorium: a good rise, and you can also take a pillow for a child. Before the performance, the guys can try themselves in Russian folk amusements. When we entered the building Children's theater stage, we immediately got to the fair, so noisily and provocatively the guys were calling to join))

Bright and musical New Year's performances for children and their parents. If you are ready for modern reading classical play, magnificent costumes, bright dances and a non-trivial ending of a fairy tale, then this performance is for you! Grab your New Year's mood and come)

The first dramatic performance of The Snow Maiden took place on May 11, 1873 at the Maly Theater in Moscow. The music for the play was commissioned by P.I. Tchaikovsky Ostrovsky in the process of working on the play in parts sent her text to Tchaikovsky. “Tchaikovsky's music for The Snow Maiden is charming,” wrote the playwright. ""Snow Maiden"<...>was written by order of the directorate of theaters and at the request of Ostrovsky in 1873, in the spring, and at the same time it was given, recalled later, in 1879, Tchaikovsky. - This is one of my favorite creations. The spring was wonderful, my soul was good, as always when summer and three months of freedom approached.

I liked Ostrovsky's play, and in three weeks I wrote the music without any effort. It seems to me that in this music there should be a noticeable joyful spring mood, which I was then imbued with.

All three troupes of the then Imperial Theater were involved in the performance: drama, opera and ballet.

“I am staging the play myself, as a complete master,” Ostrovsky reported with joy, “here they understand very well that only under this condition will it go well and be successful. Tomorrow I am reading The Snow Maiden to the artists for the third time, then I will go through the roles with each separately. The scene of the melting of the Snow Maiden was discussed for a long time. Assistant Stage Engineer K.F. Waltz recalled: “It was decided to surround the Snow Maiden with several rows of very small holes in the floor of the stage, from which trickles of water were supposed to rise, which, thickening, should hide the figure of the performer, imperceptibly descending into the hatch under the spotlight.”

In connection with the renovation of the premises of the Maly Theater "Snegurochka" it was decided to play in the Bolshoi. For dramatic actors Bolshoi Theater turned out to be uncomfortable. It was too large and acoustically unsuitable for a natural, everyday-sounding voice. This greatly hindered the success of the play. Actor P.M. Sadovsky wrote to Ostrovsky, who was not present at the premiere: “The audience listened to the play with great attention, but did not hear much at all, so the scene of Kupava with the Tsar, despite all the efforts of Nikulina to speak loudly and distinctly, was only half audible.” The next day after the performance, playwright V.I. Rodislavsky sent a detailed “report” to Ostrovsky, in which he reported on the same shortcomings of the performance: “... many wonderful, first-class poetic beauties, so generously scattered by you in the play, perished and can only be resurrected in print ... But I will tell you in order . Leshy's charming monologue disappeared completely. Spring's flight was quite successful, but her poetic monologue seemed long. witty folk song about birds disappeared, because the music did not allow to hear the words, so sharp that the censors thought about them. The dance of the birds was applauded. Wonderful story Frost about his amusements disappeared, because he was started up not by a story, but by singing with music that drowned out the words. Maslyanitsa's monologue failed, because Milensky spoke it from behind the curtains, and not hidden in a straw effigy... In the first act, Lelya's charming song was repeated... The appearances of the Snow Maiden's shadow were unsuccessful... My favorite story about the power of flowers. .. was not noticed, the procession disappeared, the disappearance of the Snow Maiden was not very skillful ... The theater was completely full, there was not a single empty seat ... The cry of the privet was very successful.

The reviewer wrote about the attitude of the public to The Snow Maiden: “... some immediately turned away from her, because she was beyond their understanding, and stated that the play was bad, that it failed, etc. Others, to their surprise, noticed that, when they watched it for the second time, they began to like it ... The music ... is both original and very good, the main thing is that it is completely in tune with the whole play.

During the life of Ostrovsky, "The Snow Maiden" was played at the Moscow Maly Theater 9 times. The last performance took place on August 25, 1874.

In 1880 N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov asked Ostrovsky for permission to use the text of The Snow Maiden to create an opera. The composer himself composed the libretto, having coordinated it with the author. Subsequently, Rimsky-Korsakov recalled: “The first time I read The Snow Maiden was around 1874, when it had just appeared in print. I didn't like it much in reading then; the kingdom of the Berendeys seemed strange to me. Why? Were the ideas of the 60s still alive in me, or were the demands of so-called life stories in use in the 70s keeping me in shackles?<...>In a word, Ostrovsky's wonderful, poetic tale did not impress me. In the winter of 1879-1880, I again read The Snow Maiden and, as it were, saw her astonishing beauty. I immediately wanted to write an opera based on this story.”

The first performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera took place in St. Petersburg, at the Mariinsky Theatre, on January 29, 1882.

In the winter of 1882/83, The Snow Maiden in a dramatic production was performed by amateurs in the Mamontovs' house. Prominent representatives of the artistic intelligentsia were involved in it. The performance marked an attempt at a new reading of the play. The artistic part of the production was undertaken by V.M. Vasnetsov. The artist's talent manifested itself in this work with the greatest force: he managed not only to be imbued with the poetry of Ostrovsky's marvelous fairy tale, to reproduce its special atmosphere, its Russian spirit, but also to captivate other participants in the performance. In addition, he perfectly played the role of Santa Claus.

The performance in the Mamontovs' house was a prologue to the production of The Snow Maiden by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov on the stage of the Private Russian Opera S.I. Mamontov in Moscow on October 8, 1885. Artistic design was carried out by V.M. Vasnetsov, I.I. Levitan and K.A. Korovin. In the work of artists, first of all, that new perception of Ostrovsky's fairy tale and Rimsky-Korsakov's opera was expressed, which contributed to the revival of public interest in these works. After the premiere, a number of newspapers strongly demanded that the opera The Snow Maiden be included in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theatre. However, on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater "The Snow Maiden" was performed only on January 26, 1893.

In 1900, The Snow Maiden was shown in two theaters in Moscow - the Novy Theater and the Moscow Art Theatre. A wonderful Russian actor and director V.E. Meyerhold wrote about the performance Art Theater: “The play is staged amazingly. So many colors that, it seems, they would be enough for ten plays. It should be noted that the brilliance of the performance was based on the study of the ethnographic content of the play; it reflected an attempt to convey the true picturesque ancient life and approach this task seriously, to study, if possible, the real forms of folk applied arts: costume, conditions of life of peasants.

The ice has broken...


In the theater. Yermolova - new season, new life, new performances. The theater invited a young director Alexei Kuzmin-Tarasov, who offered an original interpretation of the poetic fairy tale by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky "The Snow Maiden". For an experimental performance at the Yermolova Theater, recent graduates from various theater schools: there are definitely not enough young actors in the troupe of the Yermolovsky theater, and for the "Snow Maiden" young creatures were needed. The age of the Snow Maiden is about the same as that of Juliet, when love is appreciated dearer than life, and they choose it, trampling death, because it is no coincidence that the largest percentage of suicides is among teenagers: naive youth does not know how quickly “eternal” love passes, how much more can be in life ...

“Scenes from the outback in 12 songs”, as the director-producer designated Ostrovsky’s poetic tale, is quite consistent with all the times when boys and girls walked in the villages, and today in any outback they walk like that, except that the girls have matured and become bolder, and the guys are all more somehow feminine and indecisive.

From time immemorial, people have been looking for their soul mate, and whoever managed to find it was happy. In the kingdom of Berendey, everything was like that, as long as day followed night, spring followed winter. But once the usual order of things was violated - Spring gave birth to a daughter from Frost, and this union did not bring happiness to either mother or daughter. Loving Spring (Elizaveta Pashchenko) has no life with Frost, and their snowy daughter Snegurochka (Veronika Ivashchenko) has no life without hot love, and even more so with her. It is interesting that Spring in the play does not look older than the Snow Maiden, which is quite in the spirit of today (with modern means of rejuvenation, some grandmothers look the same age as their granddaughters), besides, the woman is experienced and passionate, she easily takes away the voluptuous and soft-bodied Lelya from her frostbitten daughter.

Lel (Artem Efimov) is a sluggish young man spoiled by female attention, he becomes a little more energetic when he picks up a guitar. It is not so important for him that women love him, but that listeners adore him. The sweet-voiced singer has enough admirers and admirers, and it should be noted that the songs performed by him are quite decent, and they were written by the director himself on the authentic texts of Ostrovsky. Young viewers will be happy to perceive compositions in the style of blues, reggae, hip-hop, rap. The musicians from Garik Sukachev's group "The Untouchables" are certainly good, it's a pity that they did not find a worthy place, and therefore they look on stage as if they were still rehearsing. It was necessary to dress them appropriately, to involve them in the action, which would make the performance win, and so, thanks to their presence on the stage, some kind of conditionally concert version turned out.


Nevertheless, the plot of the fairy tale is not lost, everything goes as expected: there is a plot, a climax, a denouement. Mizgir, a hot young man of "Asian" blood (Rustam Akhmadeev) falls in love with Kupava (Anna Kuzmina). It is easy for a man with such a temperament to achieve a woman, but Mizgir quickly loses interest in the affordable Kupava. A much more attractive goal: to win the cold Snow Maiden, besides the blonde! However, just love is not enough for him, you still need to show the woman a place, so other people's customs bring confusion to the good and bright kingdom of Berendey. No matter how the Tsar (Sergey Badichkin) and Bermyata (Yuri Kazakov) try to call the people to love and peace, the idyll of the Berendey kingdom collapses: love is outraged, goodness is defenseless, and even the sun does not appear in the sky. But, as you know, soon the fairy tale takes its toll, and the ice drawn on the platform river suddenly starts to crack and slide down with a natural roar (scenography by Leonid Shulyakov), guys and girls, shooting smartly with their eyes, find each other with songs and dances. With songs, as we have already noticed, things are not bad, but so far with dances nothing: Berendey’s subjects still can’t move decently (choreographer Ramune Khodorkaite), so they move for now, whoever is in what much.

But even with these shortcomings, which are easy to correct, the production turned out to be perky and ironic, despite some dampness (and not only from the Snow Maiden who melted at the end, which for some reason is not at all a pity). And the sun, which we also look forward to in Russia, still appears in the final, and the hope is growing that these young people will be good. Young wine wanders in Ermolov's skins, let's let it mature and rejoice at the excellently aged taste.