The Folk Drama Theater was founded in Irkutsk in 1977. Since its foundation, Honored Artist of Russia Mikhail Kornev has been leading it. Then it was almost a few people united by one idea and tuned to the same wave. Now the theater has its own premises, in which meetings and performances are held. The year 1987 brought the theater professional status. The Irkutsk Folk Drama Theater has written the history of the Russian people in its books, as it deserves a separate chapter.
History as a book
In 1998, the City Duma provided the actors with the complete cinema premises of the former cinema.
And the work began to boil. The decorator, balancing on shaky forests at an incredible height under the ceiling of the theater, painted stucco with gold leaf in the lobby. At this time, the troupe settled in a wooden house nearby, where girls, similar to Russian beauties from canvases, prepared a hearty dinner and served it, fragrant and outgoing steam, to young actors who looked like classic Russian men. The guys were bearded, tightly knocked down and in winter walked in sheepskin coats and felt boots. A pretty picturesque picture of these lunch breaks and asks for the canvas.
After removing everything from the table after the meal, the actress girls sat down at the window to sew another costume for the performance. They themselves embroidered fabric with gilded braid, themselves embroidered patterns on white shirts-shirts. The guys did not play in the theater, they just lived like that. There were no such roles and make-up - they showed the life of the Russian people as they themselves felt it. And all this time God, the Tsar and the Russian soul stood behind them.
Life and work
Irkutsk loves the drama theater and the repertoire knows it by heart. Although it contains both works by European playwrights and contemporary plays, nevertheless patriotism and following traditions, a good knowledge of the history of the Russian people, remain. It is in the blood of the actors of the theater and the collective teaches children this, urging them to never forget that they are children of Mother Russia. As the townspeople say, the Irkutsk Folk Drama Theater lives with the people and for the people. “This is a world, a Russian house, where the life of a Russian person in labor, in a family, in a war, in a song, in a holiday, in a suit, in musical instruments is gathered” - this is what people say about the folk theater. Pancake week, Christmas, Victory Day and many other great holidays are held in the city with the obligatory participation of the drama theater and its pupils.
Spectators do not hide their emotions, someone cries touchingly, recalling, perhaps, moments of their life, and someone laughs joyfully, becoming happier from becoming part of such representations.
The soul of the theater
The emblem of the theater is the trinity: the peasant, warrior and monk. She speaks eloquently of the spiritual unity of the Russian people, of their patriotism and strong cohesion. Actors are well versed in the history of their people. From the warriors to the military Cossacks, from tsarist Russia to the special forces, the entire range of Russian patriotism is presented by them in their performances and performances. Not a single Christian or Russian holiday is complete without these daring guys and cheerful girls. But it all began in 1977 with a passion for the European school of acting and skill.
Friendship and loyalty
The Irkutsk People’s Drama Theater is friends with Bishop Vadim of Irkutsk and Angarsk, who on Christmas January 7, 1999, held a service for the theater’s housewarming in the new building. On this day, the renovated room was filled with love. Grateful spectators came to congratulate the children on a double holiday. Present at the celebration and the authorities of the city.
The Irkutsk Folk Drama Theater has been closely, long and firmly friends with Sunday school students. Children like to attend the performances of this group, they learn the stamina, kindness and patriotism of the Russian people. They understand the power of thought embedded in the laws of God and learn the history of their ancestors. Children’s clubs have been created at the theater, where the younger generation is studying the history of Russian weapons art, joining Russian crafts, which the native land was famous for from century to century.
A new world through the ages
Walking in step with the people, knowing all its joys and hardships, the Irkutsk Folk Drama Theater with its creativity makes you not to forget your native roots, teaches you to love your native land and respect the work of your ancestors. Despite the rapidly developing technologies, the rapidly changing fashion for absolutely everything, the actors of the folk drama theater have remained faithful to traditions and continue to study them, going ever deeper into the ages.
This position allows the children not to break away from their native roots, to know what our ancestors fought for, what they served, and to maintain the spiritual world guarded by our great-grandfathers, not allowing high ideals to disappear. The Irkutsk Folk Drama Theater supports and helps the Alexander Nevsky Church. The fact that M. Kornev managed to maintain the backbone of the theater in the same composition as in 1977 proves the unity of spirit and common faith. The emblem of the trinity, belonging to the Irkutsk Theater of Folk Drama, eloquently confirms this.