On Taganka, Vysotsky’s birthday was celebrated with a legendary performance

MOSCOW. Fans of the legendary bard on January 25 every year come to the Taganka Theater to congratulate Vladimir Vysotsky on his birthday. Many of the spectators who filled the cramped rows of theater chairs come to the theater every year to once again watch a performance dedicated to the memory of the poet and actor.

The initiator of the creation of this performance was Yuri Lyubimov. In his opinion, the presence in the theater’s repertoire of poetic performances, where poetry of war poets and our contemporaries sounded, obliged to honor the memory of his talented colleague by creating a composition from the works of Vladimir Vysotsky.

The entire troupe of the theater participated in the creation of the play “Vladimir Vysotsky”. The play was based on Hamlet, after the death of Vysotsky removed from the repertoire of the theater. The actors went on stage in the costumes of Shakespearean characters and conducted a dialogue with the voice of Vysotsky. The performance was prepared for almost a year. On the anniversary of the death of Vladimir Semenovich, on July 25, the official premiere of "Vladimir the High" took place.

On stage, poems and songs were sung by actors, and Vladimir’s voice was heard from the speakers. The first version of the performance lasted three hours, during which both the actors and the audience felt the effect of the presence of "Tagansky Hamlet". Unfortunately, after the first performance to the public, the performance was closed.

In 1989, with the participation of Nikolai Gubenko, “Vladimir Vysotsky” reappeared on the Taganka stage, entering the theater’s permanent repertoire. Over the years, the composition of the participants in the play has changed, now next to the actors who played in the first performance, no less talented young people are on stage. Today this performance has become not only a dedication to Vysotsky, but also a memory of his colleagues, who also left the theater with their passing away.

Ludmila Trautmane © Gallerix.ru