On the 70th anniversary of the Sovremennik Theatre

The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, in collaboration with the Moscow Sovremennik Theatre, presented the exhibition project "Artists of the Sovremennik Era," dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the legendary Moscow theatre. The exhibition opened in the David Borovsky Workshop Museum and became the second exhibition project held there following a major renovation of the museum space.

"The Bakhrushin Museum’s exhibition, ’Artists of the Sovremennik Era,’ tells the theater’s history through the names and works of the artists who shaped its visual image over 70 years. Many of the exhibit’s materials have never been presented to the general public before, making this the first large-scale museum presentation of Sovremennik’s artistic legacy," noted Kristina Trubinova, General Director of the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum.

"In our anniversary season, it’s important for us to talk about Sovremennik as a theatre of collaboration, where the artist has always been an equal creator of the production. This exhibition, housed in the studio of David Borovsky — an artist closely associated with the theatre — brings together the names of Messerer, Kochergin, Barkhin, and other artists who shaped its visual image. Here, you can see how the stage world that has defined Sovremennik for decades evolved from sketches and models," noted Vladimir Mashkov, Artistic Director of Sovremennik Theatre and Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia.

The history of the Sovremennik Theatre began on the night of April 15–16, 1956, when the premiere of Viktor Rozov’s play "Forever Alive," directed by Oleg Yefremov, took place on the training stage of the Moscow Art Theatre School. This event marked the founding of the Young Actors’ Studio — the future Sovremennik Theatre, which soon cemented its status as one of the country’s leading drama stages. The Bakhrushin Museum’s exhibition "Artists of the Sovremennik Era" also begins on this day.

The exhibition brought together more than 170 exhibits: sets models, costume sketches, and scenography from the collections of the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, the Sovremennik Theatre archive, private collections, and the collection of the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Musical Art.

The exhibition’s architectural design, developed by Alexander Borovsky — set designer, theater artist, and son of David Borovsky — refers to the façade of the Sovremennik Theater on Chistoprudny Boulevard. The exhibition hall is organized as a colonnade, reminiscent of the rotunda at the theater entrance. Set models and sketches, positioned between the columns, transform the exhibition into a metaphor for theatrical space — a place of encounter and artistic exploration.

The exhibition is structured as a visual chronicle of the theater — from the first productions of the late 1950s to the performances of the 2025–2026 anniversary season. The exhibition features works by the masters who shaped the artistic image of Sovremennik: Lev Baturin, Dmitry Lazarev, Pyotr Kirillov, Valery Dorrer, Boris Messerer, Iosif Sumbatashvili, Olga Tvardovskaya, Vladimir Makushenko, Viktor Shilkrot, and Vladimir Arefyev.

A separate section is dedicated to David Borovsky, a key figure in the history of Russian 20th-century stage design, who began collaborating with Sovremennik in 1971 with the play "Valentin and Valentina." The exhibition features Borovsky’s set designs, costume sketches, and archival materials for landmark productions, including "The Scaffold" and "Anomaly."

Visitors will also see works by Eduard Kochergin, one of Russia’s leading theater designers and a close friend and colleague of David Borovsky. The Bakhrushin Museum acquired several of his works especially for the exhibition: a set model and sketches for Luigi Pirandello’s "Henry IV," staged at Sovremennik in 1978 by Lilia Tolmacheva. Seeing them at the exhibition is a unique opportunity: the works were previously in the artist’s studio and have not been publicly displayed.

The exhibition also features works by Sergei Barkhin: sketches of sets and costumes for Oleg Efremov’s production of "The Seagull" and a model for Valery Fokin’s production of "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Barkhin collaborated on the design for Fokin’s production with Vyacheslav Zaitsev, whose costume sketches are also featured in the exhibition.

A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to 21st-century stage design. It includes works by Vladimir Arefyev, Viktor Shilkrot, as well as Evgenia Shutina and Maria Borovskaya — prominent representatives of contemporary Russian theater set design.

The exhibition project is accompanied by a cultural and educational program, which includes creative meetings with directors, actors, and artists, video screenings of performances, and discussions with audience members.

The exhibition will be open to visitors from April 9 to September 6, 2026, at the David Borovsky Museum and Workshop.