The author of the letter emphasizes that in the school-studio, the rector was traditionally chosen "by the entire MKhAT community," which helps maintain continuity. The decision by the Ministry of Culture to appoint Bogomolov, in the opinion of the authors, violates these traditions that have existed since the founding of the MKhAT School-Studio. The appeal highlights that continuity includes not only management but also the transmission of ethical values and principles of Russian psychological theater.
The letter also mentions the names of previous leaders of the school: Oleg Efremov, Oleg Tabakov, Anatoly Smelyansky, and Igor Zolotovitsky, who were "root MKhAT members." This ensured the preservation of the unique spiritual space and traditions that are important for the educational institution. "A successor can only be someone who was educated by MKhAT teachers within the walls of the school," the text notes.
The authors of the appeal remind that the tradition of open rector elections is an important part of the legacy left by Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. They warn that violating this tradition could lead to a "break in continuity and decline" in the history of the school.
In the letter, the alumni hope that the Minister of Culture will consider the opinion of the troupe and review candidates who are related to the MKhAT School-Studio and do not contradict the ethical principles of its founders.
RBC sent a request to the press service of the Ministry of Culture to find out whether a review of the appointment and the possibility of voting for a candidate is planned.
A request was also sent to Konstantin Bogomolov and the press service of the MKhAT School-Studio for comments.
On January 23, Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova announced the appointment of Konstantin Bogomolov as acting rector following the death of Igor Zolotovitsky, who held this position for ten years.
Bogomolov thanked the Moscow authorities for their support of theatrical art and expressed his readiness to continue leading the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya.
