On the eve of the Great Victory Day on May 6-7, on the stage of the Krasnoyarsk opera and ballet theatre, the performance of the Moscow provincial theatre "Merry Soldier" based on the story of Victor Astafyev.

Military prose of Astafyev is not frequent guest on the stage. Scenic history has, perhaps, only at the novel "Cursed and killed," which was staged by Viktor Ryzhakov several years ago at the Moscow art theatre named after Chekhov. The story "Merry soldier" at Moscow appeared on the stage for the first time. Dramaturgy for the theatre was written by playwright Anatoly Korolev and young director Richard Bondarev, gently adapting to the theatre tough, cruel Astafiev’s prose in its truthfulness.

In the play of the Provincial theatre, the writer becomes the main hero. From the present he peers into the past, peers at himself -  young, cheerful soldier. Re-lives his first youthful love, the first wound, the first loss, the first dead German. After all, during the war they not only were at war, they also lived: they fell in love, made friends, hated. But it was from these everyday life, from pain, despair and countless losses, our victory was born.

The main role is played by the well-known actor of theatre and cinema, honored artist of Russia Boris Galkin - he plays elderly writer who is leading the story of the war time. For his creative biography Galkin had a chance to work in different theatres: the Taganka theatre, the Satire theatre, the Theatre named after Pushkin, Mayakovsky and many others. But the last time his work was mainly connected with cinema and television. And it so happened that in the role of Astafiev Boris Galkin returned to the stage of the drama theatre after a huge break - 35 years. "This role was for me a real gift of fate," the actor said. - I seem to have returned to my youth, as the students, when we rehearsed day and night just out of the desire to play, to create. This is how they rehearse at the Provincial theatre, and in this sense I have not met the more efficient and joyful in the work team".

The theme of the war occupies a special place at Galkin's work, and work on this role is especially important for him: the actor was personally acquainted with Viktor Astafyev. "To work with the prose of Astafiev, writer who was called a classic even during his lifetime, and even more to speak on his behalf - is not very simple and very responsible. I personally knew Viktor Petrovich, I had the good fortune to meet with him, listen to him. In his stories, there was never word, no gesture, no superficial glance, no "second plan" - everything is very organic, sincere. He was the truth as a man and as a writer", - says Galkin.

Artistic director of the theatre and artistic director of the production Sergei Bezrukov, speaking of the performance, stressed that for the Moscow provincial theatre it is great honor to have in the repertoire the work of Astafiev. "This is a very complicated work, telling the truth about the war, which, I think, not everyone wants to hear today. But the front-line soldier Astafiev has the right to talk about the war, as he sees, "Bezrukov stressed. "The Merry Soldier" is an autobiographical story about the war.

It was important for me to tell about the war as a terrible phenomenon, a tragedy in the life of any person. After all, speaking of war, oddly enough, we are talking about peace. Our performance begins with the fact that the hero - Astafiev - killed a man. This is the worst thing that can be: when a person kills a person, violating one of the most important commandments - "do not kill." He - has transgressed ... Astafyev says that maybe all our troubles are from this - that we are transgressing, while justifying ourselves with "cunning morality", that the only way to survive is by killing, trampling on their own kind, a man can survive. Astafyev is a tremendous sage, who, after experiencing all these hardships, the loss of relatives and friends, really rises to the level of rethinking that only good and the thirst of Good can save us. "

The show will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk territory, PJSC “Polyus” and the Victor Petrovich Astafiev’s Foundation.