On April 18, People's Artist of the USSR Vladimir Vasiliev celebrates his 80th anniversary. Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev is a true legend of world ballet, dancer, choreographer, actor, production director, ballet teacher. Vladimir Viktorovich has been effectively cooperating with the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre form many years.

The ballet film Anyuta to the Valery Gavrilin’s music was released in 1982; it was based on the Anton Chekhov’s story Anna on the Neck. Vladimir Vasiliev was its choreographer, scriptwriter and performer of the role of Anyuta's father Pyotr Leontievich. Subsequently, the television ballet show was transformed into a theatre performance; it was successfully staged in Russian and world theatres. In June 2009, the premiere performance of the two-act ballet Anyuta directed by Vladimir Vasiliev was also held at the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. In the very first show, it was Vasiliev who played the tragic role of the protagonist’s father.

Already in November 2010, a new premiere where the outstanding artist participated took place. Reinhold Glière’s ballet The Red Poppy staged and set by Vladimir Vasiliev was one of the most striking events of the Russian Forum Ballet The 21st Century dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the great Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova. Before the premiere show, Vladimir Vasiliev said that he sought to avoid the former ideological bent of the ballet, not to emphasize the theme of the Chinese proletariat’s struggle against the bourgeoisie and Western imperialism. After all, this ballet’s hallmarks are beautiful music, a touching love story, amazing choreography. Therefore, this modern production doesn’t involve red flags and revolutionary posters that can be seen in photographs from old newspapers. In this performance, Vasiliev also acted as an artist of multimedia choreography - that’s not quite usual for a dancer.

In 2014, a ballet show Last Bow based on works by Victor Astafyev was held as a part of the 4th Krasnoyarsk International Music Festival of the Asia-Pacific Region Countries. Last Bow left a strong emotional impression on the audience; Vladimir Vasiliev was not only the artistic director of this project - he revealed another talent of him: he read out vibrant lines of Astafyev’s works as a reciter.