July 07, 2022

A Failure to Perform


A Failure to Perform
No Gravity Dance Company performs air dance "Aria" at 2017 Platonov Art Festival. Platonov Arts Festival, VK.com

The annual International Platonov Arts Festival, in Voronezh, has been canceled this year in response to the country's cultural and political climate due to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Ilya Skripnikov, Acting Director of the festival, cited "current conditions" as the primary concern in his public announcement of the cancellation.

Originally, in April, the festival was just postponed, with regional officials saying it would be held in September instead of June. Now, Voronezh officials say they believe the decision to postpone the festival until 2023 will "maintain the international status, the richness of the program, and the high level of organization."

This year, Platonov's management will continue to work to find new talent and expand the cultural project. They will also "present a special event" in the fall.

Since 2011, the Platonov Festival has become one of Russia's most prominent festivals for art, theater, and music. More than half a million spectators have come from around the world to see its shows. Artists, actors, writers, and musicians from 10 cities in Russia, as well as Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Mongolia, Serbia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and South Africa were slated to perform at the 2022 festival.

In his announcement, Skripnikov invited the Voronezh audience back for the next cultural experience: "See you at the XII International Platonov Festival in 2023."

You Might Also Like

Culture Under Fire
  • March 13, 2022

Culture Under Fire

Five sites in Ukraine that are known for their cultural value and how they have been affected by the ongoing war.
Rapping for Peace
  • March 17, 2022

Rapping for Peace

Two of Russia's biggest rappers are taking a stance against the war in Ukraine.
All the Village Is a Stage
  • February 12, 2022

All the Village Is a Stage

Performance art, adventure, and psychedelia in a Russian village. What more could you want?
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955