Republican Theater of Belarusian Drama to Stage Non-Belarusian Drama and Not in Belarusian
RTBD opens its anniversary XXXV theater season on August 20. The first premiere will be the play "Little Tragedies" based on Alexander Pushkin.
Photo: rtbd.by
The production in Russian is being prepared by the theater's director and stage director Sviatlana Naumenka, and the premiere itself is scheduled for December 2026.
"'Little Tragedies' is a gem of drama. Therefore, turning to this work is not only a certain experience for us, but also a serious challenge. And we wish to reach this height..." says Sviatlana Naumenka about the premiere.
The news caused a wave of indignation and disappointment on social media. Users note that the theater is losing its main distinctiveness and linguistic space, and also question why Russian classics are being emphasized on the stage of the Theater of Belarusian Drama.
For many years, RTBD remained one of the three state theaters in the country (along with the Kupalauski in Minsk and the Kolasauski in Vitsebsk), where all performances were exclusively in Belarusian.
Since 2020, the troupe has been significantly updated — about half of the actors and the former management have been dismissed.