Feminist theatre on trial in Russia – the latest in Putin’s purge of contemporary culture

By Julie Curtis, Professor of Russian Literature (Emerita), University of Oxford

The savage purging of independent thought and creativity among Russian intellectuals since Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine continues apace.

In 2020 a play called Finist the Bright Falcon by Svetlana Petriychuk premiered in Moscow. The state-funded production was directed by Evgeniya Berkovich. The play won two awards at Russia’s prestigious Golden Mask theatre festival in 2022. Its title is drawn from a popular Russian folk tale. The tale describes the long and hazardous journey undertaken by a fair maiden in order to find true love with a young prince who had visited her in the guise…

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