Published on: 2026-09-30
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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On November 6, the fourth season of the “Theater in Cinema” project will open at the “October” cinema center. It will start with the premiere of the film version of Sergey Gazarov’s play “The Marriage of Balzaminov” based on the plays of Alexander Ostrovsky. The film was produced by the “Russia-K” channel and Moscow theater “Sovremennik”, subordinate to the capital’s Department of Culture.
“The play ‘The Marriage of Balzaminov’ is one of the main premieres of the anniversary season of Sovremennik. Ostrovsky wrote this story more than a century and a half ago, and even today we see ourselves in it, laugh, sympathize, and continue to dream. I am very glad that our theater’s production opens the new season of the ‘Theater in Cinema’ project and embarks on a long journey across the cities of our country,” noted Vladimir Mashkov, Artistic Director of the Moscow Sovremennik Theater.
The production will be shown in the largest cinema chains in more than 70 cities across Russia.
“The Marriage of Balzaminov” on the big screen
Sergey Gazarov’s play is based on two comedies from Alexander Ostrovsky’s trilogy: “Your Own Dogs Bark at Each Other, Don’t Bother the Stranger” and “What You Go After Is What You’ll Find.”
The main character — the minor official Mikhailo Balzaminov — dreams of wealth and happiness and sees the only path to them in a profitable marriage. At the same time, Balzaminov’s real world exists primarily in his imagination. In his fantasies, he becomes sometimes a general, sometimes a tsar, capable of creating a just state where the rich marry the poor. Gradually, the hero’s dreams turn into an independent reality — bright, absurd, and surprisingly joyful.
Sergey Gazarov suggests looking at Balzaminov not as an infantile eccentric but as a Russian Don Quixote—a dreamer, philosopher, and romantic. The hero refuses to accept the limitations of real life and creates his own universe. Through his fantasies and comic situations, the production addresses themes of freedom, love, the desire for recognition, and the human ability to create one’s own happiness.
The universe invented by the hero is brought to life with the help of Evgeniya Shutina’s scenography. The costumes were created by Maria Borovskaya. The performance features Marina Neelova, Alena Babenko, Dmitry Smolev, Viktoriya Romanenko, and Darya Belousova. With a contemporary intonation, the production retains the sparkling humor and comedic nature of Alexander Ostrovsky’s dramaturgy.
The film version allows a closer look at the performance: the camera brings the viewer closer to the characters, conveys the details of the scenography and the actors’ nuances. The theatrical convention thereby becomes part of the visual language that connects theater and cinema.
The fourth season of the “Theater in Cinema” project
The project “Theater in Cinema” is carried out by the TV channel “Russia-Kultura,” leading domestic theaters, and the distribution company “Kino. Art. Pro,” with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. Its goal is to give viewers across the country the opportunity to see domestic theatrical performances on the big screen and to interact with their creators.
This year marks the fourth season of the project. Each time it becomes larger in scale and brings together more theatrical productions and audiences. In the previous season, seven releases from leading theaters of the country were presented in 70 cities. The performances were attended by over 30,000 people.
In the new season, productions from theaters that have already participated in the project, as well as from new companies, will be released on the big screens. Among the premieres are “Dead Souls” by the Novosibirsk State Academic Drama Theater “Red Torch,” “Cinderella” by the Perm State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after P.I. Tchaikovsky, “Anna Bolena” and a live broadcast of the play “The Cherry Orchard. Cherry Orchard” by the Moscow Academic Music Theater named after K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, as well as “Nathan the Wise” by the Moscow Jewish Theater “Shalom.” Throughout the season, opera, ballet, and dramatic productions will be shown on the big screens.
The screenings will take place in leading cinemas in Russia, including the “Karo”, “Formula Kino”, “Cinema Park” and “Moskino” chains, as well as in cinemas of the Cinema Fund. In addition, film versions of the performances will be shown in non-chain cinemas such as “Aurora” in St. Petersburg, “Pobeda” in Novosibirsk, and “Horizon” in Rostov-on-Don.
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