«Vesyolaya Koza» ("The Merry Goat") is a Russian festival of theatrical kapustnik performances and improvisation, founded in Nizhny Novgorod in 1993 at the initiative of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia. It was held with the support of the government of Nizhny Novgorod Region, the city administration, the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia, and the Yablochkina Central House of the Actor.[1] According to the organizers, the festival was the only theatrical showcase in Russia dedicated specifically to this genre: kapustnik mini-performances are created independently by actors and directors of professional theatres, outside the regular repertoire, and are built around humor and improvisational skill.

Name and Symbol

The festival's name derives from the folk nickname for the Nizhny Novgorod coat of arms. The red deer with one foreleg raised was called the «Vesyolaya Koza» ("Merry Goat") by Volga barge haulers and townspeople alike; this nickname was recorded in the writings of Vladimir Gilyarovsky.[3] For the barge haulers, the image signified the end of an exhausting journey and the chance to rest.[6] The festival adopted this name, linking the city's history with theatrical tradition.

A bronze goat on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street became the sculptural symbol of the festival and subsequently one of the city's unofficial emblems. It was created from designs by sculptor Vladimir Sidorov — a graduate of the Gorky Art School who worked at the drama theatre in the early 1990s. Sidorov originally made the goat from art paper over a metal armature; it stood in an exhibition hall for some twelve years before being acquired by collector Alexey Kuznetsov. The bronze version on Pokrovka was cast in its likeness, though the sculptor himself did not supervise the casting.[3]

History and Format

The festival was held annually from 1993; by 2008 it had reached its fourteenth edition, by 2010 its fifteenth, and by 2013, marking its twentieth anniversary, it took place for the sixteenth time.[1][2] Each edition's programme included competitive showings, masterclasses, creative workshops, actors' clubs, and a gala concert for the laureates.[2] No more than five performers could take the stage within the allotted ten minutes — such is the genre's formal requirement for a kapustnik.[5]

The competition venues changed over the years: gala concerts were held at the Komediya Theatre, the Academic Drama Theatre, the Youth Theatre, and also outside [2] Nizhny Novgorod — in Sarov. The festival's art director was actor Sergey Kabaylo, who also headed the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Union of Theatre Workers.[2][6]

The jury regularly included well-known figures from theatre and film: poet and playwright Vadim Zhuk (who chaired the jury on multiple occasions), screenwriters Arkady Inin and Viktor Shenderovich, actors Boris Smolkin, Viktor Sukhorukov, Andrey Sokolov, Mikhail Politseymako, poet Igor Irtenev, directors Sergey Shustutskiy, Sergey Plotov, Eduard Radzyukevich, and others.[2][4]

Regular participants included theatre companies from dozens of cities across Russia, as well as from Belarus and Ukraine. The 15th festival (2010) featured actors from more than 20 cities.[1] The 16th (2013) brought together 150 actors from more than 30 cities, including Moscow, Perm, Ufa, Mytishchi, Yoshkar-Ola, Omsk, Izhevsk, Naberezhnye Chelny, Bryansk, Chita, Ozersk, Tambov, Astrakhan, Ivanovo, and Irkutsk.[2] In 2008, the registered participants represented 40 cities.

Hiatus and Revival

After several editions the festival ceased operations; the hiatus lasted six years. In 2019, declared the Year of Theatre, Vesyolaya Koza was revived — at the initiative of Sergey Kabaylo and with the support of the Chairman of the City Duma and General Director of the Krasny Yakor Plant, Dmitry Barykin. The festival received a presidential grant.[6] The updated format was aimed primarily at young actors: the programme included creative workshops led by masters of improvisation from Moscow and Saint Petersburg.[6]

In 2021, during the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod, the 18th festival took place. Over three days, participants performed approximately ten times at various venues around the city, including outdoor stages. First place went to the acting trio "Troye" from the Nash Dom Theatre (Ozersk), second place to the team from the FEST Theatre (Mytishchi), and third place to the "PTN" team from Nizhny Novgorod.[4]

Founders and Status

The festival's founders over the years have included the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia, the Ministry of Culture of Nizhny Novgorod Region, and the state corporation "Rosatom".[2] City Duma Chairman Dmitry Barykin described the festival as an event that "put Nizhny Novgorod on the theatrical map of Russia," noting that it is precisely in this city that a tradition of cultivating the genre of theatrical improvisation unique to the country has taken root.[6]

Sources

  1. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Viktor Shenderovich, Arkady Inin, and Vadim Zhuk to come to Nizhny Novgorod to participate in the XV Russian festival of theatrical kapustniki "Vesyolaya Koza" — Nizhny Novgorod News
  2. Newsroom24 — Laureates announced for the Nizhny Novgorod Region theatrical kapustnik festival "Vesyolaya Koza" — Society
  3. nnews.nnov.ru — Zabodai tebya Koza. How the festival's symbol became a mini-symbol of the city
  4. thefest.ru — The XVIII theatrical kapustnik festival "Vesyolaya Koza" has concluded! — Theatre "FEST"
  5. nntv.tv — Results of the theatrical kapustnik festival "Vesyolaya Koza" presented at gala concert — Nizhny Novgorod State Regional Television and Radio Company NNTV
  6. gordumannov.ru — "'Vesyolaya Koza' put Nizhny Novgorod on the theatrical map of Russia" — Dmitry Barykin — City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod