Nikolai Tsiskaridze position. Nikolai Tsiskaridze: “In the Nutcracker I was the prince, and he was the king of mice

Honored Artist of Russia, first soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet Company Anton Korsakov will perform as part of the Dance Open International Ballet Festival in the Finnish city of Savonlinna. On the eve of his departure, the hereditary dancer met with an Izvestia correspondent to talk about summer festivals and the situation at the Mariinsky Theater.

- There are many summer festivals now. What attracted youDance open?

First of all - the high level of the project. I remember how it began, and what it has become now - heaven and earth. I like that every year the composition of the participants changes depending on the rating of the dancers: for some it goes down, for others it's vice versa. And there is no one who would be taken just to "plug a hole." For me, Dance Open is a meeting with friends and at the same time a big event. There is a competitive excitement, you see that life does not stop and you need to prove your right to participate every time.

You have been dancing all your life at the Mariinsky Theatre, your father also danced here. Have you ever wanted to try something different?

Once I had an attempt to move to another theater: it was a specific proposal from the Bolshoi, which I wanted to consider for a change of scenery. But the former head of the Mariinsky Theater Makhar Vaziev - he was very professional about the matter - created all the conditions for me to stay. He treated each person individually, and it was worth a lot. The current leadership in such matters is not very competent. It is enough to look back at the times of Vaziev's rule - how many people came, and what kind of personnel they were. Now even the viewer notices - something is wrong, but you can’t deceive him.

- Have you regretted not going to the Bolshoi?

No. But if I were offered a change of scenery now, I would do it right away. You can't change the system, you have to adapt to it. The fish is looking for where it is deeper, and the person is looking for where it is better. For a new sensation, a challenge, I would do it. But so far there are no concrete proposals. Now the world is such that everyone is trying to use homegrown artists. There is a crisis everywhere, it is not very profitable to invite. But I would love to try my hand at La Scala, where I had a guest contract.

- Do you already dislike the Mariinka?

I worry about my team, which has been in it for so many years. But now it's a mess. The troupe is rejuvenated, new people come. This is a normal process. But under Vaziev, these were people from the Academy of Russian Ballet, with the Russian spirit, school, tradition. Now we have an international troupe - both Korean and English. Despite the fact that they are not in leading roles, I still do not understand this hype. For small variations and our artists would be enough. Previously, there was a creative spirit of competition between soloists on the stage, each had to prove his place under the sun. Now the mess is that everyone dances what they want. People plug holes so that the flow of performances does not stop. I don't quite understand this structure of the troupe. People want to go for names. And names need to be created.

Not so long ago, members of the Mariinsky Ballet Trade Union turned to the Minister of Culture with a request to look into these situations.

Unfortunately, I was away at the time and did not participate in the appeal. But nothing has changed, everything remains as it was. This is another indicator of the management's attitude towards the artists, soloists, who to some extent created the glory of the Mariinsky Theater, and towards the theater itself. It's a pity for the artists, because many people are just wasting the time of their lives.

- Valery Gergiev promised that with the opening of the new stage, Mariinsky II, the situation would change.

The new stage is really very good, professional, super-equipped. There is an excellent infrastructure, light, floors. But in the end, people began to work three times more, because they need to serve two, and for some, three stages. There are fewer days off, and the salary has not changed much. I definitely didn’t get better - they can’t provide me with a sufficient number of performances. The last time I participated in the production was on May 31, my next official release is on July 11. So I am on a forced theatrical vacation: there is no work. Only through third-party contracts can you somehow stimulate yourself and keep fit.

- Have you ever performed at the Mariinsky II?

Not yet. I was there on a tour. People say that dancing is good. But this is not enough. There must be the spirit of ballet on the stage, it must be earned. Sergeev, Ulanova, Dudinskaya danced at the Mariinsky-1. Here, there is still no spirit of responsibility before going on a performance.

- Your colleagues complained that the dressing rooms in the new building were not completed.

I just recently drove away from the theater in a car and saw girls and boys in rehearsal costumes walking down the street from Mariinsky-1 to Mariinsky-2, everyone was looking at them. Some rooms, of course, have been allocated, but most of the premises have not yet been equipped. Let's see if they will comb everything for the next season or we will run the same way.

- Let's return to the Russian ballet tradition. You seemed to be going to open your school in China, in the USA?

A school in China was opened, but the project had to be sold. The Chinese needed to learn from our experience, and they set strict conditions: we had to recruit Chinese teachers and train them. At the same time, they wanted me to spend most of my time at school, but constantly flying back and forth is hard. And in the USA, our school - I founded it in a company with a friend - is working, taken under the patronage of UNESCO. Two of our former students are already dancing in Berlin with Vladimir Malakhov.

- Are the events of the Bolshoi Theater discussed at the Mariinsky?

Are discussed. I know both Seryozha Filin and the dismissed Kolya Tsiskaridze well. And with that, and with another we communicate, call up. These are people who are directly close to me both in work and in relation to it. The tragedy at the Bolshoi happened a long time ago, but there is still no specifics. It is a pity for Dmitrichenko, because, as it seems to me, he was, to some extent, made a scapegoat. This opinion is now expressed by many. People do not fully believe that he could do it - too sophisticated.

- How do you manage to be friends with both Filin and Tsiskaridze? After all, they are presented as opponents.

I communicate with them as with people. And internal theatrical relations are their own business. I am in Petersburg, they are in Moscow. We also have conflicts like this somewhere. Kolya is a famous dancer. Serezha - the same level. They couldn't share anything. One said something to someone, and discussions began. We see what they become.

- And how do you perceive the dismissal of Nikolai Tsiskaridze?

In light of recent events, this is an absolutely normal situation. For me personally, this dismissal is conditional, because Kolya is the indestructible idol of the Bolshoi. But there is no need to look far for examples: in their time, both Grigorovich and Vasilyev came and went from the Bolshoi. It is useless to go against the system, it is better to change the theater. Kolya tried to fight, and we see how everything turned around.

The dancer himself, without false modesty, declares that 21 years in the history of the Bolshoi Theater is the triumph of his art, a fait accompli, whether someone likes him or not.

The ballet star was surrounded by loud honors and no less loud scandals. In 2019, the documentary “I am not like everyone else” was released, dedicated to Tsiskaridze and shedding light on what he really stands out for. Talent, of course, cannot be taken away from Nikolai. But he is also a shockingly straightforward person, who prefers not to rest on his laurels, but to fly through life.

Childhood and youth

Nikolai Maksimovich Tsiskaridze was born in the Georgian city of Tbilisi on New Year's Eve 1973. Father Maxim Nikolayevich was a violinist and did not take part in raising his son. Nicholas was raised by his stepfather, a teacher by profession. Mom Lamara Nikolaevna also taught, her subjects were physics and mathematics. But the nanny, Ukrainian by nationality, had the greatest influence on the formation of the child's personality. It was with her that little Kolya spent the lion's share of his free time.

In order for Nikolai to develop comprehensively, from childhood he was taken to various exhibitions and theatrical performances. Thus, the boy early joined the world of high art. Nikolai's first love was the ballet Giselle.

At first, mother and stepfather did not approve of such a passion for the child, because they expected Kolya to follow in their pedagogical footsteps. Tsiskaridze categorically disagreed with this and decided to rebel: in 1984 he independently wrote an application for admission to the Tbilisi Choreographic School and was enrolled in the course. After enrollment, the young man told his family about the step he had taken and again stumbled upon a wall of misunderstanding on the part of his mother. Tsiskaridze's teachers convinced his parents that the boy had an exceptional talent that should not be ignored.

It soon became clear that the Tbilisi Choreographic School was too small a springboard for such a great talent as Tsiskaridze. This happened in 1987, and almost immediately Nikolai entered Pyotr Pestov, one of the best teachers of the Moscow Academic Choreographic School.

After 5 years, the dancer graduates with the title of the best student in the class. Tsiskaridze's choreographic education did not end there, and he goes to comprehend the depths of dance at the Moscow State Choreographic Institute, from which he receives a diploma in 1996.

Theater

After completing his studies at the Moscow School, Nikolai auditioned for the country's main theater. There he attracted the attention of Yuri Grigorovich, who influenced the fact that the young talent became a member of the troupe. The first mentors at the Bolshoi for Tsiskaridze were Nikolai Simachev and Galina Ulanova, who later handed him over to Nikolai Fadeechev and. The latter, as the artist said, taught that within the walls of the theater one should not allow others to talk to him unceremoniously, even if they are friends.

From his youth, the dancer remembered another piece of advice from Sofia Golovkina: an interview is part of the profession, because Nikolai easily agrees to meet with the press, participates in talk shows like “The Fate of a Man” or “Alone with Everyone”, visited the studio and Sergey Nikolaevich.

According to the established ballet tradition, Nikolai Tsiskaridze launched his dancing career with performances in the corps de ballet. The premiere role in 1992 was the part of the Entertainer in the production of The Golden Age. In 1993, he received the role of Don Juan in a ballet called Love for Love. Then there were parts in the productions of The Nutcracker (French Doll), The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Fortune), Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio).

1995 was marked in the dancer's biography with the first major role, which was the party in The Nutcracker. The next central works for Nikolai were the role of James in the ballet "Silifida" and Paganini in the production of the same name.

In 2001, Nikolai was noted for two main roles in one production at once. Around the same time, the creative collaboration between Nikolai Tsiskaridze and Roland Petit, a choreographer from France, began. Petit gave Tsiskaridze the central role in The Queen of Spades on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.

After the huge success of Nicholas Roland invited him to choose the next production on his own, and the dancer chose the part in Notre Dame Cathedral.

Later, Tsiskaridze had a chance to dance on the stage of the La Scala Opera House. It happened at a memorial gala. Nikolai shared participation in this project with prima. The dancer continued to perform on solid stages: at the Moscow Operetta Theater, at the State Kremlin Palace and others.

Together with such famous colleagues as Angel Coreya, Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg, Nikolai Tsiskaridze joined the first troupe, which in 2006 presented the project "Kings of Dance" in America. In 2008, he again visited America on tour, but already in the Stars of the 21st Century project. In addition to theater and concert activities, Nikolai Tsiskaridze was also the hero of the documentary film “Nikolai Tsiskaridze. To be a star ... "and became a member of one issue of the TV magazine"".

The dancer's contribution to art was marked by state awards, international prizes, etc. Nikolai was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia and People's Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia.

Scandals

In the fall of 2011, Tsiskaridze expressed a controversial opinion about the six-year restoration of the Bolshoi Theater. The dancer was extremely dissatisfied with the interior decoration of both the stage and the rest of the design.

In November 2012, a collective letter from cultural figures was sent to the president, in which they asked for the resignation of the current head of the Bolshoi Theater, A. Iksanov, and the appointment of Tsiskaridze to this position. And already in January 2013, he became involved in a scandal surrounding the artistic director of the Bolshoi.

The essence of the scandal was the attempt on Filin, who was thrown acid in the face. These and other nuances led to the fact that the Bolshoi Theater refused to renew the contract with Tsiskaridze, and on July 1, 2013 the dancer left him.

In the same year, in October, Nikolai became involved in another conflict, but now at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Violating the rules of the charter, the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation introduced Nikolai Tsiskaridze to the staff of the Academy as the new acting rector.

There were a number of personnel changes, and in November 2013 the teaching staff of the educational institution, together with the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, appealed to the Ministry of Culture with a request to review the appointment of Tsiskaridze and the personnel changes that followed this event. And yet, a year later, Nikolai Tsiskaridze was approved as rector of the Academy of Russian Ballet and became the first leader who did not graduate from this educational institution.

The dancer began his teaching career at the Bolshoi Theater in the mid-2000s. One of the first students is the current Prime Minister Artem Ovcharenko. Tsiskaridze for 2 years brought the young man to the soloists, and in 2009 Artem left for another teacher.

Nikolai later, in the program “Looking at Night”, accused the former ward of inciting an information war, of unwillingness to engage in self-education. Ovcharenko, for his part, emphasized that he preferred a mentor who was close in spirit, who sees the difference between a dancer and an artist.

Personal life

The dancer himself notes that, due to the complexity and severity of his character, he does not envy those close to him, but in a harsh theatrical environment there is nothing to do with a different character.

The personal life of a ballet star is little covered, but Nikolai does not deny that he, like any normal person, had love and affection. The absence of a wife and children provoked rumors about the artist's unconventional orientation. Tsiskaridze responds to such attacks with the words:

“I don't care what you think of me. I do not think about you at all".

The friends of a famous person are no less famous and, and Natalya Kurdyubova. The prime minister was admitted to the house, who was well versed in ballet. And with Natalia Gromushkina, novels were attributed to him at all.

“If I want to talk to someone, I will call or write to him. I don't want this to become public. Moreover, if I would like to express my opinion, I am able to express it. But I don't want to waste my time."

Leaving the stage, Tsiskaridze was glad that he could finally eat whatever he wanted. Later, with a smile, he admitted that he “eats like a locomotive” and had to refuse food after 4 pm. Now, as a teacher, he gives the same advice to the students of the Vaganov Academy.

The dancer's height is 183 cm, although Nikolai considered himself short compared to his colleagues. Harmonious proportions are more important, and in this case, the artist felt a certain peculiarity while still a student. In the fine arts class, the young man met 99% of the standards adopted centuries ago, when sizes and distances were measured with palms and fingers.

Nikolai Tsiskaridze now

The main gift for the anniversary - in December 2018, Nikolai celebrated his 45th birthday - the artist called a photo shoot for the glossy edition of GQ. On the cover of the magazine, Tsiskaridze is depicted with a swan in his arms, in a similar way he starred 20 years ago, which the dancer's fans did not fail to note.

However, according to Nikolai, the Hollywood celebrity is not the first to have a noble bird laid her head on her shoulder. Being a person who is well aware of the history of ballet, Tsiskaridze said that a photo was published in the same style at the beginning of the 20th century. The ballerina starred with Jack the Swan, who lived on her estate. Nikolai had to climb into the fountain in front of the Bolshoi Theatre.

In January 2019, the Vaganova Academy, headed by Nikolai Tsiskaridze, went on tour to Japan. It is known that the inhabitants of this country love ballet like no other. Tickets for performances in which children dance, but with the skill of adults, sold out a month before the arrival of the troupe. Every 3 years, the academy brings new productions to the Land of the Rising Sun, this time they gave The Doll Fairy, The Nutcracker and the 3rd act of Paquita.

Projects

• "Legend of Love"
• "La Bayadère"
• "Chopiniana"
• "Kings of the Dance"
• "Fallen Angel"
• "Giselle"
• "Death of the Rose"
• "Nutcracker"
• "Corsair"
• "Swan Lake"
• "A dream in a summer night"

A concert dedicated to the 280th anniversary of the foundation of the Academy of Russian Ballet named after Agrippina Vaganova and coincided with the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great choreographer Marius Petipa was held on the Historical Stage of the Bolshoi Theater. In the first part, young Petersburgers showed fragments from Petipa's ballets: "The Awakening of Flora", "Dancing of the Hours" from the opera "La Gioconda", "Naiad and the Fisherman". Students of the Moscow Academy performed the pas de deux from Le Corsaire. Envoys from Denmark and Japan, Italy, Germany and Korea congratulated the oldest Russian school. In the solo parts of the magnificent act, artists from the Bolshoi Theater, pupils of the St. Petersburg Academy of different years, came out of Paquita. On the eve of the celebration, the rector of Vaganovka, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, spoke with the correspondent of Kultura.

- Your appointment to the post of rector of the Vaganova Ballet Academy was accompanied by heated discussions, they say, you came to a strange monastery with your charter. How did you decide?

- I received an offer almost a year before the appointment and for a long time I could not imagine myself in this role. It humbled me that, unlike my native Moscow school, where I knew the capabilities of everyone, in Vaganov's I knew practically no one, with the exception of a few people. He went to strangers without the burden of any experience of previous communications. I decided after a deep and meaningful conversation with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. I was struck by how thoroughly he is aware of the state of affairs, how scrupulously he delves into all the nuances of ballet education. He did not just say - you should go and see, but, mentioning complaints and complaints, he clearly defined the tasks that need to be solved in order to restore the Academy's prestige and achieve high results. “I think you can do it,” the president concluded, and I made a decision, although I knew perfectly well that it would not be easy. He guessed what a cry would rise, and he was tired of the newspaper scolding. But I thought - what's the difference: the dog barks, the wind wears. I go to work and do my best.

- You did not have the experience of a leader, and even such a responsibility - to work with children. What turned out to be the way you expected in practice, and what unexpectedly surprised you?

- The experience was. I worked at the Moscow State Academy of Arts, constantly rehearsed, restored the Classical Symphony by Leonid Lavrovsky back in 2004. As for the Vaganova Academy, I knew its problems thoroughly. I danced for 18 seasons at the Mariinsky, and often my stay in St. Petersburg coincided with concerts of pupils or with showings of The Nutcracker. I saw the performances of the students. The very first offer to head the Academy was received in the days of its 275th anniversary, then the anniversary concert was held at the Musical Theater named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. The spectacle turned out to be sad, and I started up: fortunate that I refused. He understood everything about ballet education there, but did not expect so many problems from the administrative and economic part. When he accepted cases, an audit was carried out that revealed financial irregularities. What shocked me the most was how the boarding school children lived, how they were treated, how the leadership behaved with foreigners. I swear, I could not imagine such indifference, I was educated at a time when the head of the Moscow school was an outstanding, from my point of view, leader - Sofya Golovkina. On my desk in the office is her portrait, she is an example for me of both an administrator and a teacher, but above all, a person. Then we were friends, and I saw how fantastically accurately Sofya Nikolaevna resolves, in today's language, difficult situations.

In St. Petersburg, problems with the consequences of repairs suddenly fell. Thanks to Governor Valentina Matvienko, it took place before my arrival. But those who followed the process were negligent. A lot had to be redone. I didn’t expect from myself that I could change my own life so much: manage a huge farm, deal with six hundred students, work all day long.

– Yes, and living in two cities is probably not easy?

- I serve in St. Petersburg, but live in Moscow, where I come every weekend - on Saturdays and Sundays.

Isn't Saturday a school day?

– At 12.45 I finish the lesson and immediately get on the day train. By the evening already at home.

– The Year of Petipa is coming to an end. What is done?

- Firstly, thanks to me this anniversary is celebrated. The fact is that ballet education has many problems, and I wanted to draw the attention of the state to them. At a meeting of the Department of Ballet Studies - by the way, it was destroyed by the previous leadership, and I restored it - they discussed the question of how the Academy will celebrate the upcoming 200th anniversary of Petipa. I decided that this was an excellent occasion to address Georgy Poltavchenko, the governor of St. Petersburg. He supported my idea and turned to Vladimir Vladimirovich. Literally two weeks later, the president signed a decree declaring this year the Year of Petipa at the state level. Then theaters, libraries, museums, schools joined the celebration - and this is wonderful. I began to fight to perpetuate the memory of the great choreographer. A memorial plaque appeared on the Academy building on Zodchego Rossi Street, where it is inscribed that Marius Ivanovich Petipa served here for the glory of Russian ballet from 1847 to 1905. At the opening, Oleg Mikhailovich Vinogradov said that he had been trying to achieve this for 23 years when he directed the ballet troupe of the Kirov-Mariinsky Theater. Now, not far from the Mariinsky Theater, they are looking for a place for a public garden where a monument to Marius Ivanovich will stand. I am happy that I have a direct relationship with this. Conferences, lectures and speeches were held under the auspices of the anniversary. Our graduation too.

- Have you added Petipa's legacy to the school repertoire?

– Yes, I restored Naiad and the Fisherman and made a new choreographic version of the Dances of the Hours from the opera Gioconda. In our poster - "The Awakening of Flora", last year Yuri Burlaka and I prepared the third act of "Paquita". Authenticity is fiction and dreams. Records don't convey anything - believe me, I've picked up a huge amount of documents. We recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of the dancer, teacher and choreographer Alexander Shiryaev, who once revived Naiad and the Fisherman. In his memoirs, he wrote that he remembers the choreography, the general pattern of the dance and the formation of groups approximately. Peter Gusev, already in Soviet times, proposed the option "according to Shiryaev." By the way, we are now preparing Shiryaev's memoirs for publication, which should have taken place a long time ago, but work on the publication was interrupted by the Great Patriotic War, only signal copies remained.

I saw “Dances of the Hours” as a child performed by the Perm Choreographic School and then I asked my teacher Pyotr Pestov if it was true that Petipa was staged this way and not otherwise. Pestov replied that during the war, Leningrad artists evacuated to Perm showed such an option. I picked up the documents and found out that the edition of the beginning of the 20th century belonged to Claudia Kulichevskaya, she was also based on her memory. According to Petipa's descriptions, initially there were no soloists in the Dances of the Hours, and support appeared much later. The teachers and I were sitting in the hall when I was preparing “Dances of the Hours” and I understood - I believe this combination, but not this one, it cannot belong to Petipa. Everyone dances differently, and each ballet is a free edition of the classics.

– What ideas of Petipa are dear to you?

- The very construction of the performance: the main entrance of the corps de ballet, soloists. Certain laws, according to which he mixed and bred all groups. According to the rules of the imperial stage, the performers can only turn so that they do not turn their backs to the audience. Dear me and the idea of ​​the grand ballet. I love beautiful, magnificent performances and do not accept versions of Petipa without props, scenery, transformations, machinery, accessories.

– It is clear that the emphasis of training at the Academy is on the classics. Are contemporary dance techniques taught?

- I don’t pay much attention to this direction for one simple reason - if in classical ballet I understand, according to the program, what is good and what is bad, then in modern dance there is no clear methodology. What is needed for Forsyth's ballets is absolutely unimportant for the language of Kilian or Béjart. Another thing is that there are basic skills - the ability to group, perform "rolls and transitions", correctly exit the jump. This, of course, we teach and are based on Western experience. I consulted with many European teachers and realized that in the last year of study, as we used to, it is too late to turn to the basics of modern dance - the classics already “enslave” the body. I "lowered" the discipline of modern dance to the level of the middle classes. I invite those who work in foreign troupes to teach. For example, his classmate Sasha Zaitsev, who throughout his creative life was the premiere of the Stuttgart Ballet. I have complete confidence in his knowledge and skills.

– Moscow and St. Petersburg ballet styles - historical myth or reality?

- Not a myth and not a reality, but a reality. Two stages - the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky - have different ranges of motion available. Here is an example. The Sleeping Beauty finale has the same number of performers, only in the Bolshoi - on 500 square meters, and in the Mariinsky - on 300. Two completely different stages, with different distances to the viewer. Not only dancing, but also make-up changes. The great Ulanova told in detail how, once in Moscow, she reviewed all her roles, reworked gestures and “appearance” so that they were “readable”.

– Do you think that the breadth of Moscow dance and the accuracy of St. Petersburg dance are connected with the size of the stage?

- Certainly. I danced the Blue Bird at the Bolshoi and Mariinsky. In the final mazurka, Princess Florina and I are at the backstage on the right side. If at the Bolshoi we have the opportunity to move forward, then at the Mariinsky we made movements “for ourselves”, pretending to be sliding on one square meter.

- Isn't it a shame that graduates of your academy are leaving for Moscow?

- The Academy is not mine, but the state one. From the first second, I indicated that I would not have anything to do with the decisions of graduates. If they ask me which troupe to prefer, I don't give advice. Honestly, I only answer specific questions. They make their own choice. Everyone swears their love for the great city, the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, but the first thing they do is go to the screenings in Moscow.

– What is this trend?

- Pulls to the capital. So it was in the 19th century. Every Moscow artist dreamed of joining the Mariinsky troupe, because St. Petersburg was the main city.

– Back then both the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi were part of the unified Directorate of Imperial Theaters. The first occupied a leading position, and Moscow, in today's language, was a branch.

– Now these are two different cities, two different theaters. I have never seen a single person who would be called to the Bolshoi, but he did not go. All this is talk that they allegedly called, but he refused. They just fought for this place, negotiated certain conditions for themselves, and it didn’t always work out.

- Many educational institutions survive at the expense of pupils studying on a commercial basis. Do you have them?

- There is a recommendation from the Ministry of Culture, permission that we can recruit “paid” students. We haven't done this yet. They have now announced such a set for the experiment, but I don’t know if it will be, there is still time until August. Both I and the teachers believe that only those who have the ability can learn the art of ballet. The flow of applicants for the number of years that I have been the rector has greatly increased, but, unfortunately, there are less and less talented children every year. Many and, as a rule, with good data, “cut off” on the second, medical round, and we have no right to accept children who are weakened. True, there have always been few gifted people, and one should not forget that the granaries of talents - Ukraine and Georgia - are practically inaccessible.

– Portrait of an ideal graduate?

- Capable, with good health and a desire for self-improvement, mental and physical.

- The Vaganova Academy has a satellite school in Vladivostok. Do you manage it too?

- Of course, this is a branch. There is a director, a staff, teachers from the Academy work there, I often go there, as do our methodologists. The third set of students has already ended. While the branch life is difficult, because we don’t have our own building, we are on network training, that is, we are renting a room.

- But in Vladivostok, the building of the Mariinsky Theater was built ...

What does it have to do with school? The Mariinsky Theater and the Academy are different legal entities.

- Because of the rector's position, do you appear on television less often?

- You, apparently, like me, rarely watch TV. They tell me that I do not get off the screen.

- Then I will formulate it differently - why don’t you “get off”?

- Because there are duties that I have long taken upon myself and fulfill them. I am the host of the channel "Culture", I constantly participate in the very important competition of young talents "Blue Bird", I never refuse my friends - producers, presenters, directors. If the schedule allows, I always come to the programs.

– What is your attitude to films that reveal the secrets of ballet?

- I did not participate in any of them, although I was invited. On the one hand, it is good that the public is interested in the life of ballet. On the other hand, there are things that are offensive. I did not want to see my native Bolshoi Theater called Babylon and refused to participate in this film. True, its creators included me there anyway.

Films are being made about Nureyev - fiction, documentary, semi-documentary. They consult with me, and then I look at the meager result and am surprised - it seems that he told everything, showed, explained, why did they misrepresent? How many times have I shown the folder “The Nureyev Case”, there are many different interesting nuances.

– Did the British director Ralph Fiennes, who is now completing a film about Rudolph, also come to you?

- Yes, and asked a lot of questions, and looked at the documents, the entire preparatory period went through together, he filmed many scenes at our school, consulted on all points, including casting. I persuaded him to play the role of a very important person in Nureyev's life.

The entire film crew of Matilda also visited the Academy. Our walls "tell" about the first meeting of Matilda Feliksovna and Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich - you can walk along the corridor, go to the theater, see where they exchanged glances. Everything is available - here it is, please, just come. This year, together with the Bakhrushin Museum, we are releasing a book that will include the diaries of Kshesinskaya, which they keep, and documents from the funds of our Academy. Matilda Feliksovna is an interesting character in the history of mankind, and not just ballet, and her recordings are of great value.

The film "Big" also contributed. Alisa Freindlich went to school for three months, to different classes, watched, took notes. Then they sat at home with her and worked out every phrase of her heroine - a ballet teacher. I showed her how I would say Semenov's remark, how Ulanova would, how they would react to the situation, how they would enter the hall.

- I remember you said, as head of the Academy: come, journalists, to the lessons, to the library, and to look at the archives. Is everything valid?

- Yes, I do not refuse anyone, the doors are open, I will always provide materials for everyone who has a desire to do something worthy, please. I don’t feel sorry, as long as it’s useful: the more truthful, real information, the better.

We try to publish all the documents that we find. They just released a book dedicated to the 280th anniversary of the school, went through an incredible number of memoirs, which describe the daily life, way of life, customs of the educational institution. The artists recall the years of childhood, games and conversations, write who taught well, who taught worse, tell how they were taken to theaters, how the places in the bedroom were distributed. It turns out that in the Imperial Theater School there was legal hazing, older students always flogged the younger ones.

Three books dedicated to Nikolai Legat have been published, including The History of the Russian School written by him. The chronicle of the St. Petersburg ballet has been published: six volumes, detailed descriptions of performances - from the very first to the premieres of 2000. The memoirs of the teacher Enrico Cecchetti, who worked in Russia for a long time, have been translated into Russian on my order. When I was preparing a military book dedicated to the blockade and evacuation, I read diaries, memoirs - I sobbed for many evenings. It is impossible to perceive these documents without a feeling of horror. The school worked in the blockade on a daily basis, one of the students of those terrible years teaches with us. We gathered everyone on the days of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the city. They arranged a holiday. In the hall where classes were held during the difficult war years, a memorial plaque was opened. History should not be forgotten.

Text: Elena Fedorenko
Photo: Evgeny Novozhenin

Of course, the intensity of the atmosphere in the Bolshoi will not be discharged in one day. There is an investigation, the results of which will either be or will not be made public; Owl will return, who will go to work with bodyguards. But some steps to "calm down" should already be taken.

Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy sees only one way out - to work hard!

Mikhail Efimovich, you, of course, see this incessant exchange of barbs between Tsiskaridze and Iksanov - well, how long?

Such situations can only be resolved at work. What should be discussed now? On the preservation of the creative atmosphere in the Bolshoi. Because everything that happened is not the result of banal "intra-theatrical showdowns." And someone has a direct desire to destabilize the work of BT. And against this background, Owl, oddly enough, was a key figure.

What I mean? Well, not with Sinaisky (chief conductor) to sort things out. Not with Makvala Kasrashvili (director of the opera company). No. The blow was dealt to the brightest character from the leadership of BT, the most public one ... this is bad for the reputation of both the Bolshoi and the country: because it wafted something decadent and past the century; in everything there is a kind of demonstrative theatricality, a bad provinciality.

- But, thank God, Filin went on the mend ...

The fact that he is recovering calmed many passions. I hope Sergey outwardly remains the same handsome man, but even without this it is clear that he will return to work. Now, with regard to the conflict Tsiskaridze - Big. I emphasize: this is not a conflict between Tsiskaridze - Filin, Tsiskaridze - Iksanov. As a dancer, I treat Nikolai Maksimovich with great reverence. I understand that the creative age is short, and a dancer of such scale and success as Tsiskaridze cannot but think about his future. As Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev thought, who got what Nikolai Maksimovich is striving for.

- In my opinion, there were some “alternative” proposals to Nikolai, or at least they were hinted at ...

I'm starting out simple. To become an artistic director at the Bolshoi Theater, one has to go through some kind of faceting, gain experience. I (when I was a minister) had an idea for Nikolai Maksimovich to become the artistic director of the Academy of Choreography; Alexander Avdeev had an idea for Tsiskaridze to head the ballet of the Novosibirsk Theater. In the end, Currentzis went to direct the orchestra, first to Novosibirsk, then to Perm ...

Before Vasiliev came as a leader at the Bolshoi, he had independent productions behind him (besides, I don’t want to compare, but if Nikolai Tsiskaridze is an outstanding dancer, then Vasiliev was a real dance genius!). And Filin was invited after, for example, he worked at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater. I don’t say now who loves whom, but appoint Tsiskaridze as the artistic director of the ballet - I don’t think that this will be a great joy for the artists. So, I am sure that such an appointment would not be correct.

- Especially in an atmosphere of permanent scandal ...

And just there should be a normal corporate ethics. But Nikolai Maksimovich has been vilifying the theater for so many years: it began long before the opening of the Main Stage. Tsiskaridze constantly said that everything is bad in BT, and only he knows how good it is. And, we must pay tribute to the leadership of the Bolshoi - it remained tolerant of this (I would like to emphasize this in particular). I'm not sure that the Metropolitan or the Grand Opera would have tolerated this for as long as it is still tolerated at the Bolshoi. What created, from my point of view, an atmosphere of impunity.

- Nikolai refers to the law: they say, you can’t fire him.

Anyone can be fired. I know this both as a former director of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (when, alas, a lot of people had to be fired), and as a minister of culture. If I had been the director of the Bolshoi, I would have done it a long time ago: I wouldn’t have such a nervous reserve as Iksanov. But now there is an investigation into the assassination attempt on Filin, and it is legally and ethically incorrect to dismiss Tsiskaridze during the investigation. Although Nikolai Maksimovich himself has long forgotten about correctness in relation to the team in which he works. But in principle, the idea that he cannot be fired is very doubtful.

- But they are talking about influential people who are behind him ...

I will say so. It is clear who is behind him, who supports him. Yes, they are powerful people. But influential people of this level will be typed in Russia a dozen and a half or two. And if only two of these two dozen support him, this, apparently, is not enough. And support, from my point of view, for personal reasons. Nikolai Maksimovich is charming in friendship, probably ...

We don't give names?

Not necessary. But this is definitely not Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin or Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev. And the rest are all less influential people. Excuse me. But back to the Bolshoi: the most important thing today is to gather all creative forces around professional and competent leadership and release a number of premieres, including ballet ones. This is the only salvation for BT, for his reputation.

- That is, it does not make sense to remove Iksanov now?

I consider Iksanov one of the most experienced theater managers in Russia. If not the most experienced (without belittling the merits of either Urin or Gergiev, with a completely different manner of leadership, for Gergiev is not only an outstanding conductor, but also a unique manager of his talent). Iksanov, demonstrating a lack of creative ambitions, in 7–8 years brought BT back to the “higher league” of opera houses in the world, where there is La Scala, the Metropolitan, the Grand Opera, and then only all the rest come.

When Iksanov took over the management, the Bolshoi had a brand, but no theater. Now he has filled the name with sparkling content (this is the success of La Traviata, a long collaboration with Francesca Zambello; a grandiose directorial galaxy from Fokine and Sturua to Lyubimov and Nyakroshus; all outstanding Russian conductors at the podium, including Pletnev; the same Vedernikov, who greatly raised the orchestra; involvement of Grigorovich). And at this stage it is wrong to change the leadership.

Iksanov has the most important feature: he understands the need not only to preserve traditions, but also to develop - he allows you to experiment ...

Why so many people criticize him so much.

Right. But without a new living art - nowhere. It is clear that Iksanov has his shortcomings. But he (as an administrator without creative ambitions) has fewer shortcomings than an artist who theoretically could lead the Bolshoi Theater.

Let me explain: oddly enough, the Bolshoi Theater had success NOT when it was led by major artists who dreamed of making the theater “their own”. Here Vasiliev just wanted the theater to express his creative aspirations, but this did not benefit BT. Or, on the contrary, the theater was “destroyed” by weak administrators, because the struggle of the clans immediately manifested itself. Today there is no clan system in the Bolshoi.

Of course, when you have 200 people in the ballet, it's hard to say that this is a team of like-minded people. But there is no conflict. The conflict is created by Nikolai Maksimovich. And people, of course, look: “Ah, is he not afraid to say that the director is a bastard and stole chandeliers? And at the same time he has not been touched for so many years? Yeah, that means someone is behind him, that means he has the right ... ”, - the same logic is usually. But to have a discussion with Tsiskaridze in this vein: “they stole - they didn’t steal” - this is not self-respect. And in general, to have a discussion with him is not to respect yourself.

- However, how many cultural figures put their signatures for him in that ugly story with a letter ...

I was the first to write on the blog that artists acted, to put it mildly, not well. But Nikolai Maksimovich himself led them astray! And what, after that, Iksanov should fall in love with him very much? And what, Tsiskaridze after that can easily continue to work in the theater? No, strictly speaking? And still walk through all the channels and newspapers with the air of an offended child? Well, these are simple things, at the kindergarten level: how can we continue to work together?

I wish Nikolai Maksimovich to find himself and his place in life. But I am firmly convinced that this is not the place of the director of the Bolshoi Theater or the place of the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet. I speak quite objectively. I understand that Tsiskaridze, an ambitious and temperamental person, is trying to find himself at the moment of transition from one quality to another. I sincerely sympathize with him. As everyone was worried, they twitched when he had such a severe injury and he passed this test with honor. I see how he suffers, but the internal breakdown of recent years is also connected with the fact that he chose the wrong path.

As for the Bolshoi as a whole - you have to work, work hard! This will bring relief to Filin, the team, and the public. After all, happiness is to talk about new successes and swear about failures than to study the reports of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

One of the most famous ballerinas is Nikolai Tsiskaridze. This name is known to Russians and residents of other countries. The man is incredibly talented and handsome, as evidenced by a large number of female representatives. But the artist has not yet married and has not become a father, what is he going to do in the very near future.

Tsiskaridze constantly participates in various creative television projects, in which he manifests himself as a principled, confident person who defends his point of view in any situation.

The talented boy burst into the art of ballet swiftly and was able to show his talent very powerfully and strongly. At this time, many ballet lovers began to ask questions, wanting to know all the information about the popular ballerina. So, height, weight, age, how old is Nikolai Tsiskaridze? The dancer himself says that in any case, people will be able to find out all the information, so it is better to tell them the secret of simple questions. Then they will not climb into other secret areas.

Shortly before the New Year 2018, the ballet dancer celebrated his 44th birthday. He is tall, showy and incredibly artistic.

Nikolai Tsiskaridze, whose photos in his youth and now are the golden fund of the history of Russian ballet, has a height of 183 centimeters, whether the artist weighs about 57 kg.

Biography of Nikolai Tsiskaridze

Nikolasha, as his mother called him, was born in the capital of Georgia at the end of 1973. Father - Maxim Nikolaevich Tsiskaridze was a fairly well-known musician playing the violin. Mother - Lamara Nikolaevna Tsiskaridze was an employee of the nuclear power plant in Obninsk.

Biography of Nikolai Tsiskaridze from a young age is associated with art. He began to learn to dance at the age of 11. The boy was quite tall, so they did not want to take him to the Tbilisi Choreographic School. But the talented dancer insisted on his decision. After graduating from college, he continues to improve his art in the capital of the Soviet Union. While still a student, Tsiskaridze performed roles in various ballets. He was recognized and appreciated by both ordinary ballet lovers and professional dancers of the Russian Federation and other countries of the world.

After graduating from the Moscow Institute, at the invitation of Grigorovich, he became a member of the Bolshoi Theater troupe. He was lucky to dance on the same stage with Galina Ulanova, Nikolai Simachev, whom Nikolai considers his teachers and always remembers with gratitude. Since the mid-90s, Tsiskaridze has won several awards at the most prestigious music festivals around the world.

In 2013, it became known about the conflict of the world-class dancer with the leaders of the theater, as a result of which Tsiskaridze's contract was denied. A few months later he becomes the rector of one of the best ballet academies in the world. Here he was first received with hostility, but Tsiskaridze managed to prove that he was a talented manager.

After visiting the Obraztsov Theater, touring in Tbilisi, the young talent became interested in puppet shows. He gathered people around him and played small performances in front of them. From childhood, the favorite hobby of a popular dancer. He gets a doll in every country he visits. At the moment, their number is approaching four hundred.

Nikolai participates in the Blue Bird and Dancing with the Stars projects, which showed him to be a strict but fair member of the jury.

Personal life of Nikolai Tsiskaridze

Since the beginning of the 90s of the last century, the personal life of Nikolai Tsiskaridze has been overgrown with rumors and gossip. The artist himself says that love is something sacramental that should be hidden from strangers.

Every now and then information appears in the media that the orientation of the baller is unconventional. People are looking for information on social networks on the topic: "Nikolai Tsiskaridze - personal life, blue or not." But there is no real information. You can only read gossip that has been retold several times. For example, in 2015, he was credited with a relationship with the golden voice of Russia - Nikolai Baskov. But confirmation of these data has not been found.

Family of Nikolai Tsiskaridze

The family of Nikolai Tsiskaridze so far consists of only one member - the most popular world-class dancer. The artist himself considers his students to be his relatives, of whom there are already quite a few. He is demanding, strict, but fair. This is what his students say about him.

The dancer's mother worked at the Obninsk nuclear power plant, which negatively affected her health. She died of cancer when Nikolai was still studying. Tsiskaridze believes that she is his guardian angel, protecting him from various adversities.

Little is known about the baller's father. He is a musician who left the family when the boy was only a few years old. Since then, Tsiskaridze has not communicated with his father and does not know anything about his fate.

Children of Nikolai Tsiskaridze

The dancer calls his children talented kids who take part in the Blue Bird. He has a fatherly attitude towards the participants, believing that they do not need to indulge and lisp. A truthful, honest and fair assessment will give more than a false interpretation and the ability to be good. This is the opinion of the baller.

The children of Nikolai Tsiskaridze have not yet been born. A popular ballet artist says that a real man should become a father after 40 years. Soon Tsiskaridze plans to deal with this issue.

The dancer actively helps children who are in a difficult life situation. He deducts 25 percent of his salary to the Fund for Helping Talented Children and Adolescents.

Wife of Nikolai Tsiskaridze

The wife of Nikolai Tsiskaridze does not yet exist, although the popular dancer is often associated with the country's most extravagant women. For example, in 2013 they said that he was in a relationship with Dana Borisova. But after a while, another woman became the cause of gossip around Tsiskaridze. This is the notorious ballerina Anastasia Volochkova.

The dancer himself made statements that so far there is no place for his wife in his life. This is due to the incredible employment of the dancer in various projects.

According to the man, he will become a good husband, but the only thing left is to find a woman who could make him happy. For now, this is a matter of the near future.

Instagram and Wikipedia Nikolai Tsiskaridze

Instagram and Wikipedia Nikolai Tsiskaridze are quite active. The number of page subscribers is constantly growing. Currently, approximately 30 thousand citizens of the Russian Federation and neighboring countries have subscribed to the pages.

Wikipedia fully gives an idea of ​​the life and career of the popular ballet dancer. Here are listed all the parts that Tsiskaridze has ever performed.

The Instagram page allows you to follow the hero's creative path from the photo. Here you can watch videos from his performances, which took place on the most famous stages.