Moscow City has appointed the famous Russian actor Valery Zolotukhin as the temporary art director of the Taganka Theatre, instead of Yuri Lyubimov.

Sergey Hudyakov, the head of Moscow Department of Culture, has told the journalists that the appointment was signed on Monday, and Zolotukhin would remain a director at least till the 15th of October this year. He said that term was assigned by the actor himself. He added that Mr Zolotukhin was on a material-gathering trip at the moment, but he would able to begin his new job at the end of July.
      

The founder and the long-standing head of the Taganka Theatre Yuri Lyubimov has left his post at his own request, his duties finished on the 16th of July. The scandal which forced Mr Lyubimov to leave the theatre flared up during the guest performance in Prague. At one of the dress rehearsals the actors demanded to receive their unpaid fee. The art director agreed to their complaints, but then decided to stop his further collaboration with the troupe.
      

In the middle of July there was a regular meeting of the troupe on which all the actors unanimously voted for Zolotukhin as the theatre's new art director.

70-year old Valeri Zolotukhin is one of the most respected actors of Taganka Theatre. He has been working at the theatre since 1964 and played in the majority of the best theatre's plays. He is also a famous film actor, with more than 50 films in his career. In recent years Mr Zolotukhin tried himself at stage direction. He plans to increase his stage activity in the capacity of art director.

Source: BBC Russian Service

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