The Habima National Theatre of Israel comes to Moscow with the support of the Israel Ministry for foreign affairs, the Israel Embassy in Russian Federation, the Israel Cultural Centre in Moscow ‘Nativ’, the Genesis Philanthropy Group and the Russian Jewish Congress.

The Habima National Theatre was founded by Nachum Tzemach in 1917 in Moscow together with Menachem Gnessin and Hanna Rovina as a Hebrew speaking theatre. At that time the Hebrew was considered a dead language which survived in the Holy Books only.

After a meeting with the director of Moscow Art Theatre, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Stanislavsky agreed to turn the Habima into a studio of the artistic theatre and presented his student Eugene Vakhtangov as an artistic leader.

The first performance staged by the Habima (directed by Vakhtangov) was ‘The Ball of Genesis’ in 1918. The beginning of the Habima’s fame was in 1922, with the play ‘The Dybbuk’, in which the actress Hanna Rovina was particularly prominent. The legendary role of the possessed Bride, Leah, became the symbol of the Habima Theatre.

The Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre of Russia and the Habima National Theatre of Israel are connected with the long-term cultural links. Yury Lubimov, the legendary Russain director and the graduate of the Schukin Theatre Institute, worked both at the Vakhtangov Theatre and at Habima.

We are glad to welcome our colleagues from Israel to the Vakhtangov Theatre with guest performances 

April 21 — ‘Road signs’ at the Main stage. At 19:00.

April 22 and 24 — ‘Simple story’ at the New stage. At 19:30

In October, 2018 the Vakhtangov Theatre brings ‘Masquerade’ by Mikhail Lermontov (directed by Rimas Tuminas) and ‘Medea’ by Jean Anouilh (directed by Mikhail Tsitriniak).