The brilliant dramatization of the epic novel by Leo Tolstoy. The production was staged by Rimas Tuminas to celebrate the 100-th Anniversary of the Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre of Russia. ‘War and Peace’ was shown for 100 times during its first year (that is a significant number for the Russian repertory theatre that has more than 50 shows and plays them in rotation). It was highly recognized by spectators and professional critics.

The events of ‘War and Peace’ began in 1805, when Napoleon I had already acquired control of most of continental Europe by conquest or alliance. Following the Leo Tolstoy philosophic ideas, Rimas Tuminas choses the “family thought” as a core of the whole production.

The family is a microcosm of the human community, the beginning and foundation of society. Napoleonic Wars become the background for the lives, ambitions, hopes and sorrows of the families: the Rostovs, the Bolkonskys, the Kuragins. These houses differ primarily in their internal atmosphere. Open-hearted and emotional Rostovs, honorable and uncompromising Bolkonskys, arrogant and ravishing Kuragins – all of them deserve compassion. Especially Pierre Bezukhov with his virtue and naïve soul of a really strong personality.

The production unites all the generations of the Vakhtangov actors: stars of Soviet and Russian cinema and stage and rising young talents. ‘War and Peace’ lasts for almost 5 hours and all spectators in their reviews mark that every minute of the performance is breathtaking.

Rimas Tuminas:

We create, explore, comprehend destinies, paradoxes, madness, love, joy, despair. The world that we study and present to the audience is beautiful, aesthetic, theatrical, fragile. And it will be destroyed by the ominous comet, which is already in the sky above.

The theatre is always attracted by the edge of times, by changes and transformation. The performance demands elegance and simplicity. Don’t be afraid to break boundaries and old recipes for right and wrong.

Everything evokes memories. Memory is the “home of the soul”. Everything comes from childhood.

Something has happened to this world and this war. Something wrong.

Logic disappears against the background of war, other laws come to stage. We need another acting. As soon as the viewer predicts your next gesture, the actor becomes unnecessary. Psychological somersaults are very important — in actions, in thoughts. This is your duty: to cause changes in the soul, mood, impulses. The duty of our profession is to reveal the Word, to reveal the Thought.