ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHIEF SET DESIGNER

On 9 February chief set designer of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus Alexander Kostiuchenko turns 60. Kostiuchenko, being a graduate from the Belarusian State Theatre and Art Institute and member of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Belarus, is one of the most requested Belarusian set designers. Kostiuchenko has designed sets for performances of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre, Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theatre, Belarusian State Youth Theatre and, of course, for the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus.

Alexander Kostiuchenko designed sets for such famous directors as Boris Lutsenko, Modest Abramov, Alexander Gartsuev, Vitaly Barkovsky, Valentina Yerenkova, Vitas Grigalyunas…He staged about 50 dramatic plays in Belarus and abroad.

Kostiuchenko created more than 15 opera and ballet productions at the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus. These include The Tsar’s Bride by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi, The Grey Legend by Dmitry Smolsky, Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini, Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi, Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni (directed by principal stage director Mikhail Pandzhavidze); Cinderella by Sergei Prokofiev, Seven Beauties by Kara Karaev, Tristan and Isolde by Richard Wagner, Love and Death by Polad Bülbüloğlu and etc. In the new production of Aida he reconstructed the sets created by an outstanding set designer Eugene Chemodurov.

Kostiuchenko worked in Vitebsk, Sofia, Samara, Ufa and Vladikavkaz.

His scenographic works received great public recognition. Alexander Kostiuchenko is a laureate of the special prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus for significant achievements in the development of opera art and staging of The Tsar’s Bride by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In 2017 he was awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus for considerable creative accomplishments in the development of musical art, promotion of spiritual values and significant personal contribution to the production of The Grey Legend to the music by Dmitry Smolsky, based on the novel by Vladimir Korotkevich.

Also he was awarded the Fransysk Skaryna Medal for outstanding creative achievements, professionalism and contribution to the development of national culture and art.

On 10 February The Queen of Spades by Pyotr Tchaikovsky took place to mark the anniversary of the chief set designer of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus. Alexander Kostiuchenko created this production together with famous Bulgarian director Plamen Kartalov.

This performance will feature the People's Artist of Belarus Sergey Frankovsky as Herman, laureate of international competition Ekaterina Golovleva as Liza, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Belarus Elena Salo as Countess, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Gromov as Count Tomsky, laureate of international competition Alexander Krasnodubsky as Prince Yeletsky, laureate of international competition Kriskentia Stasenko as Polina.

The conductor will be the recipient of the Francysk Skaryna Medal Andrei Galanov.