THE STAGE magazine, founded in 1991, established by the Theatre Union of Russia, is issued with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.

THE STAGE is the only Russian magazine on set design and technology, a platform for artists, art experts and critics studying the theatre’s visual culture.

THE STAGE is a periodical on philosophy, ethics, synthetic nature of the theatre art; theatre education; as well as performing arts management.

The outstanding artists of different generations , such as E. Kochergin, M.Kitayev, S. Barkhin, B. Messerer, V. Levental, T. Selvinskaya, S. Benediktov, A. Borovsky, Yu. Kharikov, A. Kondratiev are contributors and publications’ characters of the THE STAGE magazine. The set designers’ works are analyzed by famous theatre experts and critics.

The magazine highlights theatre costume, its history, current practices, new technologies and materials; publishes sketches by Russian and foreign artists. In today’sperforming arts practice, the role of light has dramatically increased, hence the lighting designer-stage director-set designer interaction, as well as problems of providing the stage with modern equipment have also found their place in the magazine. The publications also focus on the most significant events in the theatre world: reviews and surveys are published under Performance and Exhibition headings. Information about new theatre books — summaries, reviews, polemical notes — can be found in each issue.

The modern theatre’s stage technique and technology issues are regularly highlighted: from hi-tech up to the theatre craftsmen’s inventions. Special sections are devoted to the theatre architecture and management: new projects, building reconstruction and restoration, competitions and tenders, as well as stories about the world’s famous theatres.

THE STAGE is issued in close cooperation with the A.A. Bakhrushin Theatre Museum. Continuity of cultural tradition is one of its basic lines. The predecessors’ experience, the interaction of old technologies with modern practices — regular columns — Heritage and Education are devoted to this subject.

THE STAGE is issued 6 times per year, with 64-88 pages and a large number of color illustrations. The magazine is included on the List of leading peer-reviewed scientific journals and publications that publish the main results of theses for the degree of Candidate of Science (PhD), approved by the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education and Science.

In 2015, the Editorial Board carries out:

A target delivery of the magazine to 75 regional branches of the Theatre Union of the Russian Federation and 17 theatre institutes and schools on request of the Union’s management.



THE STAGE is now twenty-four years old; the age is not an anniversary indeed, not only because our small friendly Editorial Board has brought together the individuals who do not correlate their activities with beautiful magic numbers, but also because the age is not a mathematical concept for us and actually quite uninteresting to us . Spirit of life and life of spirit, both turn out to be much closer to us. However, over the years the magazine didn’t sink into oblivion (it would be a commonplace during the last period of domestic life), but went on being issued more or less regularly, increasing its frequency up to 6 times per year. These issues have been created with the participation of and thanks to a large number of our friends, colleagues and associates. In fact, without them, these issues wouldn’t have taken place at all. It is, apparently, our main achievement that remarkable figures of Russian culture —artists, filmmakers, architects, actors, theatre experts and critics, art historians, technologists, producers — have responded to the call for cooperation.

A tremendous contribution to the creation and development of the magazine was made by A.A.Mikhaylova and V.S.Glagoleva, whose blessed memory will always live.

Over the years, the magazine’s format and structure have undergone various changes: original 48 pages have long been a tradition of olden times; their number is constantly increasing; thanks to S.M. Barkhin’s advice, the color has appeared in the magazine, and we will hardly be able to ever give it up, even though it increases the printing costs etc.; up-to-date information technologies have relieved us of having to advertise everything.

We go on writing about the experience of implementing and using traditional and new stage technologies, which seems to be useful and productive. Yet THE STAGE is not a pure magazine for technologists, but rather for a wide range of theatre professionals and all those who tend to be. The thematic range of our materials was determined long ago, if not from the very beginning, and we are consistent in filling it with specific and contemporary content. Besides, we indulge ourselves, experimenting with cover and starting new subjects. The content is built around the main thing — the performance. Perhaps, for recent years we have had more materials related to our cultural heritage; and the thinner this layer in everyday life is, the more frequently we turn back to the experience of the past.

We write only about what we think is interesting and important in the current times. How long can we afford to live in such a happy state, we do not know however: real threats breathe in the back and face, the specter of a lack of money is not leaving us, the Internet is relentless in its opposition to printing machines, etc. We ought to live and work. Everyone takes these Chekhov’s words on their own: we are more attracted to cultivating the garden, rather than admiring it idly.

Dmitry Rodionov,
Chief Editor, THE STAGE magazine



Dmitry Rodionov
Chief Editor
[ chief_director@gctm.ru ]


Ninel Ismailova
Editor
[ ninelismailova@mail.ru ]


Natalia Kaminskaya
Editor
[ 4irivili@mail.ru ]


Tanja Bodjansky
Special Correspondent
[ t_smirnova-bodjansky@hotmail.com ]


Artem Merkulov
Designer
[ merkulov53@yandex.ru ]