Griboedov Russian Theater Takes the Gulags on Tour

The first performances of the Griboedov Russian Theater’s 172rd Season took place on September 6-7 on the Batumi Ilia Chavchavadze State Drama Theater stage. The cast brought the performance ‘Algeria’ (Akmolinsky Camp for the wives of traitors of the homeland). On September 9, the audience of the Akaki Tsereteli Chiatura State Drama Theater got to see the same performance.

‘Algeria’ is a documentary drama staged by director Avtandil Varsimashvili. It is a historical account based on fact and describes the most horrific place of the Stalin era, the Gulag, namely, about one of the islands used to imprison people.

‘Algeria’ is the first ever performance to be staged in Georgia by the Georgian Theater dedicated to these appalling stories of the 20th century.

The sentenced included numerous members of well-known Georgian families: Ketevan Orakhelashvili, spouse of the conductor Evgeny Mikeladze; Alexandra (Ana) Dumbadze-Bakhtadze, mother of the writer Nodar Dumbadze and his aunt Tamar Dumbadze; Kira Andronikashvili, spouse of the writer Boris Pilniak; Ashkhen Nalbandian, mother of writer Bulat Okujava; and many more.

In total, around 8000 women completed a sentence in the ‘Algeria’ gulag, among them 281 women from Georgia.

Ludmila Artiomova-Mghebrishvili, Ina Vorobiova, Natalia Voroniuk, Nino Kikacheishvili, Mariam Kitia, Sopio Lomjaria and Ana Nikolava were among the actresses who took part in the performance ‘Algeria’. The tours were supported by the company ‘Sopmari’.

Maka Lomadze