THE TRAIN IS HEADING EAST

Abstract

The article traces the history of the relationship between the Central Academy of Drama (Beijing) and The Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute, which signed – together with The Vakhtangov Theatre – the trilateral memorandum of cooperation during the days of the IX St. Petersburg International cultural Forum. The author points to the historical kinship between the two schools, which has to do with the name of Boris Grigorievich Kulnev, a teacher of the Vakhtangov school, who also used to be the Director of it in 1949–1953. The article tells about him being the head of the School and his subsequent work at the Academy of Drama in China as the artistic director of the Acting Department (from 1954). The article describes the joint educational project of the two institutions «ChineseRussian Program of cultural exchange in the field of dramatic art and the teacher training for dramatic artists in the New Era «Acting workshop on the Vakhtangov school»» 2024 and 2025 have been declared the Years of culture of Russia and China.