In total, 19 students from Kyrgyzstan were selected to study sound-drama, new directions of stage arts, and related master’s and assistant-internship programs at GITIS, without incurring tuition fees.
The selection process involved pre-selection auditions that were held for ten days with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sport and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic and Rossotrudnichestvo. The auditions were conducted by Edita Tibilova, the Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Senior Lecturer of the Department of Directing and Actor Skills of Musical Theater, and Elena Dvizova, the Lecturer of the Stage Speech Department. The applicants were evaluated based on their demonstration of national recitation, vocal, dance, and instrumental musical skills. The final selection was made by Vladimir Pankov, the Head of the GITIS Department of Sound Drama, and Artyom Kim, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sound Drama.
According to Vladimir Pankov, the recruitment of the Kyrgyz students is a reflection of a powerful cultural shift between Russia and Kyrgyzstan. The last set of Kyrgyz students to attend GITIS was 40 years ago, and Pankov noted a pure cultural hunger in Kyrgyzstan during his visit for the production of “Demon.” He believes that culture and education can unite people and that the new intake of Kyrgyz students will contribute to a return to a common understanding of theater.
Pankov expressed his appreciation to Grigory Zaslavsky, the Rector of GITIS, and Rossotrudnichestvo for their support in organizing the auditions. He also commended the selected Kyrgyz students for their eagerness and zeal during the selection process, noting that their enthusiasm was so intense that it had to be curbed. Pankov concluded by stating that theater is a demanding profession that is always full of surprises, and that he and his team will do their best to fulfill their creative duty with the new students.