Russian famous actor Oleg Menshikov was appointed a new art director of the Ermolova's Theatre, in accordance with desire of the ex-art director Vladimir Andreev.

      "Time has come to create something new. Oleg Menshikov is my good friend, he is a very interesting and active person, always full of ideas. I am glad that my decision is supported by other actors of the Ermolova's theatre, though they don't want to lose me. I really want Oleg to be the new art director, as he knows the theatre, its traditions, its strengths and weaknesses", Vladimir Andreev told the press.

      On Wednesday, the new art director held a task meeting in the theatre, with participation of the theatre's members and head of the Moscow Culture Department, Sergei Kapkov. During the meeting Menshikov announced some points of the theatre's new conception, promising new theatrical plays with interesting stagings and refreshing of theatrical life in general. He also promised to keep Vladimir Andreev in the theatre, offering him new position.

      Oleg Menshikov is an actor of Russian theatre and cinema, the Russian People's Artist. His most well-known roles were in such films as "Pokrovskiye Vorota" (The Pokrovsky Gates, 1982), "Sibirsky Tsiryulnik" (The Barber of Siberia, 1998), "Utomlenniye Solntsem" (Burnt by the Sun, 1994), "Kavkazskiy Plennik" (Prisoner of the Mountains, 1996) and others. He is a head of the Fund for Russian Culture Supporting and a founder of the national award for the best Russian theatrical critics. Menshikov has been working at the Ermolova's theatre in 1984-1989 years.

       The Ermolova's Theatre was opened in 1925 by the group of actors and originally was a mobile theatre. The theatre is named after the great actress of the Maly Theatre, Maria Ermolova. Vladimir Andreev has been working in the theatre as an art director since 1990.  

Sources: Interfax rg.ru  RIA Novosti Image: calend.ru