Pfounder Boris Akunin also announced problems with the receipt of royalties. The RAMT explained this by the execution of the presidential decree Boris Akunin The Russian Academic Youth Theater (RAMT) in Moscow and the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg have removed Boris Akunin’s name from the posters of performances based on his plays and books. The writer told about this in his telegram channel. “The names of the plays remained, but instead of the author there is a void. They ask if I know about it. Yes, I know»,— wrote Akunin. The artistic director of RAMT Alexey Borodin, according to Akunin, informed him that the Ministry of Culture demanded it, to which the writer replied to him: “Do what is best for you.”
«Try also to find the author’s name on the announcement of the play «1881»— a new play that I wrote for the Alexandrinsky Theater»,— Akunin suggested to readers. In the playbill of the play “1881” on the website of the theater, Akunin is not mentioned among the authors of the production.
The writer also said that due to sanctions (Akunin has been living in the UK for the last few years), he does not receive royalties, in particular from the Alexandrinsky Theater.
“Russian viewers are also dear to me. That is why I do not demand that my nameless performances be removed from the repertoire. Until they are finally banned, let them go. Even for free. (When the Alexandrinsky Theater apologized that it would not be able to pay royalties due to sanctions, I replied: “Nothing, it’s not a problem”), the writer said, stressing that he opposes the cultural boycott.
The RAMT press service informed RBC that the situation with payments is associated with the presidential decree on the temporary procedure for fulfilling obligations to copyright holders.
The presidential decree of May 27, 2022 allows paying foreign copyright holders in rubles through special accounts opened in Russian banks. This procedure applies to copyright holders who:
• associated with unfriendly countries;
• publicly supported sanctions against Russia;
• banned after February 23 from using their developments and trademarks in Russia due to sanctions;
• stopped, suspended or significantly restricted work in Russia due to sanctions;
• discredit the Russian army;
• «in an indecent form » express disrespect for Russia, its society, authorities and official symbols, including on the Internet.
“For our part, we can say that three performances based on the works of Boris Akunin have been running in our theater with constant full houses for many years, are dearly loved by the audience, and we hope that we will be able to continue playing them further,” the RAMT press service told RBC.
The artistic director of the Alexandrinsky Theater, Valery Fokin, and the press service of the administration of the Governor of St. Petersburg recommended that RBC contact the Ministry of Culture. RBC sent a request to the Ministry of Culture.
Boris Akunin (real name Grigory Chkhartishvili, also published under the pseudonyms Anna Borisova and Anatoly Brusnikin)— writer, Japanese scholar, literary critic, translator and public figure. Among the most famous works are novels and novellas from the “New Detective” series about the adventures of ErastFandorina. He also created the series “Provincial Detective”, “Adventures of the Master”, “Genres”, cycle “History of the Russian state”. In 2014, he moved with his family to London. After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, the writer criticized it.
Authors Tags Subscribe to VK RBC Get news faster than anyone