MGIMO University Hosts Showcase of Five Finalist Performances from the Second 'People's Memory' Theater Competition (Video)

On April 16, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) hosted the finals of the Second All-Russian Youth Theater Competition in Memory of Holocaust Victims "Memory of the People." The event was organized by the Public Youth Chamber (Youth Parliament) of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, and the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students.

Opening the ceremony, MGIMO Vice-Rector Vladimir Morozov remarked that during his three years of service at the Russian Embassy in Israel, he realized that the strength of the Israeli national identity stems, among other things, from the remembrance of the Holocaust and the commitment to share this legacy with the world to ensure the tragedy is never forgotten.

According to Maria Voropaeva, Chair of the Youth Parliament of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the competition was conceived to allow young people, who have never witnessed war and have grown up in peacetime, to comprehend the horror of the Holocaust.

Shota Mirilashvili, President of the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students, shared that the number of applications received this year increased fivefold compared to the previous year, with exactly 100 ensembles from 30 Russian regions submitting their plays. He noted that the "Memory of the People" competition has successfully established itself as an annual event.

Speakers at the ceremony included Natalia Kuvshinova, Member of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism, and Youth Affairs; Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Peace Foundation and Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs; and Ildar Gilmutdinov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Nationalities.

In a letter addressed to the competition participants, Alexander Boroda, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, wrote:
"The 'Memory of the People' festival provides youth with an opportunity not to remain mere spectators, but to engage with the theme personally, making it their own. This is a vital educational and awareness-raising initiative that undoubtedly yields meaningful results."

Following the opening ceremony, the finalist ensembles presented their works to the jury and the audience. After reviewing the five performances, the jury members — playwright Alexander Gelman, Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of the State of Israel in Russia Anna Keinan, historian and TV presenter Nikolay Svanidze, Director of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (Israel) Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on Culture Olga Kazakova, actor and TV presenter Sergey Netievsky, and President of the Holocaust Foundation Alla Gerber — announced the winners in five categories.

The production of "Kaddish" by the theater studio "Day Pyat!" (Give Me Five!) of the G.A. Korepanov Children's School of Arts (Izhevsk) was recognized as the overall winner.

The "Best Screenplay" award went to the "Universum" Student Theater of the Rostov State Transport University (Rostov-on-Don) for their performance of "Holocaust. Children. Testimonies."

The award for "Notable Directorial Concept" was presented to the ensemble of the I.I. Polzunov Ural State College (Yekaterinburg) for their production of "Welcome to the Children’s Labor Camp."

The Theater Studio "Feeriya" (Belgorod) was awarded for the best musical score in their production of "#ANNAFRANK."

The award for "Best Stage Design" was presented to the "ShkVal" (School Waldheim) group (Jewish Autonomous Oblast) for their play "The Choice," based on Leon Uris's novel "Exodus."

Winners in all five categories received diplomas and valuable gifts.

The event was hosted by Bella Waldberg, Executive Director of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in Russia, and Vlad Blayberg, singer, television host, and finalist of "The Voice" show.

The "Memory of the People" competition was held among amateur creative groups and associations of pupils, students, and educators from educational institutions aged 14 to 35, who staged dramatic or musical plays, as well as literary-musical or musical-dramatic compositions.

Partner organizations of the competition: the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FEOR), the Russian Peace Foundation, MGIMO, the National Institute for the Development of Youth Self-Government and Parliamentarism, the "Holocaust" Center and Foundation, and the Moscow Public Organization of Jews — Former Ghetto and Nazi Concentration Camp Prisoners.

A video recording of the ceremony and all the finalists' performances will soon be published on the website eajc.org

All relevant information regarding the competition is available on the website конкурспамять.рф