‘Turning into a closed sect’: Moscow Art Theatre School conflict after Bogomolov appointment

After the death of the rector of the Moscow Art Theatre School Igor Zolotovitsky, director Konstantin Bogomolov was appointed acting head of the institution. He currently also heads the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre and the Melnikov Stage Theatre.

The appointment sparked a sharp reaction among the school«s alumni and students. They wrote an open letter to Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, asking her to reconsider the decision. According to the authors of the appeal, the choice of Bogomolov contradicts the principle of succession, which for decades has been considered key to the Moscow Art Theatre School.

What outraged the alumni

Alumni of the Moscow Art Theatre School sent an open letter to the culture minister asking to reconsider the decision to appoint Bogomolov. The text of the letter was published on their social media by actors Maryana Spivak, Anton Shagin, Varvara Shmykova, Yulia Menshova, Mark Bogatyrev and others.

The authors of the appeal believe that appointing a director not directly connected to the school-studio goes against established traditions. The letter states that succession and the passing on of the method of Russian psychological theatre, established by Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, are very important for the Moscow Art Theatre.

“The successor must be someone who was educated by Moscow Art Theatre teachers within the school«s walls and whose roots are directly connected to the Moscow Art Theatre School,” the appeal states.

The alumni noted that previous heads—Oleg Efremov, Oleg Tabakov, Anatoly Smelyansky and Igor Zolotovitsky—were part of the Moscow Art Theatre community. According to the letter«s authors, it was they who created the school»s special “spiritual space,” which is still perceived as the “home of a single Moscow Art Theatre family.”

The letter pointed out that one of the school-studio«s important traditions was open elections for the head with the participation of the professional community. At the end of the letter, they ask for other candidates to be considered—people whose biography and career are directly linked to the Moscow Art Theatre School.

Bogomolov«s response

At first, Konstantin Bogomolov reacted to the alumni«s letter by reposting a publication by actress Sofia Ernst, in which she spoke in support of the director. However, Bogomolov himself left no comments.

“It«s strange on this basis to deny that he is a bearer of the ‘principles of Russian psychological theatre.’ At the very beginning of his career, Bogomolov was invited by Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov first to the Tabakerka, then to the Moscow Art Theatre, where he staged more than 10 plays, working in continuous collaboration with the Master and graduates of the School-Studio. He absorbed the tradition not in a classroom, but on stage and in the rehearsal room, which for a director is more significant,” wrote Sofia Ernst.

Later, the director gave a detailed comment and stated that he considers the division into “insiders” and “outsiders” mistaken. According to him, all modern Russian theatre school one way or another grew out of Stanislavsky«s system, regardless of where a director or actor studied.

Bogomolov noted that he received his education at GITIS (Russian Institute of Theatre Arts) from Andrei Goncharov, whom he considers a direct heir to the Moscow Art Theatre tradition.

The director also reported that he has already met with a number of teachers at the Moscow Art Theatre School and felt no tension. According to him, the main conflicts arise not inside the institution, but around it—due to ambitions, fears, and external pressure.

“It makes sense to think not about origin, but about efficiency, about goals and objectives,” Bogomolov told Izvestia. “All this talk is just much ado about nothing. They are turning the school-studio into a kind of closed sect, where ‘outsiders’ are allegedly not allowed to enter.”

In his role as acting rector, Bogomolov plans to create his own acting course. Among his priorities, he names the return of high demands and strict pedagogical standards. In his opinion, this will avoid the formation of a “plush generation” of actors.

Speaking about his relationship with the Moscow Art Theatre, Bogomolov noted that the theatre has been a second home for him for many years: he worked there for about ten years, and his plays continue to run even after Oleg Tabakov«s departure.

Who is Konstantin Bogomolov

Konstantin Bogomolov is 49 years old. He was born in Moscow and enrolled in the Philology Department of Moscow State University. But after a few years, he changed course and entered GITIS—the directing department, in the workshop of Andrei Goncharov.

Since the early 2000s, Bogomolov has worked in theatre. He staged plays at the Oleg Tabakov Theatre, the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre, the Lenkom Theatre, the Theatre of Nations, the Russian Academic Youth Theatre (RAMT) and other venues in Russia and abroad. From 2012 to 2018, he was assistant to the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theatre, where he produced some of his most discussed productions—An Ideal Husband. A Comedy, The Karamazovs, Three Sisters, The Dragon.

Bogomolov is known for reinterpreting the classics: he freely works with texts by Chekhov, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Wilde, often mixes eras and styles, and deliberately provokes the audience. His plays regularly become the subject of controversy—both within the professional community and beyond.

In 2019, Bogomolov was appointed artistic director of the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre, where he completely renewed the repertoire. In 2024, he also took over the Roman Viktyuk Theatre, which was renamed the “Melnikov Stage Theatre.”

In parallel, Bogomolov actively works in film and television series. He directed the projects Kept Women, Secure Connections, A Good Man, Kesha Must Die. Bogomolov is a laureate of the Golden Mask and other theatre awards, and in 2025 he received the title of Honored Artist of Russia.

Konstantin Bogomolov has been married to journalist Ksenia Sobchak for six years. The couple married in the autumn of 2019, organizing a scandalous wedding with a trip to the registry office in a hearse.