Svetlana Petriychuk

Svetlana Petriychuk
Светла́на Петрийчу́к
Svetlana Petriychuk (2020)
Born (1980-04-22) April 22, 1980
Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, Soviet Union
NationalityRussian

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Petriychuk (Russian: Светла́на Алекса́ндровна Петрийчу́к; born April 22, 1980) is a Russian playwright, theatre and cinema director, and teacher.

On 4 May 2023, she was arrested alongside Evgenia Berkovich on allegations of justifying terrorism. On 8 July 2024, both were sentenced to six years in prison.

Biography

Career

Svetlana Petriychuk was born on April 22, 1980 in Frunze, the capital of the Kyrgyz SSR (now Kyrgyzstan). She graduated from the Kyrgyz-Slavic University with a degree in international journalism. In the 2000s, she often visited Almaty and worked on Kazakhstani television.[1] She later went to the United States and studied film at Los Angeles.[2] After moving to Moscow, she was primarily involved in film projects.[1] In 2018, she graduated from the Konstantin Raykin Graduate School of Performing Arts (workshop of Kama Ginkas).[3][4] Later she studied in Mikhail Ugarov's workshop at Theater.doc.[5][6]

In 2018, she made her debut at the Lyubimovka Festival of Young Playwrights with the play Tuesday is a Short Day. In the following years, Svetlana Petriychuk has repeatedly become a winner and finalist of various competitions and festivals, including the international competition “Remarque”,[7][8][9] the competition-festival “First Reading” within the framework of the festival “Five Evenings” named after A. M. Volodin, the international laboratory LARK (New York), and others.[10][11]

In 2019, Petriychuk wrote Finist, the Brave Falcon,[12] a play based on real life stories of Russian women who were lured to marry radical Islamists and move to Syria. Some of them returned to Russia and were arrested and trialed for assisting terrorism.[13][14] Although the play draws on a fairy tale setting, it is based on real police files and transcripts of interrogation reports.[15][16] Finist, the Brave Falcon was supported by the Russian Culture Ministry and won two Golden Mask awards in 2022: Best Playwright (Petriychuk) and Best Costume Design.[12][17] In 2019, it was praised by the Russian state penitentiary service on its official website after the play was read to inmates of a women's prison in Siberia.[12]

In 2021, Petriychuk was one of the three winners of the Culmination Award with her play Tuaregs.[18]

In 2023, together with Evgenia Berkovich, Petriychuk won the Anna Politkovskaya Kamerton Award.[19]

Svetlana Petriychuk worked extensively in Kazakhstan: she was a creative producer in one of the production studios; she also wrote several scripts there, and directed a feature film.[20][21]

Theater case and arrest

On May 4, 2023, Petriychuk and Berkovich were detained by police in a criminal case under Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Public calls to carry out terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism”.[22][23]

Officially, the criminal investigation against Berkovich and Petriychuk was opened following a report from the ultra-conservative and far-right “National Liberation Movement of Russia”.[24] Another denunciation of the play was written by an actor from Nizhny Novgorod Vladimir Karpuk.[25][26] Notably, the examination and the accompanying 125-page report were completed in just one day on 3 May.[27] However, according to TV Rain, it was media mogul Nikita Mikhalkov who denounced Berkovich, Petriychuk, and the play "Finist the Brave Falcon" to Aleksandr Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee of Russia. This served as the catalyst for their arrest.[28]

The arrest has caused a wide public outcry. After the arrest, Novaya Gazeta published an open letter of support, demanding the immediate release of both women. Dmitry Muratov expressed support for the theatermakers and called the case against them political persecution. Independent experts mentioned that the play carried a clear anti-terrorist message. The letter was signed by more than 16,000 people.[29] Amnesty International urged Russian authorities to release the women.[30]

On May 5, 2023, Moscow Zamoskvoretsky District Court Judge Natalia Cheprasova put Petriychuk in custody until July 4. After that, the decision on detention was extended more than six times, and the women spent more than a year in the pre-trial detention centre awaiting trial.[31][32][33][34]

The trial started on 20 May, 2024. According to the prosecutor, in the play ‘women displayed positive opinions of ISIS’ and ‘the play did not sufficiently denounce radical Islamist ideologies’.[14] Both Berkovich and Petriychuk denied accusations and stated that the play had been written and staged with a clear anti-terrorist message.[35]

On July 8, 2024, judge Yury Massin sentenced Petriychuk and Berkovich to six years in prison.[12][17][36] On December 25, 2024, the Court of Appeal commuted Petriychuk's sentence, though reducing it by only 2 months.[37]

According to Petriychuk's husband Yuriy Shekhvatov, letters sent to her or written by her are checked by censors.[21]

On February 11, 2025, after 649 days in pre-trial detention, Petriychuk was transferred from pre-trial detention centre No. 6 ‘Pechatniki’ in Moscow to a colony No.5 in Mozhaysk.[38][39]

After the arrest

In September 2024, Finist the Brave Falcon premiered in Greece staged by Konstantina Palli.[21][40] In December 2024, BBC released an English-language audio adaptation of the play.[21]

At the end of 2024, her play Tuesday is a Short Day was staged by Dan Ershov at Tallinn's Vene Theatre.[21][41]

In 2023, Tuaregs. Seven texts for theatre, a collection of Petriychuk’s lesser-known works, was published by Freedom Letters publishing house.[21][42][43]

Selected works

Playwrights

Screenplays

  • Collection of Olympic Games Essays, doc TV series, 2008;[50]
  • Hiddink, Guus Ivanovich, documentary, 2009;[51]
  • Punchbot, feature film, 2012;[52]
  • Сыргалым TV series, 2013-2014;[53]
  • How I Became Russian (TV series), 2015.[54]

References

  1. ^ a b Vasilchuk, Tatyana (2023-05-19). ""Мы не в ХVII веке, мы не поймем. И никто не поймет"" (in Russian). Novaya Gazeta. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  2. ^ "Режиссерку Женю Беркович и драматурга Светлану Петрийчук подозревают в «оправдании терроризма» Рассказываем о спектакле «Финист ясный сокол», который стал поводом для уголовного дела" (in Russian). Meduza. 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  3. ^ "Читки новых пьес в Москве: гид по фестивалю «Любимовка»". The City. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  4. ^ "#БольшиеОткрытОчитки в ТЮЗЕ". Tomsk TUZ. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  5. ^ "5 российских драматургов, за которыми стоит следить. Выбор арт-дирекции «Любимовки»". Афиша. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  6. ^ Ugarov, Nadezhda (2018-09-07). ""Это всё Угаров"" (in Russian). Lubimovka Fest. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  7. ^ "Завершился конкурс новой драматургии «Ремарка»". ‘Okolo’ theatre magazine. 2019-04-23.
  8. ^ "Журнал Театр «Ремарка» проведет фестиваль читок в новосибирском «Глобусе»" (in Russian). O Teatre. 2019-04-04. Archived from the original on 2020-09-13. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  9. ^ "Международный конкурс новой драматургии «Ремарка». День третий" (in Russian). Globus Theatre. 2019-04-20. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  10. ^ "В Москве и Петербурге пройдёт лаборатория «LARK+Любимовка»". O Teatre (in Russian). 2019-11-22. Archived from the original on 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  11. ^ "Lark + Любимовка 2019" (in Russian). Lubimovka. 2019-11-21. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  12. ^ a b c d "Russian playwright, theater director sentenced to prison on terrorism charges". CBC News. 2024-07-08. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  13. ^ "Russian theatre director Evgenia Berkovich and playwright". Novaya Gazeta Europe. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  14. ^ a b Papachristou, Lucy (2024-07-09). "Jailing of theatre duo sends shockwaves through Russia's artistic community". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  15. ^ Lamche, Anna (2024-07-09). "Russian court jails theatre figures over IS wives play". BBC. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  16. ^ Snegova, Anastasia (2024-06-03). "Russia's new Red Guards". Novaya Gazeta. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  17. ^ a b "Russian Federation: Release theatre figures Yevgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk". Pen International. 2024-07-11. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  18. ^ a b Shimadina, Marina (2023-06-13). "Вышел сборник пьес Светланы Петрийчук «Туареги»" (in Russian). O Teatre.info. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  19. ^ Mamikonyan, Olga (2023-09-01). "Беркович и Петрийчук стали лауреатами премии «Камертон» имени Анны Политковской" (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  20. ^ "Светлана Петрийчук: «Я очень люблю театральных актеров»". Broadway Kazakhstan. 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Moroz, Asya (2025-03-10). "Epistolary romance". Novaya Gazeta. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  22. ^ "Letter in Support of Eugenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petriichuk". Jordan Russian Centre. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  23. ^ "Суд продлил на полгода арест Беркович и Петрийчук" (in Russian). RBC. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  24. ^ "Theater director Evgeniya Berkovich remanded to two months behind bars in "terrorism justification" case". The Insider. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  25. ^ Livadina, Mira (2024-06-24). "Человек-погрешность" [A human error] (in Russian). Novaya Gazeta. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  26. ^ "Первый в России приговор за спектакль: Женю Беркович и Светлану Петрийчук отправили в колонию на шесть лет" [Russia's first sentence for a theatre play: Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriichuk sent to a penal colony for six years] (in Russian). BBC Russia. 2024-07-08. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  27. ^ "Спектакль потянул на дело. Кто такая Женя Беркович и что ей вменяют" [The play pulled a case. Who is Zhenya Berkovic and what is she charged with] (in Russian). Fontanka. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  28. ^ ""Дождь": Беркович и Петрийчук посадили по доносу Михалкова" ["Rain": Berkovich and Petriychuk arrested by denunciation of Mikhalkov]. Deutsche Welle (in Russian). 11 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  29. ^ "'Persecute murderers instead of poets': over 16,000 people sign letter in support of Russian director". Novaya Gazeta Europe. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  30. ^ "Russia Sentences Director, Writer to 6 Years for 'Justifying Terrorism' With Play". The Moscow Times. 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  31. ^ "Суд продлил арест Жене Беркович и Светлане Петрийчук" [Court extends detainment of Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriichuk]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  32. ^ "Суд продлил арест режиссёру Беркович и драматургу Петрийчук" [Judge extends detainment of the director Berkovich and the playwright Petriychuk]. Radio Svoboda (in Russian). 9 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Военный суд продлил арест Жени Беркович и Светланы Петрийчук сразу на полгода" [Military tribunal extends the arrest of Zhenya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk by half a year]. Meduza (in Russian). 3 May 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  34. ^ "Суд продлил арест Беркович и Петрийчук по делу об оправдании терроризма". TASS. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  35. ^ "Беркович и Петрийчук не признали вину в оправдании терроризма". RBC. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  36. ^ ""Бетонную плиту не спрашивают, за что она падает людям на головы. Но пока человек жив, есть надежда"". Meduza. 2024-07-08. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  37. ^ "Приговор смягчили на сговор и публикацию" (in Russian). RBC Russia. 2024-12-25. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  38. ^ Olga, Mamikoyan (2025-02-25). "Драматурга Светлану Петрийчук этапировали в колонию в Можайске". Forbes Russia. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  39. ^ Olga, Mamikoyan (2025-02-11). "Драматурга Светлану Петрийчук этапировали в колонию". Forbes Russia (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  40. ^ "«ΦΙΝΙΣΤ, Ο ΣΤΑΥΡΑΕΤΟΣ» της Svetlana Petriychuk από τις Queen Bees | Cretalive". www.cretalive.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  41. ^ "ВТОРНИК КОРОТКИЙ ДЕНЬ (Autor: Светлана Петрийчук)". www.veneteater.ee (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  42. ^ "Freedom Letters". Bookfair Berlin. 19 March 2025. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  43. ^ "Tuaregs" (in Russian). Freedom Letters. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  44. ^ "В Центре театрального мастерства покажут спектакль «Во всем виноват Вайнштейн»". The Village. 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  45. ^ "Svetlana Petriychuk" (in Russian). Lubimovka Art. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  46. ^ Timofeeva, Alyona (2022-12-07). "«Розовый шум»: так который из вас Пинк?" (in Russian). Orda Kazakhstan. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  47. ^ "9 пьес про 2020-й" (in Russian). Arterritory. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  48. ^ a b Brut, Sorin (2023-06-20). "Прекрасное далеко невыученных уроков" (in Russian). Novaya Gazeta. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  49. ^ "Marathon of readings of plays by Svetlana Petriychuk". YoLo. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  50. ^ "Сценарист проекта «Собрание олимпийских сочинений» Светлана Петрийчук: Ольга Корбут хочет работать в России" (in Russian). Советский спортSovsport. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  51. ^ "Документальный фильм «Хиддинк. Гус Иванович» 2009: актеры, время выхода и описание на Первом канале / Channel One Russia". Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  52. ^ Uak Manbeteev (2013-10-04). "Прозрачная вода мутной жизни..." (in Russian). Kaz Pravda.
  53. ^ Daniyar Aisarov (2019-11-22). "Десятисерийную теледраму о соперничестве двух сестёр покажет "31 канал" 2 декабря" (in Russian). Informburo.
  54. ^ "Как я стал русским (сериал)" (in Russian). FilmPro. Archived from the original on 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.