Minor in Moscow, Maly Theater

In Moscow, on the stage of the famous State Academic Maly Theater of Russia, a screening of the play “Unorosl” will be held. based on the comedy of the same name by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. Staged by Honored Artist of Russia V.N. Ivanov.

D.I. Fonvizin finished his comedy “The Minor” in 1781. It took several years to write the work. Initially, the play was planned to be staged on the theater stage in Moscow. However, local censorship was afraid of the bold ideas openly expressed in the comedy. The performance was cancelled. The author was lucky, and St. Petersburg officials turned out to be more favorable to him. The premiere took place on the stage of the Free Russian Theater  September 24, 1782. 

This was an undoubted success for Fonvizin. Just a couple of years later, on May 14, 1783, “Minor” staged by university students. And later the play began to be played in many amateur theaters.

An interesting artistic technique of the author in this work, critics consider the distribution of speaking names and surnames to the main characters. The head of the Prostakov family – a truly simple and weak man, always pushed around by his wife. His wife is simple in her tyranny, like a typical landowner of those times. Son – the meaning and love of her life. The name of the main character Mitrofan, translated from Greek, literally sounds like “mama's boy.” Skotinina – one of the most telling surnames belonging to negative characters. And the official with the last name Pravdin actually turns out to be a completely decent person. Former coachman Vraltsman poses as a scientist and tries to teach Mitrofan the French language and other sciences.