This lecture is like a theatrical spotlight illuminating the life and creative path of Georgy Tovstonogov. Georgy Alexandrovich Tovstonogov is one of those who not only worked in the theater but created it. His name is associated with an era when the stage was a mirror of society, and each new interpretation of the classics was a cultural event in the life of the country. The lecture will be conducted by Anna Barinina, an art historian and screenwriter. She will introduce the audience not only to the biography of the master but also to the cultural environment in which he created. Why did Tovstonogov consider theater a "voluntary dictatorship"? What made his repertoire bold, and his productions resonant and modern? What techniques did he use to unite the troupe, and why is he still considered a symbol of the St. Petersburg theatrical school? The performances "The Idiot" with Innokenty Smoktunovsky and "The Nameless Star" with Evgeny Lebedev, the musical based on "Kholstomer" - all of this became not only a theatrical but also a social sensation. The lecture will help to see how sensitively Tovstonogov felt the time, the audience, and his actors, turning the stage into a space of revelation and meaning. Where to go in Moscow on weekends, our website will suggest.