In Almaty, the memory of the renowned director and artistic director of the Russian Drama Theater named after M. Lermontov, Ruben Andriasyan, has been honored. A memorial plaque was installed on the house where he spent his last years, reports infohub.kz.
Andriasyan led the theater for 38 years. During this time, he shaped the unique style and creative signature of the company. Actors remember him not only as a leader but also as a close person who was always there to offer support. Current artistic director Dmitry Skirta shared his thoughts on the theater's distinctive qualities.
"We have our own audience. Mostly older people, but recently young people have been coming too, which is very pleasing. As for our traditions, we stage plays about people and what happens to them—perhaps this legacy cannot be summed up in one phrase," Skirta said.
Andriasyan not only made the Lermontov Theater what Almaty residents know it as today but also invested much effort in training future actors in the city and beyond. The idea to install the memorial plaque came from the director's wife, Valentina Ivanovna.
The process began after Ruben Surenovich's death in 2022. The theater allocated funds for the plaque, and Almaty sculptor Eduard Kazaryan crafted it. According to Andriasyan's daughter Anna, there were no difficulties: four years were spent on numerous mandatory approvals from the city administration.
The memorial plaque is installed on the multi-story building at Dostyk 12, on the courtyard side facing the avenue, not on Kazybek bi Street. The unveiling was attended by the director's relatives, colleagues, and actors from the Lermontov Theater.
The Andriasyan family now lives in Houston, USA. His daughters Anna and Karina flew to Almaty for the ceremony. The director's widow could not attend due to health reasons. It should be noted that the main stage of the Lermontov Theater also bears the name of the creative figure.