On September 8, 2021 the play The Yukon Raven staged by the Penza Youth Theatre was shown at the International Forum at the Ryazan State Regional Youth Theatre as part of the thematic Year of the first Orthodox saint of Russian America, Herman of Alaska.
The play takes place in distant cold Alaska in the 19th century. Cast: Lyudmila Leshchenko (Old Shaman), Vyacheslav Kopenkin (Zagoskin), Dmitry Shirin (Kuzma), Maria Putyutina (Ke-li-lyn), Sergey Telnov (Yegorych, Ludwig Karlovich, European), Yegor Vasilyev (Son of the Eagle, Glazunov, Kalistrat).
The audience really liked the Penza Youth Theatre's play. At the end of the performance, the actors were thanked by Marina Kaurkina, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Ryazan Oblast, and Mikhail Malakhov, traveler, Hero of Russia, chairman of the Ryazan branch of the Russian Geographical Society.
"Your performance was truly amazing. Thank you for preserving the good memory of Lavrenty Zagoskin. As an honourary citizen of Ryazan, on behalf of the whole city, I thank the Penza Youth Theatre for such a gift," Mikhail Malakhov said.
The play based on the novel by S. Markov The Yukon Raven was staged by Vladimir Karpov in 2018 as part of the "Return to the native shores" project by the Penza regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society, supported by a presidential grant. It is the first play ever staged that is dedicated to Lavrenty Zagoskin (1808-1890), Penza province native, Russian naval officer and researcher of Russian America.
Photo taken from the theatre's archive (photo by Yelena Yusupova).
