One-man show about Great Patriotic War presented in Presidential Library

On February 21st, 2025, the Presidential Library hosted a one-person show titled No Conversation… It's Going to Happen!, dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the military actions of the Special Military Operation.

The event was organized by the Charity Theater Studio Glagol, in collaboration with the Presidential Library and the Moscow and St. Petersburg Regional Branches of the Russian Military Historical Society.

Yuri Nosov, the Director General of the Presidential Library and the Chairman of the St. Petersburg Regional Branch of the Russian Military Historical Society, welcomed the participants with a speech. He emphasized that the Presidential Library places great emphasis on preserving historical memory and fighting against the distortion of history. The library frequently organizes events dedicated to the heroic past of our nation.

This one-person performance is part of an educational and patriotic initiative called Let's Bring Back the Name of the Writer-Hero, Matvey Tevelev, from Oblivion, which is based on his three short stories: The Letter, Nastenka, and The Last Boat. These stories offer three different perspectives on the human experience during wartime, focusing on the inner worlds of ordinary people and engaging the reader in a personal conversation.

The high skill of Alexander Simonov, the head of the Charity Theater Studio Glagol, allowed the audience to fully immerse themselves in the tragic and heroic events of the Great Patriotic War. His one-man show told the story of the losses, search, and difficult choices faced by citizens of the Soviet Union during this time. The performance left no one indifferent.

This project aims to educate young people about patriotism and provide spiritual support for veterans of the Great Patriotic War and those who are currently participating in a special military operation. It also draws attention to the life and work of Matvey Tevelev, a Soviet writer and playwright who lived from 1908 to 1962.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War found Matvey Tevelev in Leningrad. He lived in the besieged city until the fall of 1942 and worked for the radio committee. Due to health reasons, he was not drafted into the Red Army, but he went to the front line and wrote stories about the Red Navy and the Red Army as a screenwriter. Matvey collaborated with the Lenfilm Studio and the Central United Feature Film Studio, and his play Towards the Squadron was performed in a theater in besieged Leningrad.