Saint Anna

A dramatic musical about the fates of the participants of the polar expedition led by Albanov and Brusilov. The story of a tragic love against the backdrop of the heroic deeds of people who sacrificed their lives to discover new lands.
"The heroic deeds of people who saw their life's purpose in serving Russia are the most pressing topic for the theater today," says Yuri Alexandrov. "That's why I was so drawn to "Saint Anna," a high-minded and poetic story about love, courage, and heroism. It is especially valuable for me that the large stage of the Army Theatre gives it volume and air, and Maxim Dunaevsky's music gives it depth, beauty, and meaning.…

The Russian Army Theatre, which celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2025, delighted the audience with several stunning premieres in its anniversary year, which became not only bright pages in the creative biography of Europe's largest dramatic stage, but also, without a doubt, significant cultural and historical events both in Russia and around the world.

The premiere of the musical "Saint Anna" staged by People's Artist of Russia Yuri Alexandrov took place on the Big Stage of the Russian Army Theater. Especially for the theater, the music for the heroic story was written by Maxim Dunaevsky, composer, author of music for more than 75 films and performances, People's Artist of Russia: "To date, this is my best work — comprehensive!", the master shared. The performance is accompanied by a Symphony Orchestra conducted by Konstantin Petrovich. The conductor is Evgeny Zagot.

This musical has been awaited for six years. And now it has arrived. Maxim Dunaevsky's musical "Saint Anne," directed by People's Artist of Russia Yuri Alexandrov, has made a splash on the stage of the Russian Army Theatre.

The Russian Army Theatre has been working on this production for over six years. The one-act play was first conceived as a laboratory piece by 20-year-old director Ivan Gut before the pandemic. The libretto was then written by playwright Elena Isaeva and Mikhail Bartenev. Authors and directors changed, and the musical was performed on the star stage.

The play takes the audience back to 1912, when three expeditions set out for the Arctic: the geologist Rusanov's expedition to Spitsbergen, the Admiralty's senior lieutenant Sedov's expedition to the North Pole, and Lieutenant Brusilov's expedition to the Pacific Ocean via the Northern Sea Route. All three expeditions ended tragically. Only two members of the "Saint Anna" crew survived. One of them, the navigator Albanov, later published his diary, the only document that provides insight into the twists and turns of the polar expedition. Elena Isaeva and Mikhail Bartenev used fragments of the diary to write the libretto.