The directory «Plots»

Shatrov (Шатров) Mikhail Filippovich
(b. 1932)

Mikhail Shatrov was born in Moscow, Russia. He established himself as a playwright with a series of plays about the founder of the Communist Party and the Soviet Union, - Lenin. His six plays are focused on Lenin's role in organizing the communists in preparations for the Russian Revolution and foundation of the Communist Party. Shatrov's plays about Lenin became the most frequently staged but not without serious problems with censorship and the Soviet government. Shatrov was among those who supported the dissident writers Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuri Daniel.

In 1964 «The 6th of July» premiered in many theatres of the Soviet Union. It was adapted into the eponymous film in 1968, starring Vasili Lanovoy and Alla Demidova. The play became a staple in the repertoire of hundreds of drama theatres across the Soviet Union during the 1960's. Shatrov's other plays on Lenin and Russian revolution are: «Blue Horses on the Red Grass» (1979), «Bolsheviks» (1983), «So we win» (1982), «Dictatorship of consciousness» (1986), «Further...further...further!» (1988). He also wrote lyrical plays on contemporary themes.

Shatrov was awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1983, for his cycle of plays about Lenin and Russian revolution. He is the member of the Writers Union of Russia. He taught writing at the Higher Courses for film writers, where Yuri Shchekochikhin, Nikolai Andreev, and Aleksandr Buravsky were among his apprentices. Shatrov taught seminars at Harvard University in 1992-1993. He is the Chairman of the "Krasnye kholmy" International Cultural center in Moscow. He is also Chair at the Academy of Writing, Direction and Television of the Russian Ministry of Culture.

USSR, 1969, Scene from film «The Six of July»

USSR, 1984.06.05, Tabidze monument in Batumi