In 2014, the International Shakespeare Festival invited the renowned Russian director Yury Butusov to Craiova, with the powerful play "Measure for Measure", produced by the "Vakhtangov" Theater in Moscow. At the time, Butusov was director of the "Lensovet" Academic Theater in St. Petersburg, and Russia was preparing to occupy Crimea. Eleven years later, Butusov, already a refugee in Europe, in protest against Russia's 2022 military aggression against Ukraine, arrived in Craiova to direct Shakespeare's play, "A Winter's Tale" at the National. After a first round of rehearsals, the Craiova actors were waiting for him to return in August to resume rehearsals for the show, which was expected to premiere in October of this year. But Yuri will not be coming. His friend, Roman Dolzhanskiy, gave us the tragic news yesterday: Yura is dead, swept away by the currents of the Black Sea, on the coast of the town of Sozopol (Bulgaria). Bulgarians call this resort the city of artists…
The Craiova National Theatre expresses its deep sadness upon receiving this tragic news and, at the same time, its compassion for the devastated family, to whom it sends its condolences and assures them of its moral support.
The director's wife stated that Butusov will be able to be honored in Moscow, where his body will be repatriated, and the funeral will take place in Saint Petersburg.
Yuri Butusov was born on September 24, 1961 in Gatchina, Leningrad Region. He graduated from the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute, worked for a while in his specialty and was involved in equestrian sports. In 1996, he graduated from the directing department of the Saint Petersburg State Academy of Theatrical Arts. Butusov became known for his first performances, “Marriage” (1995) by Nikolai Gogol, “The Paradoxographer” based on the novel “Notes from Underground” (1996) by F.M. Dostoevsky. Since 1996, he has worked as a director at the “Lensovet” Theater. He became famous in 1996 thanks to his graduation performance, “Waiting for Godot” (Samuel Beckett). The production received two Golden Mask awards and was awarded the prize for best direction at the Rozhdestvensky Parade festival. He was the director of the Vakhtangov Theater (2018-2022).
Over time, the Golden Mask awards (7 times), Teak, Parabola, Star of the Theater Lover, as well as the K. Stanislavsky Prize have been added to the track record of an artist who has gained an international reputation. In 2002, Yuri Butusov was invited to the Satyricon Theater to stage Eugène Ionesco's Macbeth. On this stage, the director created the performances Richard III (2004), King Lear (2006), The Seagull (2011), and Othello (2013).
