Trial for acclaimed theatre director opens in Russia
MOSCOW — Russia’s arguably best-known contemporary theatre and film director pleaded not guilty Wednesday as his fraud trial opened in Moscow.
Kirill Serebrennikov’s midnight arrest during a movie shoot in August last year sent shockwaves through Russia’s art circles and was seen by some as a chilling omen of a return to Soviet-style censorship.
Serebrennikov’s work both on stage and on the screen challenged the establishment, its values and lifestyle. But despite that, his productions have enjoyed lavish state funding and his plays are still frequented by top Russian officials.
A Moscow court on Wednesday opened the trial against Serebrennikov, three of his associates and an accountant who has pleaded guilty in the case and testified against him.