Inside the rehearsals for Eugene Onegin: Anastasiya Vinogradova‑Zabolotskaya (Larina)

Anastasiya Vinogradova-Zabolotskaya is rehearsing for the part of Larina:

“In the past I sung the part of the nanny in Eugene Onegin, and now it’s Larina. It’s a very complex role, which requires a lot of acting work. Vasily Barkhatov’s staging makes it clear that Larina used to live in the city, frequented balls, and led a rather bohemian lifestyle. But then, something happened that forced her to move to the countryside with her two daughters and stay with a relative. All the women in the story are lonely and unhappy, taking swipes at each other from time to time. And then there are the peasants, who refuse to accept the Larin family, migrants from the city, and nearly tear their house to pieces in a drunken rampage.”

“Larina is constantly asking herself what went so wrong with her life. While rifling through her possessions in a huge suitcase, she stumbles across various relics from her childhood and youth, and surrenders herself to blissful memories... On coming back to reality, she finds herself inclined to have a drink and flirt with the men who have turned up at her house. For instance, she pats Onegin on the knee, quite untroubled by conventions.”