AI Helps Moscow Theater Reimagine the Russian Soul
At the Oleg Tabakov Moscow Theater, artificial intelligence is not replacing actors—it is amplifying them, bringing Vasily Shukshin’s timeless characters to life with digital stagecraft.
Russia’s leading theaters are embracing digital technologies—not just to dazzle audiences with visual effects but to reveal the emotional depth of their characters. That shift was on full display at the premiere of a new production at the Oleg Tabakov Moscow Theater.
The play, titled The Hunt to Live, draws from the stories of Vasily Shukshin, a writer often seen as an encyclopedia of the Russian soul. Theater director and People’s Artist of Russia Vladimir Mashkov said the institution continues to evolve rapidly. The introduction of artificial intelligence, he noted, is a landmark in this progress. Yet Mashkov was clear: neural networks are assistants, not replacements for the actors themselves.
In this production, which highlights the breadth and unpredictability of the Russian spirit, AI becomes part of the performance. The system projects imagery onto screens, shifts the lighting with each scene’s mood, moves stage sets, and even helps recreate the scent of a forest.
