Moscow Theater College at the State Cultural Institution of the City of Moscow “The Moscow Theater under the direction of O. Tabakov is a unique educational institution. This is a boarding school where children from all over the country live and study acting. The six-story college building was built according to a special project. The main areas are devoted to classes for classes in general education subjects and auditoriums where students practice choreography, vocals and acting. Like any theater, the college has a stage and a small auditorium, as well as dressing and costume rooms.

Admission to the college is carried out by Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov, and the teachers, in addition to the master of the national theater, will be Marina Zudina, Mikhail Khomyakov, Alexander Mokhov and Mikhail Lobanov.

Entrance tests
1. Entrance tests are conducted only for applicants who have passed preliminary professional qualifying auditions and consist of additional entrance tests of a creative nature and entrance tests in general education subjects.
2. Additional entrance tests of a creative orientation are carried out in order to identify creative abilities corresponding to the chosen specialty and qualifications, as well as the physical and psychological qualities of the applicant. These tests are carried out in different combinations during three qualifying rounds, for which it is necessary to prepare:

- First qualifying round - reading by heart excerpts from literary works (poem, fable, excerpt from a story, story, novel or play), it is advisable to prepare several works of each genre.

- Second qualifying round - checking musicality and plasticity (perform a song and dance, participate in special exercises to test plasticity); have a tracksuit and shoes; optional: have sheet music for the accompanist for song and dance (or a backing track - CD), and the applicant is also allowed to play musical instruments.
Based on the results of the first and second qualifying rounds, only negative results are announced, and applicants who receive them are not admitted to the subsequent round.

- Third qualifying round - by decision of the examination committee, can be replaced by other forms of testing creativity
After the completion of the third round, the results for all three tests are announced to applicants.

3. During the qualifying rounds, an interview is conducted - a free-form conversation with each applicant individually. The test is carried out to identify the general cultural level of the applicant, his knowledge in the field of domestic and world theater, music, fine arts, cinema, to identify psychological qualities associated with the choice of a creative profession: determination, interest in theatrical art, general cultural values, etc. The interview procedure is documented in a protocol, which records questions to the applicant and a brief commentary by the examiners (annotation) on the answers to them.

4. Entrance tests in general education subjects are conducted according to programs corresponding to the educational programs of basic general education:
− Russian language (written - dictation);
− literature (written - test).

5. Entrance tests are conducted in Russian and are assessed on a 100-point scale. The competition is held and students are enrolled according to the total number of points scored by applicants during the tests.

6. The schedule of entrance examinations (subject, date, time, examination group and location of the exam, consultations, date of announcement of results) is approved by the chairman of the admissions committee and brought to the attention of applicants no later than June 20 in the form of information posted on the stand of the admissions committee.

7. Before the start of each exam, the applicant receives an examination sheet, which is the only document authorizing the examination. When entering the classroom where the exam is being held, the applicant presents the examination sheet. An applicant who does not have an examination sheet will not be allowed to take the exam.

8. Entrance exams are taken in the manner determined by the admissions committee. The results of the exam are communicated to the applicant by the admissions committee no later than the next day after the exam.

9. Entrance tests can be conducted in several streams as examination groups are formed from among those who have submitted documents for admission to the college.
When organizing the admissions test in several streams, the applicant is not allowed to take part in the admissions tests again.

10. Applicants who did not appear for the entrance examination for a valid reason and who have documented this (medical certificate, certificate of violation of the transport schedule, etc.) are admitted to them in parallel groups, at the next stage of the entrance examination, or individually until they are completely completed .

11. Applicants who did not appear for the entrance examination without a valid reason, who received an unsatisfactory grade, and who withdrew documents during the entrance examination are excluded from the competition and are not enrolled in the college. Retaking the entrance test after receiving an unsatisfactory grade and retaking the entrance test in order to improve the grade are not allowed.

12. After the completion of the entrance examinations, a list of applicants is published on the college website and the selection committee stand, indicating the number of points scored, the admission of which is considered by the selection committee according to various conditions of the competition.

Study and accommodation

– 3 years 10 months.
The maintenance of college students is fully provided at the expense of the allocated funds from the budget of the city of Moscow (tuition, accommodation, meals).
Students who perform well are paid.
The maximum capacity of the college is 72 people.
The maximum number of students in a group is 24 people.

In addition to theoretical classes, college students undergo industrial (professional) training, which includes stage and pre-graduation internships. In the process of professional practice, the student must consolidate and deepen the knowledge acquired during the learning process, acquire skills and abilities in all types of professional activities.
As a result of mastering the main professional educational program in the specialty “Acting,” the graduate must be ready to perform performing, cultural and educational activities in accordance with the qualification characteristics.
The state budgetary educational institution of secondary vocational education of the city of Moscow “Moscow Theater College under the State Cultural Institution of the City of Moscow “Moscow Theater under the direction of O. Tabakov” issues to graduates who have mastered the relevant educational program in full and have passed the final state certification, a state-issued diploma of secondary vocational education education.

The college building has everything necessary for training: classes for acting and stage movement classes; auditoriums for music and vocal classes; classrooms for mastering theater studies and general education disciplines; experimental theater stage; dressing rooms; auditorium.

The college premises have all the necessary conditions for a comfortable stay:
- bedrooms - accommodation for 2 people (boys and girls live on different floors), TV (TV viewing is controlled by teachers), refrigerator, beds, bedside tables, wardrobes, carpet, curtains;
- dining room;
- household rooms;
- shower rooms;
- laundry;
- rooms for independent work;
- library;
- administrative and teaching premises;
There is a large recreational area for relaxation and socializing.
The building design provides conditions for organizing round-the-clock duty of educators and medical personnel. An agreement has been concluded with the clinic; there is room for a medical isolation ward. All teachers on duty have a pedagogical education, and the school has a psychologist on staff.
The boarding school building has 24-hour video surveillance, security and a dispatch service. All engineering systems are displayed on the monitor and controlled by the duty dispatcher.
– reinforced, 5 meals a day – carried out in a local canteen at the expense of sponsorship funds.
On weekends, special excursions are organized for students.

Oleg Tabakov's Moscow school will not take students next year. This is a serious blow for applicants and their parents - the children have already passed the first round of selection and are preparing for the exams. Parents claim that they can only get into school after the ninth grade - and now their children will miss this chance. The cancellation of enrollment was announced two weeks before the exams. “360” tells how the head of the school, Vladimir Mashkov, explained the situation and what the parents of the applicants think about it.

No exams without Tabakov

Artistic director of the Moscow Theater School of Oleg Tabakov Vladimir Mashkov June 8 stated on VKontakte that enrollment of children for the next school year has been suspended. The new artistic director of Tabakerka explained that it was necessary to “carefully understand everything that is happening in the college,” since after the death of Oleg Tabakov the question arose of revising the principles of the educational institution.

Mashkov sympathized with those who would not be able to enroll this year and promised that the results of auditions already held would be taken into account next time.

“Always, in the finals of the long selection of children for college, Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov personally recruited. His decision was decisive and final. But, unfortunately, the guys who began to pass the selection process in November, for well-known sad reasons, will no longer be able to receive parting words from my teacher.
As the new artistic director, I haven’t seen these guys either. In this situation, to give preference to someone, to decide someone’s fate would be extremely irresponsible,” Mashkov explained.

The artistic director’s address attracted many negative comments from applicants and their parents. "Complete nonsense! Oleg Pavlovich trusted his teachers, who selected children from all cities of Russia. But at the last introductory stage, he himself took part in the selection. Therefore, who is stopping Vlalimir Lvovich, as the new artistic director, from seeing the children who have passed the preliminary tests,” wrote Evgenia Urmanova.

But there are users who are more radical. They do not offer alternative solutions, but talk about the situation in which children find themselves, for whom the road to Tabakov’s school was closed. “Really talented children from all over Russia are crying now! You just cut off their hands, their dream - and so ugly! At first they gave hope that the exam would be postponed,” Alexandra Solovyova left a comment.

Mashkov’s appeal came out the day after the news that recruitment had been stopped. Under this post there was a proposal to write a petition to the Ministry of Culture.

“360” was unable to obtain comments from Vladimir Mashkov, the Tabakerka Theater and representatives of Oleg Tabakov’s school.

One of the students’ parents left a complaint on the portal of the mayor and the Moscow government with a request to look into the situation. Its text is available at 360.

“In April of this year, my child passed the qualifying tests, which were conducted by teachers at a school in the city of Kazan. All over the country, about 150 children aged 15-16 years were selected for further entrance examinations to the State Budgetary Professional Educational Institution of Moscow "Moscow Theater College at the State Budgetary Institution of Culture of the City of Moscow" Moscow Theater under the direction of O. Tabakov. On 06/07/2018, information was posted on the college website about the cancellation of admission of applicants this year. I want (like all mothers of deceived children) to understand the reason for such ugly behavior of deserved and respected people. Really looking forward to the answer. Thank you in advance,” the message said.

Only chance

Entrance tests to Oleg Tabakov's school consist of several stages. First, the commission travels to major cities and conducts inspections. This takes a lot of time, so they do everything in advance. Therefore, some children could wait for their trip to Moscow almost from mid-autumn. After ninth-graders pass the OGE, the main stage begins, which takes place in the college building on Chaplygina Street.

Auditions are held in three stages, during which many people are eliminated. Those who remain are allowed to test their diction, plasticity, and singing ability. After which a final exam is conducted.

The parents of several applicants told 360 about the situation they found themselves in. “No educational institution cancels enrollment two weeks before exams. No explanation! The management, having the questionnaires, did not call the parents! If “VKontakte” is the only place to post information, then it’s sad,” Alexandra Solovyova shared her experiences.

She discovered that the lists of applicants admitted to the entrance exams had been removed from the site rather than moved to the archive. This would be more logical in light of Mashkov’s statement that the results of 2018 will be taken into account in the next one.

“Tabakerka” has such a provision that you can enter there only after the ninth grade. Next year they almost never take it.

Yulia Turapinathe applicant's mother.

The mother of one of the applicants, Yulia Turapina, told what the situation looks like from her side. “Look, 102 people were selected for Tabakerka to pass the competition. We are from Samara, and there are also from Perm, from other northern cities. Tickets were purchased in advance. The children were getting ready. Well, now we need to convey this to the children,” explained Yulia.

The interlocutor of “360” is sure: if Mashkov’s promise about the opportunity to enroll next year is really going to be fulfilled, the school’s charter will have to be redone, since applicants only have one chance. Turapina emphasizes that her daughter does not yet know about the cancellation of the enrollment, but for her it will be a great disappointment.

Now the main problem for children and their parents is to redo their plans, based on the fact that there will be no enrollment in Oleg Tabakov’s theater college. Those who live far from Moscow have another headache - they need to do something with tickets to the capital. At the moment, children take mandatory exams after the ninth grade.

Those who wanted to go to college at Oleg Tabakov’s “Tabakerka” became unwitting victims of the death of the master from whom they so wanted to learn acting. The new artistic director and head of the college, actor and director Vladimir Mashkov, considers it irresponsible to decide for his late mentor, so he canceled the recruitment in 2018.

“Now I need to carefully understand everything that is happening in college. It is clear that now, without Oleg Pavlovich, changes and adaptation of the educational process will be required. Setting a new course now without a clear understanding of future prospects will be mere formalism,” - Mashkov himself addressed applicants on the website of the educational institution.

This means that Oleg Tabakov's Moscow Theater School has actually closed its doors to new talent and will not open them until the new director gets up to speed. The unpleasant news took young people from different regions of Russia, who were planning to come to the entrance examinations at the end of June, by surprise. Many of them have already bought tickets, and their parents have already taken vacations to go support gifted children.

Under Tabakov, the final selection always took place in his presence, Mashkov recalled.

“But, unfortunately, the guys who began to pass the selection process in November, for well-known sad reasons, will no longer be able to receive parting words from my teacher,” - the new artistic director complained.

The results of children who cannot pass the final tests will be taken into account when enrolling next year, but everyone who was once an applicant understands the importance of a year for young people who want to enroll.

According to the Zakuliska Telegram channel, almost 100 people selected from regional tours were invited to Moscow.

Despite Mashkov’s assurances that enrollment will be postponed until next year, doubts are creeping in: the educational institution has begun laying off not only teachers, but also cooks and technical staff.

“Probably, Mashkov’s reforms could even “do good” for the college. But... Vladimir Lvovich Mashkov, after an incendiary, bright youth on two continents, has one psychological feature: he gets excited about business very quickly, but cools down just as quickly,” - writes “Behind the Scenes”.

It was not possible to get through by phone and get a comment from Mashkov himself, however, there is also an explanation for this, sources close to the theater said.

“The lack of information is explained by the behind-the-scenes struggle within the leadership of Tabakerka and the college. Until it stops, there can be no talk of any certainty, which is why Mashkov is so reluctant to make forecasts. We must pay tribute to the actors, not one of them “reveals their cards” and carefully keeps secret information about what is happening in the team after Tabakov’s death. And a lot happens there,” - said a source from theater circles.

The order appointing Vladimir Mashkov to the position of artistic director of “Tabakerka” was signed on April 6, at the same time he was presented to the troupe by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow Leonid Pechatnikov.

People's Artist of the USSR Oleg Tabakov died on March 12 at the age of 83. In 1987, he opened the Tabakerka Theater, and in June 2000 he became the artistic director of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater; since 2004, Tabakov has simultaneously served as director of the theater.

From the first days of work in his new post, Mashkov showed himself to be active, however, his activity seemed to be targeted and very selective: first thing. The actor would like to name his mentor’s theater “Oleg Tabakov Theater” instead of the usual and more laconic “Tabakerka”.