The Experience of Mutual Influence of Russian and Japanese Theater Origins, Contributions, Results

The purpose of this work is to explore the complex dynamics of cultural exchange between Russian and Japanese theatrical traditions (dramatic theater) shedding light on the origins, contributions and results of their mutual influence. Moreover, the study seeks to answer the question of why active cooperation and interest in each other arose between the Russian and Japanese theatrical traditions. The thesis aims to delve into the historical trajectories of both traditions providing an overview of their development and key characteristics, as well as to consider the main influential figures who initiated the dialogue between the theaters. The results of the work include not only a deeper understanding of the processes of cultural exchange between these two traditions and the results of mutual experience but also explains the reason for their interaction. In the course of the work, it became clear that the most active time of cultural exchange between theaters occurred at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, when European and Eastern theatrical traditions felt an internal crisis. The reasons for the active cooperation and exchange of Russian and Japanese traditions lie in the root basis of the nature of these theaters: at that time, Russian theater was a theater of psychologism, and Japanese theater was a conventional theater, which was still dominated by traditional genres. Theaters, like two polarities, looked for new forms and inspiration in each other. The work done by the author is relevant because today there are not many scientific works that would consider the history of the formation of theaters and their interaction with an explanation of cause-and-effect relationships. The author seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the nature and history of theater before analyzing their mutual interaction.