Galina Silina

Born in Perm, graduated from Secondary City Professional Technical School #106 as Stained glass artist. Member of the Regional Ethnographer (Kraeved) Club. Keeper of the archive of Yuriy Silin, photo artist and head of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre Museum in 1973-2000.

Quotes

• I do what I like and this is very important.
• Happiness is about wonderful people around.
• I was always guided by talented people surrounding me.
• City is territory of love; people in Perm are happy people.
• The good thing about theatre is that there are new issues every day so you forget the old ones very fast.

My story

They often brought school pupils to theatre before. But one performance is always with me — Romeo and Juliet by Nikolay Boyarchikov — in 1972 it opened a new tremendously beautiful world for me. Back then I couldn't imagine that I would ever work in the theatre.

We lived at Gaiva district. And had a very friendly neighbourhood. Every evening in summer we gathered, guys played guitars, everyone sang songs.

I wanted to become a teacher when I was a child. But I chose profession of an artist. I got very lucky to have such friends as mine who were very talented so I wanted to learn this as well.

When we graduated secondary technical school, we were sent to Nizhnevartovsk. It was a young city; they were building it from the scratch. When we arrived they offered us to be house painters, but we refused and went back for another assignment. At that point, Opera theatre required four artists and they took us. Once again, I got lucky.

After working 25 years in the theatre I left it for three years but then realized I couldn't live without it, so I returned.

Those who work in the theatre really can't do without it, it is true. It is an absolutely different energy here. The thing is, theatre is not only some sacrament; here you have to daily overcome yourself to reach something. They always bring you something new and you have to open up, no matter if you want it or not, because you have to do the job. People who work here are incredibly talented. And when you enter different departments you see people creating miracles. The creative process enchants. It is great happiness to see how painting opens up on the 10-meter backdrop (part of the set) when you transfer it from a small sketch.

We work for our soloists, opera and ballet ones. Love and energy put into costumes, shoes, and sets collide. And guys falling into this energy keep creating, start flying — that is how performance is created, something common, precious and unique.

Sometime you feel sad, week... Then you come to the sewing department, to the department of fabric painting, and when you see what they are making — and these are the most beautiful costumes, amazing painting — your bad mood leaves you, and you tell yourself, «Ok, start working, don't waste time for sadness!» (laughs)

The favourite expression of Saveliy Grigorievich Khodes, theatre director in years after war, was, «The good thing about theatre is that there are new issues every day so you forget the old ones very fast.»

I met my husband Yuriy Arkadievich Silin here. He was historian and journalist who at that time was in charge of the theatre museum. When I came to theatre, I didn't understand much about the complicated process. I remember, someone made a comment, and I was walking very upset. A man stopped me — it was our first meeting. Yura tried to cheer me up, and when I started feeling better, he told me: «Please, remember, if someone in the theatre upsets you, it wasn't because someone wanted to upset you. They were just having bad time. Remember, theatre is one big happy family, one ensemble. Please, try to fall in love with it.»

We often went to Moscow in summer. And instead of having some rest we spent days in the Lenin Library because Yura needed materials that our archives lacked. I first resisted, it was my vacation after all. Then I understood how incredibly interesting it was. Since then I feel great love for Perm citizens and great respect to the history of the city. That is why when a question came up, Moscow or Perm, I chose Perm without any doubts.

I now guide tours, as knowledge gained in the Lenin Library doesn't want to sit still. After excursions many people say they didn't know any of that, didn't expect how amazing our city was and how many things there were to be proud of. For me, I guess, it is the most important result as many people leave Perm. Those who don't know its history, don't know what to be proud of, don't have some common base — they will always think grass is greener on the other side. History proves the opposite.

On one of the latest Arabesque competitions, we welcomed soloist of the Bolshoi theatre Nikolay Tsiskaridze who is at the head of the Vaganova Academy now. He entered the stage and said it was a dream of his to come to our city. And then he bowed to the auditorium and said, «My teacher is from Perm, and everything that got me known I received due to your wonderful school.»