The Karamazovs

"The Karamazovy" have begun literary ballets of the choreographer – which worthy continuation were "Anna Karenina", "Seagull" and has finished with "Onegin".
Directed by Eifman the novel plot practically departs on periphery – on a scene its deep symbolical implied sense is developed. It is serious ballet dramatic art, with an unusual plasticity of thought, artistic realization of the world of the ideas conducting to solutions of philosophical and prophetical secrets of the novel.
Critics notice that the author managed to create unusual action – visually attractive, found, expressive under the form as it is necessary in the present ballet, and deep under the maintenance, exciting how excites the present drama theater.

«The Brothers Karamazov is to certain extent an autobiographical confession where the author focuses on many issues and questions. We have chosen to refer to the Karamazovs because the ideas that we tried to express in each separate work, now have merged into one flow. The main idea of the Dostoevsky’s novel is inheritance in a broad sense of this word. We all have bad Russian inheritance, because the Karamazovs represent the essence of the society where we lived before and still live today. I am also very stirred by the idea expressed in the dialogue between Ivan and Alexey: which way the humanity should go to reach the harmony. Alexey's life in itself encapsulates the history of Russia: from belief to destruction and back to God».

ACT ONE

For all the multitude of differences which divide them, Dmitri, Ivan and Alyosha are linked to each  other by invisible threads: for the "stinking, sinful" blood of their father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, runs in their veins.

The monk Alyosha tries in vain to soften the impact of passions which have got out of hand. He is an observer of the bitter rivalry between his father and brother Dmitri for the favors of Grushenka, of his father's constant drunken orgies, of the desperate veering backwards and forwards of Katerina Ivanovna's emotions who is unable to decide whether it is Dmitri or Ivan she loves. But not only is Alyosha incapable of helping his nearest and dearest, he too discovers within himself to an increasing degree the despicable traits of "Karamazovship".

Ivan, who is full of compassion for "the insulted and the injured", hates his father and Dmitri, his brother. The whole family is drawn into the battle for Grushenka between Fyodor Pavlovich and Dmitri Karamasov. Fyodor Pavlovich is killed... and Dmitri is accused of his father's murder.

ACT TWO

Dmitri is in prison. He is innocent of the crime of which he is accused and the loss of Grushenka is a very heavy blow for him.

Ivan and Alyosha argue endlessly about the meaning of existence and about man's soul. Their argument assumes material form in the figures of the Great Inquisitor and of Christ, who has come back to the sinful world, in the legend composed by Ivan. The Inquisitor-Ivan asserts that only tyrany can give people "weak creatures such as they have been created, peaceful, humble happiness". But Christ-Alyosha wishes to free people of their fear and to provide them with "a free heart so that they may determine what is good and what is evil"

A gesture from The Inquisitor — and an obedient crowd is again ready to crucify Christ. "Why have you come here to hinder us?.. Be off and never come back, never!"
Ivan is lacerated by pangs of conscience: he accuses himself of having harbored a wish to kill his father. Reality and fantasy become confused in his mind and he sees the ghost of Fyodor Pavlovich...

Ivan comes to visit Dmitri who is languishing in jail in order to confess to him his sinful desires. Despite the prison bars, the brothers are reconciled and they now love each other.

Alyosha is unable to watch human suffering and, driven by love for his fellow men, he frees the convicts incarcerated in "The House of the Dead". Their heads reeling from the belief that "everything is permitted" to them, the convicts destroy everything on their path.

The family come to a dreadful end: Fyodor Pavlovich is murdered, Dmitri is in jail, Ivan goes off his head, Alyosha is made responsible for the fate of numerous innocent victims...But, however far sinful man may fall, he may be saved if he repents for his sins.

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