Gennady Abramov Archive

In 2021, Garage acquired the archive of Gennady Abramov, who was a choreographer, teacher, and founder of Expressive Movement Class. The archive includes diaries from the 1970s to the 1990s, manuscripts on the theory of movement practices, and documentation of his work in film and theater. These include Anatoly Vasiliev’s productions Adult Daughter of a Young Man and Serso, as well as the films Love and Pigeons by Vladimir Menshov, Kinfolk by Nikita Mikhalkov, Direct Heir by Sergei Solovyov, and others. The archive also contains materials related to artists and directors Abramov collaborated with, such as Natalya Andreychenko, Margarita Terekhova, Yuri Bogatyryov, Yuri Alshits, and Yuri Eremin. There is also a collection of photographs from regional ballet productions of the 1970s and 1980s in which Abramov performed as a dancer. A significant part of the archive comprises drafts of Abramov’s own dance encyclopedia—a project he worked on for several decades—accompanied by extensive visual material. The archive also features press clippings on theatrical and public life of the 1990s–2000s, as well as brochures and programs for dance, drama, and ballet performances from the 1960s to the 2000s in various languages.

In 1990, Abramov founded his Expressive Movement Class at Anatoly Vasiliev’s School of Dramatic Art, laying the foundation for Russian dance theater at the end of the twentieth century. The portion of the archive devoted to the rehearsal processes of the class includes ephemera, posters, photographs, video and audio recordings, notes, and drawings—materials of both practical and theoretical value for researchers of Russian contemporary dance and educators in the field.

About the archive’s creator

Gennady Mikhailovich Abramov (1939–2015) was a choreographer, teacher, and ballet dancer. He graduated from Minsk Choreographic School and Lunacharsky State Institute for Theater Arts (GITIS). Abramov worked as a choreographer in opera, musical, and drama theaters, as well as in film. From 1976 onward, he collaborated with director Anatoly Vasiliev, creating movement scores for his stage productions.