"I'm Greek, but I've never felt like a foreigner. Russia has always felt like home to me," Vasileios Samourkas expressed when talking about his studies and life in Russia.
When did you first hear about Russia?
In Greece, my family has a cottage in the mountains. The population there is only eight people. As a child, I used to play there with these peculiar wooden toys that my mom would give me. Those toys were brought from Russia, back when it was still the Soviet Union, by her godmother. So my earliest memories of Russia are connected to Soviet toys.
How did your interest in Russia develop?
First and foremost, I have a love for history. I've always been fascinated by Greek history, the Greek Civil War, and the history of theater in Greece. I've always held Russian history and Russian theater in high regard, but I couldn't delve into Soviet cinema because I didn't know the language.
Secondly, in first grade, I became friends with my classmate Seryozha, who spoke Russian. At that time, he couldn't speak a word of Greek, so I started teaching him the language.
Thirdly, my mentors at the theater school in the National Theatre of Greece were graduates of the directing department at GITIS, under A.A. Goncharov's guidance. That's why I had a strong desire to join GITIS.
In 2017, we produced a graduation performance in Greece, which we later showcased at a festival in Bulgaria. We won first place there and got invited to the VGIK festival. I stayed in Moscow for only three days, and I instantly fell in love with the country. I couldn't even imagine that Moscow could be so beautiful.
Before this trip, I couldn't fully comprehend Dostoevsky or Chekhov. In Greece, when I read these authors, I thought the characters they depicted didn't exist. But when I moved to Russia, everything became much clearer.
When I returned to Athens after the VGIK festival, I made up my mind to move to Russia. I made that decision in a single day. I still remember the bus ride back home, looking out the window, and seeing the rain. It felt like the perfect time to move to Russia, the right moment to go to GITIS.
Are there any Russian actors, actresses, or directors you admire?
Back when I was a young actor in Greece, I had an intense passion for Tarkovsky. It's impossible to discuss Russian art without mentioning him. I also have a great appreciation for literature, and my favorite Russian writer is Varlam Shalamov. His Kolyma Tales left a profound impression on me. After moving to Russia, I started watching Soviet films and enjoyed them immensely. They had a similar sense of humor to Greek films from the '60s and '70s.
How did you learn Russian?
I still remember my first word, it's quite amusing. It was in second or third grade. Seryozha couldn't speak Greek at all. I tried teaching him the word "σκουπιδοτενεκές," which means rubbish bin, but he couldn't pronounce it. In Russian, it's the same as saying "musorka" and he would say "murkaso." He was just confused and couldn't say anything. My first word in Russian was "elephant". Seryozha and I were in the third grade, and our teacher assigned us the task of creating an advertisement. We chose cough pills. Seryozha pretended to cough, then he took the pill and sang an aria. It sounded quite fake. In the end, I said, "It's the Elephant pill."
That memory feels strange to me now. I never thought I would move to Russia, never. But at some point, I made that decision. The Embassy of the Russian Federation and Rossotrudnichestvo, along with the Russian House in Athens, gave me the opportunity to enter GITIS.
How did the university admission process go?
The first step for me was to learn Russian. In 2018, I was sent to Krasnodar to the preparatory faculty, where I studied Russian for a whole year. In 2019, I had my audition at GITIS, and I was accepted.
What are your impressions of Krasnodar?
Krasnodar is not Moscow. It has more similarities to Greece, with its warm climate, pleasant temperatures, and good weather. It took me some time to adapt to the cold of Moscow. Yes, Krasnodar was beautiful. I still have fond memories of it.
How do you feel about living and studying in Russia?
Initially, the weather was the scariest thing for me. I couldn't understand how people live without sunshine. It's part of our mentality. However, I gradually adjusted, and everything became fine. I believe that Greeks and Russians are very similar. It's not just because we share the Orthodox faith. After the Byzantine Empire, we have a shared history and common roots. For example, Cyril and Methodius are important historical figures for both of us. I love Greece, but I also consider Russia my second home. Studying at GITIS, one of the best universities in the world, is an honor, a source of pride, and a responsibility for me.
And the people? Did you experience warmth and hospitality?
I can honestly say that I was scared when I first came here because I didn't speak any Russian. I didn't know a single word, and I don't have Russian parents. In Russia, not many people speak English, which is good because it pushed me to learn Russian. But both in my course at GITIS and in my personal life, I never felt any negativity or discrimination as a European or a Greek. Yes, I'm Greek, but I never felt like a foreigner. I felt at home in Russia.
Can you say that you've become a different person? How has life in Russia impacted you?
The biggest tragedy is when you reach the end of a theater institute and realize that you haven't changed at all. If you remain the same in your fourth or fifth year as you were in your first, it's a disaster. Well, in my case, I believe I have changed. Life at GITIS or any theater school transforms you as a person. There are times when you go through a period of depression or when you lose hope in art or theater entirely, but you always find a way to stay afloat. GITIS is a highly esteemed university, and its professors and teachers hold an incredible respect for theater. The education system in Greece is different. I can confidently say that GITIS has influenced my perception of the world, art, and theater in general. It has allowed me to express myself as an artist. Theater is a mission; it's not just a profession or a means to gain fame or money—it's a mission.
What difficulties did you face when adapting to life and studying?
Imagine you're in your first year and your actors are Russian. You have to work with them, give tasks, rehearse, but you don't know the language. It's difficult. Sometimes you blame yourself for not being able to speak, sometimes you want to say something but can't. Of course, this gradually and slowly changes. But it's hellish work. Reading, working, studying the language. You have to be crazy and love your profession very much to move to another country to study a language you don't know.
Did you feel loneliness?
No, because I'm Greek. We Greeks forbid ourselves to be alone. I believe that if you're involved in theater, you should always nourish yourself with communication with different people. I didn't think about loneliness, I had a goal in front of me. I decided to give up everything: my career, which I had, and my family. All of this to become a director. Several directors who studied at GITIS returned to Greece after their studies. They are now developing Greek theater there. I think this is very important. I believe that the basis of world theater, whether you like it or not, is ancient Greek theater. This is Homer, Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus. To develop modern theater, not just Russian but world theater in general, we need to go back to the roots.
Have people stopped being interested in their roots?
This is an interesting conversation, it should be had with scientists. Many now consider Homer to be a misogynist. Homer being a misogynist is the funniest thing. I made a sketch based on Homer at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre on the new stage. After the show, three philosophy students (who studied Ancient Greece) came to me and one of them expressed their objection: "Why did you choose this material, why did you make Agamemnon so funny and misogynistic?" She spoke for 10 minutes about misogyny, sexism, and how Homer was a misogynist.
In the 11th song of the Odyssey, Odysseus descended into the realm of Hades. He meets the dead Agamemnon. This character, sorry for the expression, but that's what it is, is the archetype of a cuckold. Clytemnestra, his wife, cheated on him with his cousin while he was away and killed him. There is a huge monologue where Agamemnon in the realm of Hades talks about how women cannot be trusted. Odysseus realizes through the mistakes of the dead how to live.
Back to the student. When she finished her speech, I replied, "Do you think Homer is a misogynist? Then why did the Trojan War happen, what was it for?" She left.
Are we talking about returning to the roots? You say that interest in this has disappeared or been forgotten. Is it because education levels have decreased today?
You know, the day before yesterday I read an article and was surprised that the author immediately indicated the reading time: 2 minutes and 10 seconds. It's scary that nowadays, with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, people are used to watching a video for only 10 seconds. How can a director make a viewer sit for 3 hours through "War and Peace," 5 hours through "The Iliad" or "The Odyssey"?
Weekends for ancient Greeks were spent watching plays from sunrise to sunset. Today, I trust Homer and Euripides more than some modern plays. I respect them, but I love Homer more and want to stage his works. For me, there is some great truth and a certain key there. Imagine how you would play Anna Karenina if you had previously played the role of Clytemnestra. Such texts and productions raise not only the level of directors and actors, but also the entire creative component of the country. It's interesting.
Tell us about your production of "Medea."
In my third year, I began preparing for the staging. We worked with actors on "The Odyssey." When we read it for the first time, I was scared. It was a very old translation. I was afraid that we would have no connection with the artists because we have different mentalities and this text would be incomprehensible. For example, when I was in my second year at a theater school in Greece and we analyzed Chekhov, I couldn't understand this playwright for a long time.
At one of the rehearsals, I realized that Homer is not a Russian author or a Greek author - he is a world author. And the actors understood that too.
Then "Medea" happened. The reasons for choosing this material were the amazing translation by Vladislav Neklyaev and my wonderful actress Valeria Stolbikova, who played Anticlea in my excerpt in the third year.
I always felt that I had to defend this character, to understand her. For some reason, I believe that Medea is not a bad character. Of course, you can't kill children, that's not up for discussion. Medea killed her children, her bride, and her bride's father. But the gods did not curse this character. It's worth thinking about. There is some truth, some justice. I just wanted to understand these characters, wanted to understand them with Russian actors.
Working with Russian and Greek actors. You mentioned that there are differences in mentality, can you elaborate on that?
I've noticed that on the Russian stage, actors often play only amongst themselves, forgetting about the audience. This approach to acting has both its pros and cons. In ancient Greek drama, an actor had to play the theme. This means that the artist must be able to step out of their everyday existence and defend the theme through the audience. The space determines the genre in theatre. In Epidaurus, you cannot indulge in everyday existence when there are 10,000 spectators in front of you. Well, you can, of course, but it's easy to guess that after the performance, the audience will not be thrilled. Ancient Greek material can only be played through the audience in interaction with them. You are an advocate for the character. It is impossible to play an archetype. For example, the character of Uncle Vanya or Dmitry Karamazov can be found in life. But if we are talking about Medea or Agamemnon, these roles cannot be played simply based on acting experience or talent. They are archetypes. You can only defend this character as a lawyer, convincing the audience of your righteousness. Some technical aspects with Russian actors need to be worked on for several months or years because it is a completely different drama.
How do you evaluate GITIS's role in your professional development?
I evaluate GITIS as one of the most significant stages of my life. I owe GITIS for what I have now, my masters Evgeny Borisovich Kamenevich, Dmitry Anatolyevich Krymov, and all my teachers. When I direct plays or act, I always hear Evgeny Borisovich's voice in my head: "What is this about? How do I know? Is he crazy? Vasya, this is unclear." GITIS developed me as an artist.
Would you like to become a master who will always stay in the minds of your students? Do you have such a goal, such a plan?
Well, I believe that you cannot become a good director if you are not a good teacher. I studied acting, but directing is a different profession. When you study directing after studying acting, you try not to go insane, because now you have to change your way of thinking. It's like a pharmacist and a doctor. There is some connection, but it's not direct, they are completely different professions. Gradually, you understand that this is a huge responsibility. Actors of any age are children who always expect something from you, and this is a great responsibility. I am very interested in pedagogy. It would be great if at some point in the future there were departments for ancient Greek theater. I want to prove that Homer is not a museum exhibit.
It would be very interesting for me to conduct an experiment in which actors played exclusively ancient Greek drama for several years. How would they play Chekhov, Bulgakov, Dostoevsky after that?
And do you want to go back home? What are your plans?
I'm not planning to go back to Greece yet. I would like to stay in Russia for another year. Russia is a country with great theatrical traditions. It is very important for me that people are talking about ancient Greek drama now! Ancient Greek tragedy and epic are needed today like air. It is impossible to develop modern theater without a foundation. And this is not because I am Greek. Homer, Euripides - these are authors who belong to everyone. You have no right to say that Pushkin belongs to you - he belongs to everyone! And to Greeks and Russians. We somehow forgot about them both in Greece and in Russia. I don't understand why they don't stage Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus or Homer in Russia now.
What advice would you give to a foreign student who wants to come to study in Russia?
Firstly, language, language, language. To learn, you need to communicate only with Russian people.
Secondly, the future student should feel responsible. He is like an ambassador of his country in a foreign state. I felt that way because my education is expensive. It costs money that I would never be able to find in my life. This is very serious.
I feel a great responsibility for studying for free, while other students are forced to pay. You should study so that after graduation your university and your country are proud of you.
About stereotypes? Are there any stereotypes in Athens about Russia, about bears, vodka?
Ah... You mean those stereotypes! Yes! There is vodka, and Red Square, and Stalin. The authors - Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Shalamov.
Of course, I'm more interested in the authors, but how can you be in Russia without vodka?
And how is vodka?
I'm not a big drinker. It's a good thing. It brings people together.
Talked: Maria Dorokhova
Photo: Anastasia Maltseva