Gogol Center is, in my opinion, what a perfect theater should be. There, a psychological approach to acting blends seamlessly with irony and visual appeal. Energetic, provocative, sometimes startling, the productions explore controversial topics and ask pressing questions, leaving it to the viewer to answer. However, the performances are always captivating and moving, and the acting is great.

They stage both classics and contemporary plays and don’t shy away from experimenting (and sometimes nudity, so be warned!)

A few years ago, Gogol Center was transformed into an all-day destination, with a nice cafe, lectures and discussions, movie screenings and a huge media library where you can watch videos of recorded performances from the world’s best theatres.

Tip: if you don’t speak Russian, you can come to see Dead Souls: the performance is subtitled in English. The show that features the all-male cast is both extravagant and touching, and Gogol’s more-than-a-hundred year old text today sounds as relevant as ever. Or, if you love contemporary dance, get tickets to Shakespeare — their latest addition to the program (there is almost no dialog, so you won’t really miss anything).