Who is Happy in Russia?: paradoxes of N. A. Nekrasov's poem in contemporary theater

The article deals with the specifics in representing the work of N.A. Nekrasov on the theatrical stage. The author notes the lack of demand for the poet's dramaturgy and the attention to the poem Who is Happy in Russia? in the modern theatrical space. Focusing on the cultural codes embedded in N.A. Nekrasov's poem, the author turns to analyzing the paradoxes of the poem's stage version directed by K. Serebrennikov and P. Vasilyev. Based on hermeneutic methodology, semiotic and symbolic analysis, the article highlights the peculiarities of the directors' interpretations. The specifics of Serebrennikov's play lie in its evolution from verbatim forms to conventional theater. While respecting the author's text, the director chooses the key chapters of the poem, whose sequence extends the temporal and spatial boundaries of the text. The play features multi-genre parts that involve experiments with different theatrical forms. P. Vasilyev's puppet show focuses on intertextuality and symbolism in N.A. Nekrasov's poem, expressed through associations and allusions, as well as through the symbolism of puppets and scenography. The paradoxes of the poem's existence on the modern stage are determined by the interpretive potential of the text, its embedded cultural codes, internal drama, incompleteness and open ending. Contemporary Russian theater, gravitating toward experiments and intertextuality, offers a paradoxical interpretation of N. A. Nekrasov's poem, referring the audience both to Russian classics and to mass culture.