Anti-semitism in Soviet Theatres Becomes Prominent Issue in Moscow Press

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Anti-Semitism in Soviet Government theatres in Russia’s capital is a prominent issue in the Soviet press today.

Interest centers around the practice in the Bolshoy Moskovski Government theatre where the well known violinist, Krein, most prominent member of the orchestra, committed suicide, driven by the anti-Semitic attitude of Golovanov, the director.

The “Vechernya Gazeta” relates today that Golovanov refused to produce an opera entitled “The Son of the Sun,” because a Jew, Galperin, wrote the libretto. Golovanov did not permit the Jewish conductor, Pozovski, to present the Russian opera, Boris Godunov, declaring that only a Russian is qualified for the task, adding “soon, we will get rid of many Jews.”

The “Komsomolskaia Pravda” states that many Jews were compelled to quit the theatre because of the anti-Semitic atmosphere that prevails there. The paper urges the authorities to put an end to “Golovanovism.”