«Golden Mask»
In 2008, Aleksei Fomkin joined the jury for the Russian National Theater Award «Golden Mask.» Composer Leonid Desyatnikov led the jury for musical theaters. Other jury members included Viktor Arkhipov (artist), Marina Bagdasaryan (critic), Yevgeny Brazhnik (conductor), Gerard Vasilyev (singer), Vadim Gayevsky (critic), Leila Guchmazova (critic), Mikhail Muginshtein (musicologist), Alla Osipenko (ballet dancer), Nina Semizorova (ballet dancer), Alexander Sibirtev (ballet dancer), Sergey Smirnov (choreographer), Aleksei Fomkin (Vice-Rector of Vaganova Ballet Academy, professor), and Irina Yaskevich (critic).
The Russian National Theater Award and Festival «Golden Mask» is a Russian public project established by the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation (STD RF) in 1993 (some sources mention 1994) on the initiative of the chairman of the STD RF (1986–1996), People’s Artist of the USSR M.A. Ulyanov, with the participation of theater critic V.G. Urin and playwright V.V. Pavlov. The first award ceremony took place in 1995. The project, established by the STD RF, is implemented by the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization «Golden Mask Festival» with the support of the Moscow government and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation (2022).
2008 Festival AWARDS:
Best Ballet Production: «The Awakening of Flora,» Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg
Best Contemporary Dance Production: «After Involvement. Diptych. Part 2,» «Provincial Dances,» Yekaterinburg
Best Choreography: Sergey Vikharev, «The Awakening of Flora,» Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg
Best Female Role: Natalia Osipova, «In the Upper Room,» Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow
Best Male Role: Yuri Smekalov as Trigorin in «The Seagull,» Boris Eifman Ballet Theatre, St. Petersburg