“Meyerhold has the eyes of a wolf” or “Stay still the police authorities”. The speech of V.N. Yakhontov in defense of The Meyerhold Theatre (GosTIM)
In absence of Vsevolod Meyerhold, who was negotiating the theatre’s tour and receiving medical treatment in France, the People’s Comissariat of Education (Narkompros) and the General Directorate of Literature and Art (Glaviskusstvo) made an attempt to attack GosTIM. They refused to prolong the contract with the theatre demanding that Meyerhold returned to Moscow immediately in spite of his illness. The perspective of a revolutionary and an experimental theatre being shut down raised a great objection. V.N. Yakhontov spoke ardently and sharply defending the theatre during one of the disputes. Publication, preface and comments by Vladislav Ivanov.