1.1. This regulation determines the procedure for preparing and holding the International Theater Festival “Melikhovo Spring” (hereinafter referred to as the Festival).

1.2. The festival is held once a year in the second half of May in the format of a festival of professional drama theaters in Russia, near and far abroad, presenting performances based on the works of A.P. Chekhov or dedicated to the life and work of the writer.

1.3. The venue of the Festival is the State Literary and Memorial Museum-Reserve of A.P. Chekhov "Melikhovo", Serpukhov City Musical and Drama Theatre, Cultural and Creative Center "Druzhba" (Chekhov) and other venues in the Southern Moscow region and Moscow, approved by the Organizing Committee of the Festival.

1.4. Founders of the Festival: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Moscow Region, Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation, A.P. Museum-Reserve Chekhov "Melikhovo".

1.5. Organizers of the Festival: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Moscow Region, A.P. Museum-Reserve Chekhov "Melikhovo".

1.6. The Festival is financed from funds received in the form of a targeted subsidy from the budget of the Moscow region, funds from the A.P. Museum-Reserve. Chekhov "Melikhovo", received from other income-generating activities, other raised extra-budgetary funds and donations, as well as income from the sale of tickets to the Festival events.

2.1. The main goals of the Festival:

 - development and popularization of theatrical art in the Russian Federation;

 -  popularization of the creative heritage of A.P. Chekhov.

2.2.    Objectives of the Festival:

-  creating conditions for the formation and strengthening of Russia’s creative potential;

-  attracting the attention of spectators and professional audiences to the creative heritage of A.P. Chekhov;

- support and development of the creative potential of theater groups, preservation of the traditions of the Russian theater school and the search for a new modern stage language;

- establishing and strengthening creative contacts between representatives of theater professions, creating conditions for the exchange of experience between creative teams participating in the Festival;

- strengthening humanitarian contacts with regions of Russia, countries near and far abroad.

3.1. To conduct the Festival, the following governing and executive bodies are created:

- Organizing Committee of the Festival (hereinafter referred to as the Organizing Committee);

- Expert Council of the Festival;

- Directorate of the Festival.

3.2. The composition of the Organizing Committee is formed from representatives of the A.P. Museum-Reserve. Chekhov "Melikhovo", the Union of Theater Workers, leading theater institutions of Russia, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Moscow Region and is approved by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Moscow Region.

3.3. The Organizing Committee approves:

- dates of the festival;

- composition of the expert council;

- program and poster of the Festival;

- candidacy for the artistic director of the Festival;

- an estimate of income and expenses of the Festival, presented by the Festival Directorate, and a report on its implementation;

- candidacies of leading theater critics, teachers, directors, actors invited to conduct creative laboratories, master classes, seminars;

- Festival awards.

3.4. The Directorate of the Festival is the executive body of the Festival, the composition of which is approved by the head of the Museum-Reserve A.P. Chekhov "Melikhovo".

Festival Directorate:

- determines the timing of the Festival;

- develops the Festival program;

-  develops and submits for approval to the Organizing Committee an estimate of income and expenses of the Festival;

-  collects applications from creative teams to participate in the Festival;

- submits proposals on the composition of the Festival Expert Council for consideration by the Organizing Committee;

- organizes the work of the Festival Expert Council;

- organizes accommodation, meals, delivery of participants and guests of the Festival;

-  attracts other organizations to carry out the tasks of the Festival;

- determines theatrical venues for holding performances of the Festival;

- ensures the additional program of the Festival: master classes, conferences, discussions, etc.;

- prepares the opening and closing ceremonies of the Festival, as well as other events provided for by the festival program;

- provides organization of information support for the preparation and holding of the Festival;
- attracts extra-budgetary funds for the Festival;

- carries out, in agreement with the Organizing Committee, other activities related to the preparation and holding of the Festival.

3.5. The Festival Expert Council is formed by the Organizing Committee from

Russian and foreign theater critics, theater experts, directors and actors.

Expert advice:

- carries out professional assessment and selection of performances for participation in the Festival by watching video recordings or visiting performances at stationary venues, based on the criteria provided for in clause 4.6 of these regulations;

- during the Festival, after the performances are shown, the Expert Council discusses them with the creative part of the troupe of the theater participating in the Festival.

4.1. Drama (including Russian and national) theaters of any form of ownership and subordination with performances of large and small forms can be participants in the Festival.

4.2. Applications for participation in the Festival are drawn up in accordance with the Appendix to these regulations and sent to the Festival Directorate within the period specified in clause 4.5. of this provision. The application is accompanied by a technical rider for the performance, a theatrical program, a poster for the performance, and a link to a video recording of the full version of the performance.

4.3. The video materials provided by the participants are transferred free of charge to the A.P. Chekhov Museum-Reserve “Melikhovo” to create an information base (video fund of the “Melikhovo Spring” festival) of performances based on the works of A.P. Chekhov. 

4.4. Museum-Reserve A.P. Chekhov "Melikhovo" reserves the right to non-commercial use of video recordings and their fragments for information, research and educational purposes, as well as illustrations in printed publications, radio and television broadcasts, subject to copyright compliance.

4.5. Applications for participation in the Festival are accepted from September 12 to November 11 of the year preceding the year of the Festival.

4.6. The Expert Council allows performances that meet the following criteria to participate in the Festival:

- high artistic level of the performance, the work of the director, artist, actor,
novelty and originality (individuality, originality) of the work;

- compliance with the goals and objectives of the Festival provided for in Section 2 of these regulations.

  The decision of the Expert Council on the admission of performances to the Festival is documented in a protocol.

  Decisions made by the Organizing Committee are not commented on, and performances submitted for participation in the Festival are not reviewed.

4.7.  No later than 5 months before the Festival, the Expert Council submits to the Organizing Committee a list of performances recommended for inclusion in the Festival poster; a composition of leading theater critics, teachers, directors, actors invited to conduct master classes, creative laboratories, and seminars.

4.8.        The Directorate of the Festival, no later than 3.5 months before the start of the Festival, creates a poster for the Festival, sends letters of invitation to theater groups included in the festival’s poster, and conducts negotiations to agree on organizational, technical and financial conditions for participation in the Festival.

4.9. The Festival organizers provide participants with:

- accommodation and meals for the period of participation in the Festival. The maximum number of participants from one theater group should not exceed 25 people, including the creative, administrative and technical staff of the theater's touring group. In special cases, with additional agreement with the Organizing Committee, a larger number of participants up to 30-40 people is allowed;

- delivery of groups from train stations and airports in Moscow, from theaters in Moscow and the Moscow region.

 4.10. The collective participating in the Festival bears the costs of paying for travel expenses, travel of the collective and cargo to the Festival venue and back.

4.11. The following deadlines are established for participation in the Festival:

- Participants from Moscow and the Moscow region - one day;

- Nonresident participants - three days: the first day - arrival of the team and check-in at the hotel, second day - development of the site and performance, third day - departure of the team.

  4.12. Additional and other conditions for the participation of creative teams in the Festival Events are agreed upon separately, taking into account the specifics of creative projects and the availability of a budget to finance the Festival Events.

 4.13. The Directorate of the Festival concludes an Agreement with each participant of the Festival, which sets out the organizational, technical and financial conditions of participation in the Festival.

 4.14. Payment of fees for participation in the Festival to theaters or their representatives is not provided.

4.15. Payment of royalties is carried out according to the conditions presented by the theaters participating in the Festival.

5.1. The Festival program includes basic, special, professional and additional programs. 

5.2. The main program of the Festival consists of performances based on the works of A.P. Chekhov, as well as from productions about the life and work of A.P. Chekhov.

5.3. The special program “Chekhov +” includes performances based on the works of one of the Russian or foreign writers and playwrights.  The name of the author is determined by the Festival Organizing Committee and announced in the information letter about accepting applications for the Festival.

5.4. The professional program of the Festival includes a discussion of performances with the participation of representatives of the Expert Council, leading theater critics, directors and actors of theaters participating in the Festival.

5.5. An additional program, including master classes for directors and actors, lectures, acting workshops and directing laboratories, thematic meetings and events, is formed by the Organizing Committee of the Festival.