# The Tragic Narcissus. The Clown Parade on the Metropolitan Stage. An essay on the history of the Russial criminal subculture

Vladimir Vladimirovich Zalesski

The Tragic Narcissus. The Clown Parade on the Metropolitan Stage. An essay on the history of the Russial criminal subculture.


Several lines of events led to the production of the play "The Tragic Narcissus".


In a one of the lines was an event - the Golunov case (a mini model of the Belarusian events of August-September 2020, - without a power scenario, without leaders and without Western support - but with suddenness, massiveness, good energy and a positive moral basis). In this line, Khabarovsk demonstrations and the Furgal case followed a little later. The case of Tragic Narcissus was added to the same line.


The independent line of events was, connected with increasing public attention to the Russial criminal subculture, to its characters and to its state budget money.


Different lines of events had crossed. The Theater Reservoir turned out in front of a public in all its ugliness.


For many reasons, the interests of many influential people are associated with the Theater Reservoir.


A mysterious talent with supernatural fees was found for the popular production of the play on the Metropolitan Stage. Or, perhaps, the collective abilities of the creative state budget community have united, creating the effect of a 'collective director'.


The Mega-Director began organizing the production of the play "The Tragic Narcissus" on the Metropolitan Stage.


The best creative forces of budget media organizations were thrown into the coverage of the trial.


State bodies allowed to use urban areas adjacent to the administrative building for various kinds of performances. There were "folk representatives", black magicians, sorcerers, shamans, soothsayers, drummers and so on ...


Some people began to sell tickets on the Internet for visiting formal procedures with the participation of the Tragic Narcissus. But this was perceived by the Mega-Director as an excess and was suppressed.


Representatives (lawyers) of Tragic Narcissus took manoeuvres of media as a truthful affairs. They, although people and experienced - but in their own legal sphere - took the media enthusiasm guilelessly. They did not realize that the Mega-Director was behind this whole production. They thought that they were dealing with positive public and media attention to the details of the trial.


Having lost their self-control, they began to play along with other participants in order to match the atmosphere of a fun holiday, and began to turn into clowns.


Gradually the events started to run on in buff-style of the Clowns' Parade (at least outside the official building).


In the center of this Parade of Clowns stood the figure of the Tragic Narcissus.


As a well-known specialist in preparing films for foreign film festivals and promoting films through these festivals would say (he recently received a special prize for general services to cinema; he depicted that this prize was received for an insignificant film, - the stylistics of the masters of the famous street game to facilitate passers-by), - "The Tragic Narcissus" is a plot borrowed from ancient Greek mythology.


Meanwhile, Furgal's case continued with little or without any media coverage. Other significant stories related to road accidents appeared - they also remained practically without any media coverage.


On the situation with Navalny, the media were forced to provide information. But the right key they could not found. Mega-Director was not found for this media event (was the salary for a director of such level, maybe, too much? There were not enough funds for two directors? Or the corresponding director exists in the singular, and he was busy staging the play "The Tragic Narcissus" ?).


At first, they tried to combine a silencing with a citing State Wisdom - about the Belarusian events.


Media campaigns related to the Fugrgal case, the situation with Navalny, and the Belarusian events were conducted either through primitive silencing, or received disharmonious coverage, without the correct tone, without the right style.


The play "The Tragic Narcissus" is a different matter. It was staged superbly. The audience knew in detail how the events developed, watched the Clown Parade with pleasure.


As a result, the Theater Reservoir was rescued for a public opinion. The main character, Tragic Narcissus, at the end of the performance has turned from a criminal actor into a victim, into a kind of hesitant Hamlet.


All that remained was to sympathize with this exhausted, distraught, deceived person who was caught in the grip of tragic circumstances.


Some clowns were publicly flogged to provide a buff style of the Clown Parade. A separate storyline was highlighted for a possible sequel.


The audience watched the performance with mixed feelings.


When the theater curtain fell, there were shouts, crying and thunderous applause.


The Theater Reservoir was rescued by Mega-Director ...


September 22, 2020 07:03


Translation from Russian into English: September 22, 2020 19:44.

Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Трагический Нарцисс. Постановка Парада Клоунов на Столичной Сцене. Очерк истории российской криминальной субкультуры'.