"The play does not encompass the entire Brothers Karamazov novel, doing away with the chronological storyline. It concentrates instead on the complex world of Ivan Karamazov's subconscious: the drama is derived from the hero's relationship with himself. The play examines a moment in Ivan's life that comes just before his final descend into insanity – a moment stretched in time and locale, filled with the torment and suffering that plague Ivan following his father's murder. The fabric of the play is torn and associative, memories rise paradoxically, interrupting each other. ... Not all of the novel's characters appear onstage, only those important to Ivan's self-analysis. ... The one that appears most often is Smerdyakov – the incarnation of all that is secret and dark in Ivan, his double and his alter ego, his punishment. Ivan hears two voices: that of the truth and that of falsehood, of light and of darkness. The challenge that he faces is that of temptation, the challenge of false idols, the shifting roles of God and Satan, of white turning black. When does one become the other? This is as important to understand today as it ever was, perhaps more than ever." – Valery Fokin on the production

The role of Ivan, which showcased Yevgeny Mironov's previously unutilized talent for psychological theater, became a turning point in his stage career.

(No longer in repertory)

Yevgeny Mironov's recognition for the role:

• State Prize of the Russian Federation, 1996
• Idol, a Business Circle Award, 1996