The TERRITORIЯ is a festival of contemporary arts, a working and learning experience. The idea of its creation was born several years ago, with the launching of the State-assisted Action in Support of Theatrical Initiatives. The founders of the Action proposed to expand the award's boundaries and formulated the novel concept of a multicultural educational festival of the arts. Thus began the TERRITORIЯ International School-Festival, headed by an organizational committee of artistic directors comprised of Yevgeny Mironov (chair), art critic Roman Dolzhansky, actress Chulpan Khamatova, conductor Teodor Currentzis, actress Maria Mironova (since 2008), director Kirill Serebrennikov and Asst. Arts Professor Andrei Urayev.

The Festival's organizers introduced an unexpected and daring method of including Russia's theatrical youth into the international cultural context: raising a whole new generation of artists by exposure to, and interaction with, the notable events and key tendencies of the global arts culture. This is why for the last several years the Festival's chief participants have been theater and arts students of Russia and the former Soviet Union. They gather at the Festival to see innovative theatrical productions and hear cutting-edge musical compositions, to participate in master classes taught by prominent artists, to get to know each other as well as the guests and creators of the Festival.

The TERRITORIЯ is uncharted territory where there are no boundaries between the genres of contemporary art, where there is no place for prejudice and false taboos. Some will view its program as a cultural minefield; others will be off on a safari full of amazing artistic adventures.

In 2009, the Festival toured the city of Perm (September 10-20). The fifth TERRITORIЯ: MOSCOW-BERLIN took place September 11-18, 2010 in Moscow. The artistic committee introduced the Festival's audiences to the art scene of contemporary Berlin, and presented projects that best reflected the cultural ties between Russia and Germany.

In March of 2011, the Festival presented a special program as part of the F.I.N.D. Festival in Berlin. The Theater of Nations performed Alvis Hermanis' Shukshin's Stories. Director Kirill Serebrennikov presented his Moscow Art Theater Workshop production of Cutthroats based on his play co-authored with Zakhar Prilepin. There were readings of Aleksandr Molchanov's Killer and Vyacheslav Durnenkov's Exhibits under the direction of Andrea Moses.

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