The Grammar of Silence

Russian director Roman Boklanov - who moved from Russia to Germany in 2022 - has created a work based on the experiences of people who have lived or continue to live in Russia as part of sexual and gender minorities. The starting point is conversations with LGBTQ+ people for whom displaying identity, intimacy, and belonging to a community have become increasingly dangerous over the 2010s - and for many, ultimately impossible.

The criminalization of LGBTQ+ identities in Russia has created a situation where mere existence can lead to arrest or flight. The work asks what remains unsaid in this silence - to friends, family, oneself.

The stage does not present interviews directly and has no traditional plot. Instead, memories, contradictions, and emotions condense into a visual collage: objects, puppets, shadows, and the physical expression of the performers.

The Grammar of Silence runs at Vuosaari Tilajakamo's Helsinki 98 stage from 29 September to 4 November 2026. The premiere is on 29 September at 19:30. Tickets cost 20-35 euros and are available through Fienta. Age recommendation 16+.