The Most Realistic Magic: "The Master and Margarita" Arrives in China!
By HUO Xiangzheng (霍相正)
【Editor’s Note: In this reflective piece, the author shares an encounter with Mika, a Russian woman who considers Bulgakov and Sholokhov among the few Soviet writers whose relevance endures. Their conversation underscores Bulgakov’s unique legacy, centered on themes of compassion and liberation from cowardice—a rarity in Soviet literature. "The Master and Margarita," Bulgakov's magnum opus, exemplifies this ethos. Though unpublished in his lifetime, it launched a wave of magical realism, reaching artistic circles globally. Despite its complex history in the USSR, "The Master and Margarita" has become a cultural icon, inspiring adaptations worldwide, including the recent Chinese production by St. Petersburg's Maly Drama Theatre, directed by Grigory Kozlov. This production, featuring 28 actors in 155 roles, adds a dynamic perspective to the novel's layered worlds. Its debut reflects the ongoing international fascination with Bulgakov’s vision, transcending cultural and temporal boundaries.】
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"Wow! The best of Bulgakov! Then you definitely should go back," said Mika, a girl from Moscow. "And you should do some homework in advance."
In the golden autumn of Azerbaijan, three men and a woman sharing a table invited me to join their Transcaucasian adventure. I politely but firmly declined, explaining that I had to return home to await "The Master and Margarita" (《大师与玛格丽特》). If not for the pandemic, it should have appeared in Chinese theaters four years ago.
Mika told me that even as someone from an intellectual family and a humanities graduate from a top ten Russian university, most Soviet-era writers were barely known to her. "I might have heard of them from my parent's bookshelves, but both my high school and university teachers plainly told us that their value vanished with their era; there's no need to spend time on them." But there are two exceptions—Sholokhov and Bulgakov.
This reminded me of the "Collected Plays of Bulgakov" (《布尔加科夫剧作集》) in my backpack, my travel companion on this trip. In the translator Professor Zhou Xianglu's postscript, she mentions that while she was a visiting scholar at the University of St. Petersburg, a kind teacher advised her: "If during the exam you draw a question you can't answer, don't worry about it—just chat with the teacher about Bulgakov. Usually, they'll let you pass."
Mika's words were partially confirmed in a bookstore in Baku. Among the countries that emerged from the former Soviet Union, Azerbaijan's relationship with the old big brother is moderate—neither particularly good nor bad. Regarding the latter's dominant culture, while cutting ties isn't realistic or economical, there's always a subtle apprehension. Therefore, in the bookstore's "Foreign Literature" section, apart from golden-age masters like Pushkin, Tolstoy, Turgenev, and Dostoevsky, the Soviet era is often represented only by these two—standing shoulder to shoulder on the same shelf level as contemporaneous European literary giants like Thomas Mann and Kafka.
Coincidentally, the play "Quiet Flows the Don" (《静静的顿河》) by Sholokhov, brought by the St. Petersburg Maly Drama Theatre and directed by Kozlov, was the last heavyweight performance many Chinese audiences, including myself, saw before the pandemic in 2019, and the first they experienced after the pandemic in 2023. This "most" is justified in terms of the original work's classic value or the production's eight-hour length and over a hundred characters. Even more coincidentally, this newfound travel companion of mine had earlier sat in a Moscow audience, weeping like me as the protagonist, having been through everything, watched his lover die in his arms, and abandoned everything.
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Sholokhov's value, transcending time and systems, lies in his portrayal of people as concrete, flesh-and-blood beings with conscience, surpassing class and factional attributes in the former Soviet Union. Compared to him, Bulgakov, who was not particularly successful in his lifetime, went even further down this path. Recognizing that "man's greatest trait is cowardice," including himself, he chose to bravely pity and forgive others, thereby liberating himself and completing the ascension from the kingdom of necessity to the kingdom of freedom.
As for the process by which the author expresses his heartfelt ideals through "The Master and Margarita," it is incredibly magnificent and strange. While it sealed the coffin of Russia's Silver Age of literature, it also opened Pandora's box of magical realism worldwide. However, it wasn't until thirty years after Bulgakov laid down his pen in the 1930s that the literary successors globally, represented by Latin American writers, began to skillfully wield this "weapon of mass destruction," making it a literary explosion that shook the world.
It's worth mentioning that Bulgakov, who died young in 1940, did not live to see the publication of this monumental work that gathered his life's force. Almost all of Bulgakov's works, including this most important one, were only "conditionally" published in the 1960s after the "thaw," often in abridged forms. Despite this, it didn't prevent it from being quickly introduced worldwide, igniting among artistic youth in Europe and America. Even in Tokyo's Tokiwa-so, where Japanese manga artists congregated, "The Master and Margarita" was a highly circulated reference book.
Therefore, scholars specializing in Japanese manga have pointed out it's hard to say whether Fujiko Fujio was a fan of Bulgakov, but in the third volume of "Doraemon," Nobita, after obtaining the "Anywhere Door," wants to see how he came to be, inadvertently causing a misunderstanding between his parents. Fearing "if they break up, I won't exist," Nobita "travels through time; saving others is saving oneself." Such a core idea became common in later literary creations, especially in science fiction. But before that, perhaps only "The Master and Margarita" had such a precedent in world literature—the genius writer "Master," through the power of the devil Woland, travels through time to personally forgive his character, the Jewish governor Pilate. This not only brings peace to Pilate, who was tormented for sentencing Jesus to death but also allows the Master to depart the mortal world for heaven without regrets alongside his lover.
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From the fourth quarter of 1985, when "Soviet Literature" magazine published the first three chapters of "The Master and Margarita," to 1987 when the first complete Chinese translation was published with an initial print run of 16,000 copies, and to now, with over twenty translations circulating domestically, including versions titled "Moscow's Shadows" and "The Devil Arrives," the work has had a steady presence in China. In 1996, Yu Hua, who had just stirred the literary world with "To Live" (《活着》), expressed his admiration for Bulgakov and his masterpiece in "Reading" magazine, sparking a moderate Bulgakov craze. I was a high school student then and spent a semester's worth of weekends—specifically, the time between tutoring classes and Jia-A League soccer matches—half-leaning against bookstore shelves, reading page by page "The Master and Margarita," "Heart of a Dog" (《狗心》), and "Fatal Eggs" (《不详的蛋》), books that were clearly beyond what my pocket money could afford.
Since "The Master and Margarita" has been an evident subject in China for forty years, with "steady streams and occasional surges," there's no need to elaborate on the plot. However, the homonymous play making its debut in China, like "Quiet Flows the Don," is also brought by the St. Petersburg Maly Drama Theatre and directed by Kozlov. He leads his senior students from the State Theatre Arts Academy in a "production-education-research" integrated work. Compared to previous adaptations in film, TV, musicals, and theater circulated online and elsewhere, what new elements or compelling reasons does this production offer? This is the question Chinese audiences are most concerned about—after all, on October 26 or 27, from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., subtracting a two-hour intermission and meal break, they'll have to be "nailed" to their seats at the Capital Theatre for a full eight hours, much like Jesus on the cross in the play. Such an ordeal must be worthwhile.
The most acclaimed aspect of the original work is its four-dimensional space setting between magic and reality: the real world where the protagonist "Master" lives; the bizarre events caused by the devil Woland and his "mischief squad" in the real world; the magical realm entered by the heroine Margarita to save her lover; and the Judean province of the Roman Empire around the time of Jesus's life and death, as depicted in the Master's writing. This inherent drama, in a novel that Bulgakov, primarily an assistant director, playwright, and actor at the Moscow Art Theatre, didn't have the chance to adapt into a play, naturally lends itself to theatrical expression.
These four worlds are connected as if equipped with an "Anywhere Door," causing the plot to jump back and forth and giving many characters corresponding relationships. For example, Jesus and the Master (and even Bulgakov himself); the poet "Homeless" Ivan, inspired by the Master to abandon his previous eulogistic creations—paralleling Levi Matvei, who becomes Jesus's disciple and leaves his official post to become a wanderer; those who falsely accuse the Master of hoarding banned books to seize his apartment—mirroring Judas, who betrays Jesus for money; and the sympathetic yet principled mental hospital director—paralleling Governor Pilate, who is moved by Jesus but must execute him due to duty, causing his own conscience unrest. Therefore, previous adaptations have often featured actors playing multiple roles. In this production by the Maly Drama Theatre, 28 actors perform 155 roles. No matter how well you know the original character relationships, this new arrangement will completely overturn your previous understanding.
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It's worth noting that the process of introducing and disseminating "The Master and Margarita" in China also carries a touch of magical realism. Exactly forty years ago, Liu Ning, director of the Soviet Literature Research Institute at Beijing Normal University, was a visiting scholar in Moscow and wanted to bring back the book. He found that even on the black market, "The Master and Margarita" was not only as precious as gold but sometimes unavailable at any price. Liu recalled that the special supply stores mentioned in the book, exclusive to the privileged class and foreign guests, still existed in the Soviet capital. As a result, in the very place where Bulgakov's characters found it "hard to enter, and faces were stern," and where the devil's entourage exacted harsh retribution, a Chinese translator's dream came true—albeit using the old method of "we only accept foreign currency here."
From bringing back the precious spark through diplomatic channels in March 1985 to the serialized Chinese translation in magazines by the end of that year, and then to the domestic publication of the first complete edition in 1987, Bulgakov and "The Master and Margarita" have been inseparable from their first Chinese translator, Professor Qian Cheng (钱诚) of Beijing Normal University's Russian department. Interestingly, the first person to introduce Bulgakov's works to China in their original theatrical form is Qian Cheng (钱程).
"Not only 'The Master and Margarita,' but also 'The Days of the Turbins' (《图尔宾一家的日子》)—Bulgakov's most mature representative play as a dramatist—were originally scheduled to come in early 2020." The return after such a long wait deeply affected this veteran of China's performing arts industry, especially in imports. Just as "The Master and Margarita" sparked controversy in the author's homeland during his lifetime, its introduction to China also elicited differing opinions among censorship experts. "Perhaps this is, from another perspective, proof of the eternal value of great literary works transcending time and space."
Fortunately, the recognition and respect for this value eventually brought everyone back to a common ground and consensus. The performance approval was granted at the last moment; the troupe obtained their visas just in time and arrived in China within the safety buffer's limits. However, Qian Cheng still feels somewhat guilty: "We owe an apology to most of our non-Russian-speaking audience members because many subtitles are out of sync, and there are blanks in the context. We have to trouble you by doing more homework on the original work to minimize the loss."
Magical Realism Masterpiece
Bulgakov's Representative Work
A Panoramic Display of One of the 20th Century's Most Important Literary Works
"Great Drama in Beijing" 2024 Performance Season
Russia's St. Petersburg Maly Drama Theatre
Play "The Master and Margarita"
The Master and Margarita
Premiered on October 19-20, 2017
Four acts, approximately 7 hours and 50 minutes
A total of 155 characters performed by 28 actors
First Act: Ivan Bezdomny
Second Act: The Master
Third Act: Moscow and Evil Forces
Fourth Act: Margarita
Performance Details
The Master and Margarita
Performance Time
October 26-27, 2024
Upper Part: 13:00-17:00
Lower Part: 19:00-23:00
Venue
Capital Theatre
Ticket Prices
¥680/580/480/380/280/180/80
Student Ticket: ¥40 (Admission with valid student ID)
Director: Grigory Kozlov
Directing Team: Grigory Serebryany, Galina Bezgu, Marina Damineva, Vera Ratsheva
Set Design: Nikolai Slobodianik
Costume Design: Maria Luka
Video: Alexander Malyshev
Music Design: Vladimir Bechikovsky
Choreography: Yuri Vasilikov
Lighting: Dmitry Albru
Sound Design: Maria Belova
Chorus Master: Grigory Ugolov
Vocal Coaches: Grigory Ugolov, Taisia Kalinchenko
Speech Coaches: Alla Zimina, Lyubov Alfyorova
Assistant Director: Valeria Vasilikova
Performed by Russia's St. Petersburg Maly Drama Theatre
The original title of this article is "‘The Master and Margarita’ Arrives! The Most Realistic Magic," authored by Huo Xiangzheng (media professional, reader, and audience member). Original link: [insert link]