Yulia Tsvetkova was the director of the Merak Children’s Theater in Komsomolsk-on-Amur until Spring 2019 when their original devised performance of “Blue People and Pink People” was censored. Yulia and the children explored gender stereotypes in the show. Their social justice theater festival was cancelled, and eventually the entire theater was forced to close. Merak Children’s Theater produced 9 performances under Yulia’s direction, including an anti-war play and a performance that addressed bullying. No complaints about her theater work came from parents or children involved in the theater—Yulia was targeted by homophobic activist Timur Bulatov, whose harassment and threats of violence became so intense that Yulia and her mother worried for their own safety and that of the children.

Yulia’s mother writes: “Many people ask, what kind of director is Yulia? She is awesome! Sincere, vibrant, bright, smart, strong, vulnerable, respected, capable of anything, impetuous, cool, thoughtful, intuitive, competent, complex, and filled with laughter.”

“Многие спрашивают, а какая Юля режиссёрка? Классная!!!! Искренняя, живая, яркая, умная, сильная, ранимая, уважаемая, всемогущяя, стремительная, крутая, мыслящяя, интуитивная, продуманная, грамотная, сложная, смеющаяся.”