"Russian ironic poem"
Mikhail Lermontov "Tambov Treasurer"
Alexey K.Tolstoy "Popov's Dream"
David Samoilov "Strufian"

Few contemporary actors feel the literary word so subtly and know Russian literature so deeply as the People’s Artist of Russia Avantgarde Leontyev. He himself defines the genre of his theatrical literary programs as a “sounding word”. Evenings with Avantgarde Leontyev may be similar to the traditional “reading concert” in form, but in fact they are much more: it is also a conversation with an attentive and sensitive companion, offering an exciting journey into Russian literature, who knows better than others how to make the word voluminous, lively, strong and exciting, and how to discern unexpected meanings on familiar (and maybe unfamiliar - Leontyev chooses not the best known works) pages. How to make verbal literature an almost tangible reality, so fascinating that the viewer will forget about everything that was left behind the doors of the auditorium.

"With the poem "Tambov Treasurer" Lermontov, hot admirer of Pushkin, continues the genre of mocking poems by his idol" Count Nulin "and" The House in Kolomna". Exiled to the Caucasus war for fiery poetic response to the death of Pushkin, Lermontov, returning from exile, publishes " Tambov Treasurer "  written in Onegin stanza, in the magazine "Sovremennik", created by Pushkin. Satire by Alexey K.Tolstoy "Son of Popov" and David Smoilov's fantasy "Strufian" are brilliant examples of ironic poetry ... "

A.Leontev