[Mikhail Bulgakov. The Days of the Turbins]. Mikhail Bulgakov. Dni Turbinykh. Playbill.

Moskva, 1-ia Obraztsovaia tip. Ogiza RSFSR tresta “Poligrafkniga”, 1936.
8vo, [4] pp.

In good condition, folded, small tears along horizonal folds, stains, owner marks.

'The Days of the Turbins' was Bulgakov's only artistic work to reach a wide audience during his lifetime. One of 5 000 copies printed.

The premiere of the play based on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel 'The White Guard', about the Russian intelligentsia, was held on October 5, 1926. It was Bulgakov's first play performed in Moscow by the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT).
During rehearsals, representatives of the OGPU and censors frequently visited the theatre to hold lengthy negotiations with the author and director, suggesting various alterations. The play was approved for performance only at MAT, with no other productions permitted elsewhere. Roger Cockrell noted in his commentary for Bulgakov's translation: 'It achieved great acclaim, becoming known as 'the second Seagull', as the first performance of Chekhov's 'Seagull' at MAT in 1898 had inaugurated the theatre's financial and artistic success after a long period of mediocrity and declining popularity. This was a turning point for MAT, which had been criticized for only performing the classics and not adopting more modern styles of acting and contemporary themes' (Bulgakov M. Fatal Eggs. Translated by Roger Cockrell. Alma Classics, 2014).
In March 1929, all of Bulgakov's plays were canceled due to severe criticism in the Soviet press. However, in February 1932, following the direct intervention of Joseph Stalin, who regarded it as pro-Bolshevik propaganda, 'The Days of the Turbins' was revived. Performances continued until June 1941, when MAT's sets were destroyed in a fire. It is also important to note that in September 1936, Bulgakov left the Moscow Art Theatre after six years of work. This particular playbill is from the 1936-1937 theatre season. Furthermore, 1936 marked the 10th anniversary of the first performance of 'The Days of the Turbins'.