Internationally acclaimed German director Nicola Raab‘s praised Boris Godunovfrom 2015 returns to Olavinlinna after a 10-year break. The title role is played by Finnish bass Mika Kares.
The performance brings to the stage a large choir, strong visuals and the dramatic music of Modest Musorgsky, which is full of colour but also plays with light and shadow. One of the greatest classics of opera literature, this work is a powerful, intense and politically charged portrait of power and its downsides.
“Boris Godunov depicts moments from the last days of a man in power. Boris looks back, towards his own life,” says director Nicola Raab. “He asks himself: what have I done, would I do it all again or differently if only it were possible? This is the starting point for this guide,” she continues.
“Boris’s contradictions are, for me, the most beautiful thing about this role. Boris is a brutal political player and a paranoid madman, but in his civilian life he is very insecure and sensitive. On his deathbed, the most important thing for him is to try to extend his power by appointing his own son as the new Tsar,” says Mika Kares.
From Talvela to Salminen and Kares – Boris Godunov’s strong legacy at Olavinlinna Castle
Boris Godunov has a long tradition at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. The first performance of the work was already in 1974. Back then, the main role was sung by the legendary bass and former artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival Martti Talvela. In 2015, Matti Salminen bid farewell to the role of Boris on the Olavinlinna stage, which has been one of the most successful interpretations of his career. Now, a new generation of Finnish actors will take to the stage.
“Boris Godunov is one of the most powerful works in opera literature. To present it at Olavinlinna now is important – both artistically and in terms of cultural history. The work asks who gets to exercise power and with what consequences. Today in particular, the 550-year history of the Olavinlinna Castle and the real events of Boris Godunov’s time more than 400 years ago make us wonder how, with all the change and development, some of the problems of power have remained largely unchanged over the centuries. These are questions that we should pause to consider today. I am delighted that we are able to bring this impressive opera to Savonlinna with the help of Finnish and European artists,” says Ville Matvejeff, Artistic Director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival.
Finnish excellence in opera in the spotlight
The production of Boris Godunov in the summer of 2025 will be a special showcase of Finnish operatic talent. Boris Godunov will be conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk, a Finnish conductor who made his successful debut in 2024 at the Bavarian State Opera with Boris Godunov. In recent years he has worked with the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and NHK Symphony Orchestra. In addition to Mika Kares, Boris Godunov’s colourful cast of characters is rounded off by Finnish singers from the forefront. The main roles include Timo Riihonen, Tuomas Katajala, Arttu Kataja and Päivi Nisula.
Performances and tickets
Boris Godunov is performed in Olavinlinna castle:
July, 11th (premiere), 14th, 17th, 19th, 24th, July 2025.
More information and interview requests
Myy Honkanen, Myy-Promotion
Media relations
+358 40 574 3577
myy.honkanen@gmail.com
Konstanze Kaas
International media relations
+49 173 63 54 204
konstanze.kaas@operafestival.fi
