‘Anna Karenina’ – a play based on the famous novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy – opens shortly at Tel Aviv's Habima Theatre. It's a Hebrew production. The first lady of Russian theatre in Israel, Evgenia Dodina, is playing the

Founded in Moscow in 1918, Habima toured the world for several years before finding a permanent home in Israel.

Ilya Repin – Portrait of Leo Tolstoy

The recent Russian film festival and this performance of Anna Karenina has injected further Russian influence into the Israel cultural scene. Until 1967, Russian was the language of the Israeli stage but that changed when the relationship between the countries deteriorated. In recent years, as that relationship grows closer again, the Russian influence is returning.

Evgenia Dodina’s stage career began in the Soviet Union at the prestigious Moscow Academy of Theatre Arts. She went to Israel but continued to perform in Russian. When she got off the plane from the Soviet Union 20 years ago she didn’t speak any Hebrew.

“I think there’s no actress in the world who would say no to this role. It’s a huge role with no end. We’ve been rehearsing and rehearsing and I feel there’s still a deeper meaning each time we perform it. It’s not only about the character of Anna Karenina but the genius of Tolstoy,” she said.