Russia's leading theatre writer and critic, Anatoly Smelyanky graduated from the Gorky Pedagogical Institute, Kiev. He worked as head of the literary department at Gorky Theatre of Young Spectators, at the same time working as a theatre critic and historian. In 1975 he was invited to Moscow as Head of the literary department of the Theater of the Soviet Army. From 1980, he worked at the Moscow Academic Art Theatre - first as head of the literary department, then as Deputy Artistic Director. He is currently the head of the Moscow Art Theatre School and MXAT Associate Artistic Director.