About US

Milana Severskaya’s activities:
- training with V.P. Dhananjayan, Bharata Kalanjali, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,
studying at Shyamala Surendran, Dharani, Cochin, Kerala.

In 1997, completed the course of studies with the Indian masters of arts.

Mandira (Milana Severskaya)

Since 1997, has been working in Saint Petersburg, Russia as an independent researcher of the cultural phenomenon of Natya;

- in 1997, set up the first in Russia school of Mohini Attam classical dance style (upon the blessing by Kalamandalam Kalyani Kutti Ammma); in 1993, set up the second in Russia school of Bharat Natyam classical dance (upon the blessing by Padmabhushan Kalanidi Narayanan),

- set up the only in Russia Natya Theatre. Produced authentic and experimental shows with own simultaneous translation of the dance body language (developed by Milana Severskaya).
The Healing by Love show (2015) received high appraisal by CID UNESCO. For the first time ever, three different genres from three different periods were merged: Shakespeare’s sonnets, Mohini Attam dance, contemporary and classical European, folk and traditional music.

- launched the Mandir musical project. Funded by donations, recorded six musical albums featuring the signature interpretation and adaptation of mantras (as a proto-language) and the Karnataka music pieces. In 2019, with the support by one of the Russian producing centres, all those albums were uploaded to the global digital media:

Album 1. Secretly About Love — Brahma Samhita scripture
Album 2. Aroma of the East — a solo album with cello
Album 3. Soul Travelling — mantras and poems by Zinaida Gippius, a famous poet of the Silver Age of the Russian poetry
Album 4. Offering to the Benevolent — Shaivic mantras and hymns
Album 5. Guru — mantras with harp
Album 6. Immersion — based on Swarajathi of Karnatic Music, Ananda Bhairavi raga and Ganapata from the Russian North — recital in Sanskrit accompanied by the Australian instrument didjeridoo

- lectures, films and TV programmes on Natya arts;
- regular morning practicing of Gayatri matra in Saint Petersbug;
- courses of Bharatanatyam, Mohini Attam and basics of Karnataka vocal;
- set up the Ashram of Arts project of arts as spiritual practices;

- Ms Severskaya supervised the publishing of the first articles on Balasaraswati, Bharata Muni, Karnatic music, mantra, Mohini Attam, nattuvanar, nattuvangam, Natya, Natya Shastra, raga, swara, talam, arangetram ,Kalanidi Narayanan, Narayana Menon Vallatol, Kalamandalam Kalyani Kutti Amma in the Russian Wikipedia.

- Ms Severskaya wrote the first books and essay series Practical Guide to Natya and had them accepted by the Russian State Library:
Book 1. The Art of Talam in Karnatic Music.
Book 2. Carnatic Music (guidebook/encyclopedia).
Essay series 1. Jatisvaram. Geetha. Swaradjathi.
Essay series 2. Varnams.

- Ms Severskaya is a member of the Expert Council of CID UNESCO (2016);

- full member of the Petrovskaya Academy of Sciences and Arts, Theatre and Music Department (since 2019).