Twist in tale as oligarch Alexander Lebedev boosts Hampstead Theatre's Chekhov home fund

HE is best known for buying up newspapers, particularly his takeover of the Evening Standard, which reportedly cost him no more than a quid. But Russian tycoon Alexander Lebedev has other pet projects he likes to splash his cash on – a fact the Hampstead Theatre found out to their delight this week.

The Eton Avenue venue recently ran a week of fundraising events linked to Russian writer Anton Chekhov to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth. The brainchild of actor Michael Pennington, it included a cast of well-known faces exploring the writer’s work. Among those who trod the boards was writer Lynne Truss, Bond star Rosamund Pike, Michael Frayn and Simon Beale. After the theatre had covered production costs, the ­proceeds were due to be handed over to a fund set up to restore Chekhov’s home in Yalta.

They were all set to hand over the princely sum of £30,000 – until the banking oligarch Mr Lebedev got wind of it all – and told staff at the theatre he was going to double whatever their final total was.
Mr Pennington told the New Journal: “It is a fantastic development. Just before final show on ­Saturday night I received a call from Mr Lebedev, saying he’d ­double whatever we raised.”

Mr Pennington added that the tycoon had already helped restore Chekhov’s home, and had also spent cash on the Yalta theatre.

He added: “We are obviously delighted he chose to renew and continue his support by backing our events.”
The neglect suffered by the ­property has been blamed on ­shifting international borders in the East, and has been used as a pawn in an international dispute between Russia and the Ukraine.  
No one at Mr Lebedev’s office was available to comment.