Maxim was one of the most celebrated directors in Russia. His artistic research into Soviet totalitarian culture and society led him to adapt for the stage the works of Boris Pasternak, Isaac Babel, Vladimir Sorokin, and others. Didenko has received numerous awards including the Golden Mask, National Theatre Award, Golden Sophite, Sergey Kuryokin Award, GQ Award, and Best Director at the St. Petersburg Theatre Awards for Young Artists. His directing credits include: Last Word (Berlin 2022), White Factory (London 2023), Lefty, Wozzeck, Slaughterhouse 5, Through the Eyes of a Clown, Red Cavalry, Kharms, Myr, Earth, Young Guard, The Idiot, Chapaev and Pustota, The Trial, The Circus, Ten Days that Shook the World, Heart of a Dog, Run, Alice, Run, The Text, and many more. After Russia began its war on Ukraine, Didenko, who publicly supported Ukraine’s resistance and made pro-peace statements, chose to leave Russia to preserve his artistic and personal freedom.