On 11 October 2005 the 15th Baltiisky Dom International Theater Festival held its second ceremony to award the Baltic Star, an International Prize for Developing and Strengthening Humanitarian Links among the Countries of the Baltic Region. The event took place in the Hermitage Theatre.

The Prize was established in 2004 by the RF Ministry of Culture and Mass Media, the RF Union of Theater Employees, the St Petersburg Committee on Culture, the World-Wide Club of Petersburgers and the Baltic International Festival Center Foundation. The first prize winners were Polish film director Andrzej Wajda, Lithuanian actor Donatas Banionis, RF Minister of Culture Mikhail Shvydkoi and State Hermitage Director Mikhail Piotrovsky.

Four outstanding personalities in the field of culture who made significant contributions towards the development and strengthening of humanitarian links among countries of the Baltic region received the high distinction of becoming the 2005 laureates: Russian cinema director Alexander Sokurov, Honorary Ambassador of the Republic of Poland Eugeniusz Melcarek and director of the Hamburg Ballet Theater John Neumeier. In 2005 a new category of nomination was added to the Prize, "In Memorium," and Anatoly Sobchak was selected as laureate posthumously.

Alexander Sokurov

Eugeniusz Melcarek

John Neumeier

Ludmila Narusova, Anatoly Sobchak’s widow