T heatre in russia

Theatrical performances were not known in Russia until the second half of the 17th century. First theatres in Moscow are associated with buffoons' performances. In 1659 Russian ambassador Lichachev saw his first play in Florence: most of all he liked rapid change of decorations and wooden horses that were moving like if they were alive. After his return to Russia he suggested to Tsar Aleksey Mikchailovitch (1629-1676) to build a theatre in the house of Russian diplomat Matveev. In 1676 under the guidance of Matveev theatrical performances were being played in Preobrazenskoe – the summer residence of Tsar Aleksey Michailovitch. For that purpose a special mansion was built. German and some Russian actors worked there. For performances at winter time, in 1673 some place in Kremlin was equipped. In seventeenth century there were some private theatres in Kiev, in Novgorod seminary and at the bishop’s house in Rostov. All dramatic works of that time in terms of it contents could be considered as spiritual performances. The authors of these plays were Saint Dmitry Rostovsky, monk Semen Polozky. Abbey of Baturinsky cloister Feofan had written some comedy in poetry. After the Aleksey Mikchailovitch death his theatre was closed.

In the time of Peter the First government, by the Greek-Slavonic Academy an school theatre was organised. Since 1701 the school theatre’s performances in allegorical form about the tsar’s reforms, Russian army’s deeds and victories had been told.

In 1702 at the Red Square a theatrical building was founded. The theatre was supposed for general public that pieces of Moliere, Calderon and others was shown. In 1706 the theatre was closed as well but theatricals continued their life in amateur theatres.

As for constant theatre, such one was founded in Yaroslavl just in 1748, but in 1756 under the highest (tsar) order the theatre’s actors were sent to Saint-Petersburg where at the scene of national theatre people managed to see wonderful comedy presented by the best actors of the troupe.

By Moscow University in 1757 it was The University theatre opened. Since 1759 till 1761 the students group played. In 1780 a big house was built for the first Russian constant public theatre. Here, in 1783 for the first time was the comedy by D.I. Fonvisin “Nedorosl”. From the second part of eighteenth century the most famous become landowners’ theatres (Sheremetievsky, Yusupovsky) in which peasants played.

In 1824 for dramatic troupes the house of merchant Vargin was rebuilt and was called “Maly Theatre”. The plays by Shiller (“Robbers”), Shakespeare (“Gamlet”), Griboedov (“Grief through the Mind”). A new step of the theatre had begun from the pieces of A.N. Ostrovsky gave to the Russian scene a great variety of realistic national works.

From the end of 1860, contrary to the monopoly of empire theatres some attempts were undertaken to create private ones.

In 1888 “The Society of art and literature”, where young K.S. Stanislavsky made his theatricals, was found.

In 1914 A. Tairov and a group of young actors organised Kamerny Theatre the main idea of which was to bring up the actor, being in posses of all theatrical styles: from tragedy to operetta.

A lot of new theatres sprang up after the Great October Revolution: Meyerhold Theatre, 3rd Studio of MHT (now it’s known as Vahtangova Theatre), Theatre of Revolution (now called Mayakovsky Theatre), Theatre of Young Spectator and others.