The list of Russian theaters is useful to anyone who wants to learn more about the cultural life of their country. In Russian culture, theatrical art is highly valued, so strong troupes and directors can be found both in capitals and in the provinces. What theaters should be visited in the first place, we will tell in this article.
Mariinskii Opera House
The list of theaters in Russia, which you must definitely visit, is opened at the Mariinsky Theater in most ratings. This is the first musical theater in Russia, which laid the foundation for a whole era of Russian art.
The Mariinka is invariably included in the list of opera and ballet theaters in Russia and in the world, in which the most high-profile premieres take place. Historically, the troupe was founded in the 18th century, but before the revolution it functioned under the auspices of the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters. Until 1886, the building of the Bolshoi Theater was mainly used for opera and ballet productions. The current building was built in 1860 by the architect Albert Kavos in the Theater Square of St. Petersburg. The theater got its name in honor of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II and mother of Alexander III.
The modern Mariinsky Theater complex includes, in addition to the main building on Theater Square, another stage on the Kryukov Canal, as well as a branch in Vladikavkaz and Vladivostok.
For the last 30 years, the theater has been led by Valery Gergiev, who is also a director and artistic director.
In the list of opera and ballet theaters in Russia, in which it is necessary to take a ticket at the earliest opportunity, the Mariinka is not accidental. The repertoire of recent years has included such high-profile productions as the opera Attila by Giuseppe Verdi, Aleko by Sergei Rachmaninov, The Barber of Seville by Joakkino Rossini, the ballets Anna Karenina by Rodion Shchedrin, Petrushka by Igor Stravinsky and Iolant by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
The Bolshoi Theatre
The State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia is considered one of the largest in the country. He always ranks first in the list of famous theaters in Russia.
It dates back to 1776, when the provincial prosecutor Petr Urusov received permission from Catherine II to contain theatrical performances. The prince began construction of the building on the right bank of the Neglinka. However, the building burned down during the construction phase. The project was undertaken by the Englishman Meddoks, under whose leadership the theater, known at the time as Bolshoi Petrovsky, was built.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, the theater building was completely destroyed, a new one was built according to the design of Osip Bove by 1824. Throughout its history, it was here that the main premieres that determined the development of domestic theater art were held. That is why he is on the list of the best theaters in Russia.
Program productions - the opera Boris Godunov by Modest Mussorgsky in 1888, the Pskov woman by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1901 with Chaliapin as Ivan the Terrible, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Dmitry Shostakovich in 1935, the opera The Tale of a Real Man Sergei Prokofiev in 1960, the ballet Spartak by Aram Khachaturian in 1968, the opera Katerina Izmailova by Dmitry Shostakovich in 2016.
Now the theater is led by Vladimir Urin, artistic director of the opera Makvala Kasrashvili, ballet - Mahar Vaziev.
The Bolshoi Theater occupies a special place in the list of Russian theaters, it is believed that at least once in a lifetime every resident of the country should visit it.
Nowadays, the Bolshoi Theater retains classical productions and at the same time is constantly experimenting. For example, they stage ballets based on the works of Dmitry Shostakovich âBoltâ and âLight Streamâ.
Famous directors are constantly attracted to the production of operas , who managed to become famous with dramatic or film productions. Here we can note the experience of cooperation with Temur Chkheidze, Alexander Sokurov, Eymuntas Nyukrosyus.
When working with opera scores at the Bolshoi Theater, they tend to clear them of later notes, returning to the author's classic editions. It is worth noting that not all experiments end in success. For example, in 2005, the premiere of Leonid Desyatnikov's opera "Children of Rosenthal" ended in scandal. Moreover, this was largely due solely to the ambiguous reputation of the author of the libretto, prose writer Vladimir Sorokin.
Vakhtangov Theater
In the list of drama theaters in Russia, it is necessary to mention the Vakhtangov State Academic Theater. It was founded in 1921, located in Moscow on the Arbat.
The theater received the name of Russian and Soviet actor and director Yevgeny Vakhtangov, who put on his stage the first production - the performance of Maurice Meterlink's âThe Miracle of St. Anthonyâ. In 1921, the audience visited the birth of the Third Studio of the Moscow Art Theater, which later received its current name.
Vakhtangov died in the spring of 1922 at the age of 39 from stomach cancer. In 1926, the theater was named in his honor. He is in a special position in the list of drama theaters in Russia. Dozens of famous future theater and film actors came out of these walls. Boris Babochkin, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Vasily Lanovoi, Vasily Livanov, Sergey Makovetsky, Viktor Sukhorukov, Vladimir Etush, Yuri Yakovlev took their first steps on the stage of the Vakhtangov Theater. The list of Russian theater and film actresses who performed on the stage of the Vakhtangov Theater can also be compiled. This is Maria Aronova, Anastasia Vertinskaya, Nina Ruslanova.
The most famous play in his history was directed by Evgeny Vakhtangov. It was the play "Princess Turandot" based on the Italian fairy tale of the same name Carlo Gozzi. Over time, he became the hallmark of the theater.
Moscow art theater
The list of famous theaters in Russia is always called the Moscow Art Theater, which was founded by directors Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin Stanislavsky in 1898. For a long time he bore the name of Maxim Gorky, and in 1987 he split into two theaters. One of them is the Moscow Art Theater named after Gorky, and the second is the Moscow Art Theater named after Chekhov.
After a period of creative crisis, the theater came to life in 1970, when it was headed by Oleg Efremov. He managed to breathe new life into premiere productions, invite Innocent Smoktunovsky, Evgeny Evstigneev, Andrei Popov.
True, it was under the leadership of Efremov that two opposing groups formed in the theater. Experts noted that the staff has grown greatly, passing performances began to appear, and it was simply not possible to provide all artists with roles. As a result, the troupe led by Efremov formed the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, and Tatyana Doronina's supporters retained their historical name - the Gorky Moscow Art Theater.
Today the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater is located in Kamergersky Lane, it is led by Sergey Zhenovach, and the Gorky Moscow Art Theater is led by Doronina.
Maly Theater
An important place in the list of theaters of the 19th century in Russia is given to the State Academic Maly Theater. It is one of the oldest in the country, plays a key role in the development of national culture. He appeared in 1824 in the Theater Passage of Moscow. It is considered one of the oldest in the country.
Now he is led by People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Solomin, who has held this post since 1988. It is worth noting that the modern generation of directors and artists rely on the rich experience of their predecessors and the traditions of the theater. Even today, the basis of the repertoire is Ostrovskyâs plays, which were very popular in the 19th century.
It is interesting that at the beginning of the 20th century, the production of Chekhovâs works did not work out on the stage of the Maly Theater, only funny vaudeville came, but now the situation has changed radically. An important place in the poster is occupied by "Uncle Vanya", "Cherry Orchard", "Seagull". His special calling card is the historical trilogy of Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy, which includes the plays Tsar Boris, Tsar Ivan the Terrible and Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. The composer Sviridov specially composed music for the Maly Theater, which sounds in these performances.
Among foreign classics, most often you can see on the stage the works of Strindberg, Schiller, Scribe. In the list of Russian theaters, the Maly Theater remains a favorite among many admirers of this art.
Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater
As already noted, often provincial theaters are in no way inferior to the capital's. A classic example is the Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater, which is included in the list of ballet theaters in Russia, where you can find the most significant productions.
The theater was founded in 1912 in a building designed by engineer Semenov. In the mid-1920s, the theater attracted attention with the productions of director Alexander Ulukhanov. These are the opera Wind and The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Then, mainly works by Soviet authors appeared in the repertoire.
It is worth noting the ballets âRed Poppyâ, âBakhchisarai Fountainâ, âDoctor Aibolitâ, âYoung Lady and the Hooliganâ, âLeft-Handedâ, âLittle Humpbacked Horseâ, âServant of Two Mastersâ.
He occupies a special place in the list of opera houses in Russia, thanks to Eagle Riot, Decembrists, Emelyan Pugachev, and the Prophet.
Children's musical theater named after N.I. Sats
One of the first in the list of musical theaters in Russia is the Children's Musical Theater named after the first woman in the world - opera director Natalia Sats.
The theater considers its date of birth November 21, 1965, when the premiere of the opera Morozko by Mikhail Krasev took place. At first, the theater did not have its own stage, but then he moved to the building of the former Slavic Bazaar Hotel. In 1979, he had his own premises on Vernadsky Avenue. He was crowned by the figure of the Blue Bird, which became the symbol of the theater.
The repertoire includes dramatic productions, ballets and operas. For example, Cinderella, Cat House, Lord of the Flies, Prince and the Pauper, Cipollino, The Nutcracker, The Snow Queen, and Son of the Regiment. Now the director of the theater is Georgy Isahakyan.
Bolshoi Puppet Theater
In the list of Russian puppet theaters, one of the most notable is the Bolshoi Puppet Theater in St. Petersburg. He began working in 1931 on the basis of the House of Communist Parenting. The premiere performance was the play "Incubator". It all started with three actors, one musician and artist.
During the siege of Leningrad, the theater performed in factory halls, in hospitals, in military units and call points. In 1941, the artists arranged a Christmas tree for the children left in the besieged city. In February 1942, he was evacuated to Novosibirsk.
Since April 2006, the theater has been led by the main director Ruslan Kudashov. Among the famous actors Valery Kiselev, Vladimir Kukushkin, Ilya Alperovich.
Lenkom
The famous metropolitan drama theater Lenkom was founded in 1927 as the Theater of Working Youth. In 1937, he was combined with the theater studio of Ruben Simonov.
From 1938 to 1951, the theater was directed by Ivan Bersenev, and after his death for 12 years they could not find a permanent leader in Lenkom. The number of regular viewers during this period significantly decreased, in 1963 Anatoly Efros became the main director, who led a galaxy of famous actors - Mikhail Derzhavin, Alexander Shirvindt, Alexander Zbruev, Lev Durov, Valentin Gaft, Olga Yakovlev.
The performances of Efros "104 pages about love", "On the wedding day", "My poor Marat", "Moliere", "Filming", returned the audience to the hall. But his work was not appreciated by the party leadership, which suspended Efros three years later for the incorrect formation of the repertoire.
Since 1973, the theater has been led by Mark Zakharov. His first major production was "Til Uhlenshpigel", in which Nikolai Karachentsev, Inna Churikova performed vivid roles. Loud premieres in Lenkomâs repertoire were productions of âThe Star and Death of Joaquin Murietaâ, âJuno and Avosâ.
In 2016, several premieres took place on the Lenkom stage at once, which were discussed by the whole theater in Moscow. According to the tale of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, âThe Little Princeâ, the play âThe strange people are these adultsâ was staged, the audience could also see âTelluriaâ and âDay of the Oprichnikâ based on the works of Vladimir Sorokin, âWalpurgis Nightâ by Gustav Meyrink.
In 2017, Lenkom's famous play "Juno and Avos" was played for one and a half thousand times.
Taganka Theater
In 1946, the Moscow Taganka Theater was formed, which in Soviet times was one of the main centers of concentration of free culture. This is largely due to Yuri Lyubimov, who led the theater in 1964.
On the stage of the Taganka Theater, Lyubimov began to realize the ideas of the "epic theater" of Bertold Brecht. He was attracted by the clarity of worldview, his attitude to life and the aesthetics of the theater. It is symbolic that on the day of his appointment as artistic director Lyubimov hung three portraits in the lobby: Brecht, Vsevolod Meyerhold and Evgeny Vakhtangov.
Under Lyubimovâs leadership, the Taganka Theater instantly gained a reputation as the most avant-garde in the country. As in the early Sovremennik, they dispensed with a curtain in it, almost did not use the scenery, replacing them with elementary stage constructions. In performances one could often see pantomimes, a sign theater, and music was used in Brechtian style. For two decades - from the beginning of the 60s to the 80s, it was the country's most visited theater.
Among the premiere productions, the so-called poetic performances prevailed. For example, "Comrade, believe ..." based on the works of Alexander Pushkin, "Antimira" according to Ascension, "Listen!" according to Mayakovsky, âFallen and Alive,â dedicated to Russian poets and writers who died on the fields of the Great Patriotic War, âUnder the skin of the Statue of Libertyâ based on a poem by Eugene Yevtushenko.
Over time, prose works took the place of poetic productions. Full rooms were collected by the play "Mother" based on the novel of the same name by Maxim Gorky, "What should I do?" Chernyshevsky, âThe Master and Margaritaâ by Bulgakov, âAnd the Dawns Here Are Quietâ by Boris Vasiliev, âHouse on the Embankmentâ by Yuri Trifonov.
His most striking theatrical roles on the stage of the Taganka Theater were performed by Vladimir Vysotsky. Vysotsky played in most productions of Lyubimov, performed "Hamlet" in the Shakespeare tragedy of the same name.
Lyubimov left the post of chief director in 2011 for health reasons, he was already 94 years old, and three years later he died. Until 2013, the artistic director was Valery Zolotukhin, who died in March 2013 at the age of 71. Now the Taganka Theater is led by Vladimir Fleischer, who previously directed the Meyerhold Center.