Famous theaters of St. Petersburg: a list of popular stage venues

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

St. Petersburg has so many theaters and concert halls that it would be enough for a small European country. Its inhabitants have always been known as theatergoers and music lovers, because it is their city that is called the cultural capital of Russia. Among the numerous scenes there are both ancient, having their own history, and modern theaters of St. Petersburg. The list is headed by the "old-timers" of the Northern capital.

Mariinsky Theater

This scene is perhaps famous not only in St. Petersburg or Russia, but throughout the theater world. Opened by decree of Catherine the Great in 1783 as the Bolshoi Theater, it immediately became the center of the city's cultural life. All high society came to the performances, and both domestic and invited foreign artists took part in the productions.

Later, the opera troupe was transferred to the Circus Theatre, but after it burned down in 1859, a building well known today as the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theater was erected in its place.

In the Soviet period, it bore the name "Kirov", but since 1992 it has regained its original name, which was given to him in honor ofwife of Tsar Alexander 2 - Mary. The ensemble's repertoire includes operas and ballets by Russian and foreign classics, as well as modern productions. If we compare all the musical theaters in St. Petersburg, the list of actors who played in the "Mariinsky", as the townspeople affectionately call it, will be the longest, and its orchestra, led by V. A. Gergiev is one of the best musical groups in the world.

Today he has two more stages, he participates in numerous festivals, and his performances are always sold out.

Drama theaters

Aleksandrinsky is a Petersburg "old-timer", which was founded by decree of Empress Elizabeth in 1756 as a public theater for performances of comedies and tragedies.

The building, which today everyone knows as the Pushkin Drama Theater, was built in 1832 by the great architect Carl Rossi, and the name, habitually used by St. Petersburg residents, was given in honor of the wife of Nicholas 1 Alexandra.

The group's repertoire includes several dozen performances of Russian and foreign classics, and the opening of a new stage in 2013, equipped with the latest theatrical technology, allows us to stage the most fantastic performances.

If we consider the more "young" drama theaters of St. Petersburg, then it is worth mentioning the Maly Drama Theater, which was founded in 1944, but reached the world level only with the arrival of Lev Dodin as its artistic director. Today it has the status of the theater of Europe.

The team employs 53 actors, thanks to theirtalent and skill Maly Drama Theater received numerous awards not only in Russia but also abroad.

For those who love comedies

There aren't many stages in the world where only comedy performances are staged. The Comedy Theater (St. Petersburg) named after Akimov is just that.

It is located in the building of the former Eliseev Brothers trading company. The world fame was brought to the theater by its artistic director Nikolai Pavlovich Akimov. It was he who laid down the traditions and manner of acting, which continue to bring success to the team today.

If we look at other comedy theaters in St. Petersburg, the list can safely be continued by the only stage in the city where musical comedies are staged. Founded under Nicholas 2, this theater was supposed to become a folk theater, the purpose of which was to familiarize the common people with art and distract from drunkenness.

In 1928, the Music Hall was opened here, the great popularity of which was brought by the work of the composer Dunaevsky and the artist Leonid Utyosov. In 1936, the theater was closed for spreading Western art, and it did not return until 1966. The theater's repertoire includes the world's best musicals and contemporary music shows that are sold out at any time of the year.

Theatrical life

It would not be right to come to visit St. Petersburg and not visit any of its theatrical stages. After 1990, when art in Russia was able to become truly free from Soviet censorship, amany new talented teams.

If you choose to go to the unusual theaters of St. Petersburg, the list may consist of numerous stage venues where young talented actors experiment.

For example, the Stray Dog Art Cellar, known at the beginning of the 20th century, where the creative intelligentsia and poets of the Silver Age gathered, resumed its activity at the end of the same century, becoming a place for solo performances and literary evenings.