The Alexandrinsky Theatre
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Address: 1 Ostrovsky Square
Matinee performances begin at 11:30 a.m.
Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. unless announced otherwise.
The Alexandrinsky (Pushkin Academic Drama)
theatre troupe was founded in 1756. In 1832 the building that presently houses
the Pushkin Academic Drama Theatre was erected in honour of Russia's victory
over Napoleon. The theatre, designed by Carlo Rossi, is crowned by a quadriga of
galloping horses. The building is distinguishable from other architecture in
Saint-Petersburg because of its magnificent and simple style of beauty. In 1856
the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna instituted comedy and tragedy in this theatre
and ordered that the name be shortened to the Russian Court Theatre. The 19th
century also marked the renaming of the theatre group to, The Russian Drama Troupe of the Saint-Petersburg Emperor Theatres.
After the revolution the group became the Russian Drama Troupe of the State Petrogradsky
Theatres, and then the State Academic Associated Theatre.
In 1937, Russia commemorated the centennial
anniversary of Alexander Pushkin's death, and the building was renamed as The
Pushkin State Academic Drama Theatre. Since 1991 it has been called Pushkin
Academic Drama Theatre. Despite the theatre's name, in commemoration of Pushkin,
the theatre is more frequently called the "Alexandrinsky". This name dates back
to 1832 when the new building in the centre of the city was named after
Alexandra, the wife of the Czar Nicholas I.
BDT (The Big Drama Theatre)
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Address: 65 Fountanka River
Embankment
Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. unless announced otherwise.
The BDT troupe was created in 1919 when the group
began performing in the Conservatiore Hall. In 1920 the company moved to 65 Fontanka Embankment (the building of the former Suvorinsky (Maliy) Theatre), and
has remained there.
The goal of the BDT founders was to create a theatre of "classic tragedy,
romantic drama and high comedy", through the perfomance of works by Schiller,
Shakespeare, Mollierre, etc. By the middle of the 1920s their repertoire
consisted of plays by contemporary playwrights such as M.Gorky, N.Pogodin,
A.Faiko, Y.Olesha, and B.Lavrenev.
In the years of the Great Patriotic War (WW2) the
troupe was evacuated, but returned to Leningrad on the first train following the
breaking of the blockade. The first post-war decade was full of hardships, but in 1956 Tovstonogov became the head of the group.
His talent and work resulted in
the troupe's world-wide fame and popularity. In 1965 the group was entitled Academic. The following countries have witnessed the performances of BDT:
England, Scotland, Italy, Spain, France, Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia,
Greece, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Israel, Argentina, along with festivals in India
and South Korea.
Komissarzhevskaya Drama Theater
Address: 19 Italianskaya Ulitsa
Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. unless announced
otherwise
The theatre is known for its modern treatment of classical drama and unique productions of plays showing modern life. The theatre was established in 1942 when the city was besieged by German troops. Its premises form a part of the indoor shopping complex "Passage" that was constructed in 1848. The life and creative work of V.F. Komissarzhevskaya, the famous dramatic actress, is closely related to the theatre.
The Baltiysky Dom
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Address: 12 Alexandrovsky Prospect
Evening performances begin at 7 p.m.
The theatre is known to for its plays portraying
the moral
problems of young people that are of current topical interest.
The troupe was organized in 1936, while the building was constructed for the
purpose of housing this theater group in 1939.
Other Theatres
| Name | Address | Profile | Programme |
| Lensoveta Theatre | 12 Vladimirsky Prosp. | The plays staged in the theatre became famous through the integrity of artistic ideas and the skills of its actors. The theatre troupe was established in 1933 and performs in the building of the former Korsakovs' house which was constructed from 1826-28 by A. Mikhailov II. Such remarkable actors as A. Freindlikh, D. Barkova, M. Boyarsky, and A. Ravikovich unveiled their gifts on the stage of this theatre. | 7 p.m. |
| Maly Drama Theater | 18 Rubinshteina Str. | The Maly Drama Theatre has a more contemporary repertoire that has included "Claustrophobia", "Gaudemaus" and two heavy-handed inspections of Sovietism by Fyodor Abramov, "Brothers and Sisters" and "The House". People with a strong endurance may be interested in an eight-hour adaptation of Dostoevsky's "The Possessed" when it returns. | 7 p.m. |
| Molodiozhny Drama Theate |
114 Fontanka River Emb. |
Molodezni Theatre on the Fonatanka is known for its interesting repertoire. | 7 p.m. |
| Priyut Komedianta Theater | 16 Malaya Morskaya Str. | A small basement theatre, featuring a contemporary repertoire, that is popular among local theatrical types. | 7 p.m. |
| The Theater at Lieyny | 51 Liteynyy Prosp. | Some European classics are staged in this chamber theatre. The theatre group became popular by staging the plays of Russian and foreign playwrights. The troupe was organized in 1945. The building occupied by the company is the former riding school (dating from the 18th century) that belonged to Count Sherementyev, it was reconstructed in 1870. | 7.30 p.m. |
| Buff | 1 Narodnaya Str. | A theatre complex with three performance areas, hosts variety acts and semi-improvisational comedy with audience participation. Musical entertainment programmes in the Mirror Room and the Buffo Plus Hall. "Buffo"-style cabarets for adults and children. | 7 p.m. |
| Mironov Russian Enterprise | 75 Bolshoy Prosp. P. S. | A young theatre, which is quickly gaining popularity. Highly rated by audiences that have attended "The Kreutzer Sonata" by L. Tolstoy, "Oblomov" by I. Goncharov, "The Road to Paradise", based on B. Lavrenev's story "The 41st", A. Sokolova's play "Faryatev's Fantasies". | 7.30 p.m. |
| Satire Theatre on Vasilievsy Ostrov | 48 Sredny Prosp. V.O | Stages both classical and contemporary plays: "The Marriage of Figaro", "Dangerous Liaisons" and others. | 7 p.m. |
| Bolshoy Puppet Theatre | 10 Nekrasova Srt. | The productions are aimed at children from the ages of 13 to 16. | 6 p.m. |
| Comedian's Theatre | 44 Ligovsky Prosp. | A young company, well known both for their performances of classical plays (from tragedy to vaudeville) and works by contemporary dramatists. The most popular productions include: Ostrovsky's "Wolves and Sheep", Gogol's "The Marriage", "Count Nulin" (based on Pushkin's poem) and a traditional minstrel-type show for children entitled "The Village Passed the Peasant By". | 7.30 p.m. |
| Musical Comedy Theatre | 13 Italyanskaya Str. | The programme is of traditional operetta - from "Mr. X" and "The Queen of the Csardas" by Kalman and Lehar's "The Merry Widow" to musicals from the second half of the 20th century. Great interest has been aroused by a production "I Don't Know Any Other Country Like This (A Short History of the Russian Communist Party)". | 7 p.m. |
| Zazarkalye | 13 Rubinshteyna Str. | Musical theatre for children, founded in 1987. Since then the theatre has staged 25 productions (mysteries, opera buffo, Russian farces, traditional folk shows and musicals). It regards itself as a Family Theatre; the majority of the repertoire is directed at adults as well as children. | 7 p.m. |
Details correct at time of press. Please advise us if you find any changes when visiting St Petersburg.