Famous theaters of St. Petersburg: a list of popular stages

In St. Petersburg there are so many theaters and concert halls that would be enough for a small European country. Its inhabitants have always been known as theatergoers and music lovers, because their city 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.

Mariinskii Opera House

This scene, perhaps, is famous not only in St. Petersburg or Russia, but in the whole theatrical world. Open by order of Catherine the Great in 1783 as the Bolshoi Theater, it immediately became the focus of the cultural life of the city. All the high society came to the performances, and both domestic and invited foreign artists participated in the productions.

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

In the Soviet period, it bore the name "Kirov", but from 1992 it regained its original name, which was given to him in honor of the wife of Tsar Alexander 2 - Mary. In the repertoire of the collective as operas and ballets of Russian and foreign classics, and modern productions. If you compare all musical theaters in St. Petersburg, the list of actors who played in the "Mariinsky", as his townspeople call affectionately, will be the longest, and his orchestra, run by VA. Gergiev, is one of the best musical groups in the world.

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

Theaters of drama

Alexandrinsky is a St. Petersburg old-timer, founded by the decree of Empress Elizabeth in 1756 as a public theater for comedy and tragedy.

The building, which everyone now knows as the drama theater named after Pushkin, was built in 1832 by the great architect Carlo Rossi, and the name, habitually used by St. Petersburgers, he received in honor of the wife of Nicholas 1 Alexandra.

In the repertoire of the collective several dozen performances of Russian and foreign classics, and the opening of a new stage in 2013, equipped with the latest achievements of theatrical equipment, allows you to put the most fantastic productions.

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

The team employs 53 actors, thanks to their talent and skills, the Maly Drama Theater has received numerous awards not only in Russia but also abroad.

For those who love comedy

There are not many scenes in the world on which only comedy plays would be staged. The Comedy Theater (St. Petersburg) named after Akimov is just like that.

It is located in the building of the former trading company "Brothers Eliseevs". The theater was brought to the theater by its artistic director Nikolai Pavlovich Akimov. It was they who laid the traditions and manner of acting, which continue to bring success to the collective today.

If you look at other comedy theaters of St. Petersburg, the list can safely continue the only scene in the city in which comedies are placed in the genre of the musical. Founded during the reign of Nicholas II, this theater was to become a folk theater, the purpose of which was to familiarize ordinary people with art and distract from drunkenness.

In 1928, the Music Hall was opened here, the work of the composer Dunaevsky and the artist Leonid Utyosov brought great popularity to it. In 1936 the theater was closed for the dissemination of Western art, and its return occurred only in 1966. In the repertoire of the theater, the world's best musicals and modern music shows that gather at full length at any time of the year.

Theatrical life

It would be wrong to come to Petersburg and not to visit any of his theatrical scenes. After 1990, when art in Russia was able to become truly free of Soviet censorship, many new talented collectives appeared in the city.

If you choose a trip to the unusual theaters of St. Petersburg, the list can consist of numerous scenic stages, on which young talented actors experiment.

For example, the art-cellar "Stray Dog", known at the beginning of the 20th century, in which the creative intelligentsia and poets of the Silver Age gathered, at the end of the same century resumed its activity, becoming a place for solo performances and literary evenings.