The Raikin Theater. The Variety Theater named after Arkady Raikin

On the Great Stony Street in St. Petersburg there is the Variety Theater named after Arkady Raikin, the legendary Soviet satirist and humorist. In the building, which today occupies the theater, in the 19th century was a fashionable hotel "Demutov Traktir" with a restaurant of the highest category called "Bear" on the first floor. In the thirties, the popular tavern fell into decay and was closed, and in its vast premises the State Variety Theater was located. In 1944, the GTE was renamed the Theater of Miniatures and began to work under the guidance of the famous satirist Arkady Isaakovich Raikin.

Concerts at the forefront

The last year, before the end of the Second World War, Raikin's theater gave performances and performances on the fronts, and after the victory in May 1945, the whole company returned home. The creative process for the preparation of new plays began. And although the country was in a state of devastation, people came to the theater of Raikin, which became a resting place for the Leningraders after heavy trials and months of blockade. The troupe played several performances in Leningrad and a year later the theater went on tour in the USSR. On trips to Russian cities, it took four years, after which the Theater of Miniatures returned to the Great Stable Street in Leningrad.

The year 1957 marked the beginning of a lengthy tour of Western countries. The first country on the route was Poland, the country was well understood and appreciated humor and satire. Self-critical Polish people some satiricheskme impromptu Arcadia Raikin even took it personally. It was easy to work with the Polish audience, and the theater spent several months running in hospitable Poland.

In the first half of 1958, Raikin's theater visited Bulgaria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. From August to December, the theater gave performances in the GDR, Yugoslavia and Romania. Then the troupe again went to Poland, but the route this time passed through other cities that had not been visited before. From Poland, the artists traveled to Hungary, where they also visited previously unreached regions of the country. And in all countries visited by the theater of Arkady Raikin, the audience was primarily interested in dance or vocal numbers. Satire, for some reason, was of little interest to anyone. So Arkady Isaakovich reduced his solo performances to a minimum and dealt mainly with general issues.

After the European tour, the theater of miniatures spent some time resting, and then the actors began to update the repertoire, which for a long time needed new productions. A few years of fairly routine work, and in 1964 the Ministry of Culture of the USSR initiated the trip of the Raikin Theater to London, where several performances were to be shown to English audiences. In addition to appearances on the stage of comedy theaters in the UK, the troupe gave a series of evening concerts on national English television.

Before moving to Moscow

In 1981, the famous director Gennady Egorov was invited to the theater of Raikin, who successfully produced several performances, including "The Terrible Parents" by Jacques Cocteau, "Five Romances in the Old House" of the Leningrad playwright Vladimir Arro, and "Do not Say Goodbye" G. Mamlina .

Moving in

Soon the son of Arkady Isakovich, Konstantin Raikin, came to the Theater of Miniatures on Bolshaya Konyushennaya with a group of co-thinkers. Young actors managed to convince the master that the theater still needed Moscow and its future should be connected with the capital. Raikin did not think for long. It was decided to move to Moscow, and in Leningrad, too, leave it as it is, as a branch and under another direction. To speed things up, Arkady Isaakovich visited LI. Brezhnev and enlisted the support of the secretary general.

Branch in the northern capital

And in Leningrad began to work the Variety Theater named after Arkady Raikin under the leadership of deputy maestro. In 2008, the post of artistic director came honored artist of Russia, popular humorist Yuri Galtsev, who in a short time created a creative group of like-minded people, and then, as a result of common efforts, a repertoire appeared.

In 2010-2011, in the theater on Bolshaya Konyushennaya, major repairs were carried out with complete re-equipment of the auditorium and the stage. Replaced all the seats in the stalls, and in the foyer installed several special demonstration modules that tell about the history of the theater. The stage was also re-equipped with the latest technical equipment.

Performances in St. Petersburg

In October 2012, the director Nina Chusova turned to the classics and staged Moliere's play "The Imaginary Sick." Yuri Galtsev performed three roles at once, in this he helped the actor Vyacheslav Manucharov. The performance was successful and immediately won the sympathy of the audience. The following year, Nina Chusova started the production of another performance. Soon the Raikin stage theater included another production in its repertoire, it was the "Divine Comedy" of the St. Petersburg playwright Isidor Shtok. This plot was previously used with great success by the puppet theater of Sergei Obraztsov.

Did not forget the Raikin Theater and about the small spectators, for children in the repertoire was the classic "Kashtanka" based on the story of A.P. Chekhov, as well as the modern interpretation of the fairy tale "Cinderella". Director Yuri Kataev directed children's plays.

Moscow

In 1983, the Arkady Raikin Theater received the building of the former "Tajikistan" cinema. Premises needed a reconstruction, which lasted four years.

The Raikin Theater under the new name "Satyricon" has opened since 1987. The first performance was the production of Semen Teodorovich Altov "Peace to Your Home."

Care of the People's Artist

And in December 1987, on the 17th, the whole of Moscow mourned over the death of the popularly-loved satirist Arkady Raikin, who suddenly died on the 76th year of his life.

Guide "Satyricon" took over Constantine Raikin. The first performance, staged in 1988 by Roman Viktyuk, was a resounding success. It was a play by Jean Genet "The Maids". From that moment "Satyricon" loudly announced itself. The Arkady Raikin Theater continued the work begun by a brilliant satirist.

Development

In 1992, the theater "Satyricon" received the official name - the Russian State Theater "Satyricon" named after Arkady Raikin.

In honor of the 85th anniversary of the birth of Raikin Arkady Isaakovich in 1996, was set grandiose "Threepenny Opera" based on the play by B. Brecht. The director was Vladimir Mashkov.

In 1998, on the stage of "Satyricon" the director from Georgia Robert Sturua successfully interpreted Shakespeare's "Hamlet". The main role in the performance was performed by Konstantin Raikin.

The same Robert Sturua deals in 2002 with the production of the play "Signor Todero" by Carlo Goldoni. In the same year, director Yuri Butusov came to the theater from Petersburg, who directed the play "Macbeth" by Eugene Ionesco, written by a playwright in 1972.

In 2003, Konstantin Raikin first turned to Russian classics as a director. They put on the stage "Satyricon" the work of Arkady Ostrovsky "Profitable place."

The play based on the play "Snow Maiden" by A.N. Ostrovsky, published under the title "Country of Love" staged by Konstantin Raikin, became a kind of visiting card of "Satyricon" and the whole creative group.

In 2009, after a long break in the repertoire of the theater, the setting "Profitable place" with new performers of all the main roles is again returned.