St. Petersburg is a cultural capital, and, therefore, theatrical life is included in the circle of cultural components of the city. In St. Petersburg, a huge number of theaters are concentrated of different productions in genres, in the cast, and in traditions. There are also very young theaters. Both large and chamber ones work, well-known and not very. Among the famous theaters of the city with an interesting history is the drama theater of V.F. Komissarzhevskaya.
History tour
The history of Petersburg theater life dates back to the Petrine era, when a public theater was opened under the strange name of "Opera House" at the Moika, although at that time very few people had heard of opera in Russia. This theater was in German and was played there by a German theater troupe invited by Peter I to Russia. Until 1824, another theater worked in St. Petersburg - the sisters of Peter I Natalia Alekseevna. It was very popular, since the performances were in Russian, serf actors played in it and the themes were from the life of the Russian people. However, with the death of Natalya Romanova, the theater closed.
Under Anna Ioannovna, not only German but also Italian groups arrived in Petersburg, for example, led by composer Francesco Araya. It was then that opera and ballet entered the life of the northern capital, and a fairy tale began to appear more and more often as plots.
Under Elizabeth, the troupe from France was firmly established in the imperial capital, bringing comedy to Russia. And in 1756, Elizabeth signed a decree establishing the Russian professional theater. Its basis was the Yaroslavl Theater of F. Volkov, a merchant from Yaroslavl. And the first director was the director and actor of the theater of the land gentry cadet corps Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov, who himself wrote the scripts and staged plays to the music of F. Araya.
City or Blockade
Theater named after V.F. Komissarzhevskaya appeared in the city when he was already Leningrad. Its history goes back to the City Theater, which opened during the Great Patriotic War and the blockade. The basis of its composition was the actors Alexandrinka and Len. Radio. Then it included the actors of the Youth Theater to them. Bryantseva, artists of the propaganda platoon of the Red Army House. Due to the special role of the City Theater in the life of citizens, it is popularly called Blockade. For many residents of the city, the most famous actors from this troupe were V. Streshnev, I. Sonne, K. Mironov, P. Andrievsky, and others. And at the head of the theater was S. Morshikhin.
On the stage of the Siege Theater during the war years, the Musical Comedy Theater staged its performances, which is now nearby, here in Italian. This page of theatrical life was filled with cold, hunger, the howling of sirens and the roar of cannonade, and the eternal exploits of artists, directors and, of course, the spectator - a unique Leningrad spectator who remained in the unheated building even in the bombing.
Since 1944, the theater again changed its name to the Leningrad Drama Theater. The directors in it have been changing for a long time, the performances in the repertoire as well. He did not have much weight among other city theaters. The most famous performances of that period were: “The marriage of Belugin” according to Ostrovsky, “The parasite” according to Turgenev, Chekhov's “Three Sisters”.
Leningrad dramatic as a launching pad
Drama Theater V.F. Komissarzhevskaya when the Leningrad dramatic gave the start to many famous actors and directors in our time. From its walls came such masters of direction as A. Belinsky and I. Vladimirov. Here began their acting career: A. Freindlich, I. Dmitriev, S. Landgraf, etc.
A kind of start for the theater. V.F. Komissarzhevskaya was the period when M. Sulimov became its main director. It was then that the Leningrad Dramatic on Italian Street received the name of the famous Russian actress Vera Fedorovna Komissarzhevskaya. His next stage began with a performance dedicated to the great actress - based on the play by Maxim Gorky's Children of the Sun. It was Komissarzhevskaya who first played a central role in it.
Under the firm hand of Agamirzyan
Seven years later, the theater. V.F. Komissarzhevskaya became headed by R. Agamirzyan. It was under him that the most famous historical productions were carried out. Gradually in the theater. V.F. Komissarzhevskaya formed a permanent repertoire, the main productions of which they became. It has rallied into a single organism and a collective consisting of representatives of several generations.
Over time, innovative performances based on the works of G. Gorin, M. Shatrov and others were introduced into the repertoire.
The era of Novikov
History of the theater. V.F. Komissarzhevskaya in our time is the era of the new director V. Novikov. In our time, the theater’s directors have become quite diverse, and the repertoire has become even more diverse. His team is open to new European and world trends. Participates in the NETA program. His tours are very extensive - Israel, Albania, Macedonia, USA, Germany, as well as in different parts of the Russian Federation.
Now the Komissarzhevskaya Theater is one of the most visited in St. Petersburg. It is also attractive because it is located on the second floor of the famous Passage building, built in the XIX century. in the fashion of that time. If you look from the central alley of the store, you can see the lobby of the theater.