Who built the Alexandrinsky Theater? Alexandrinskaya Square and Theater Street

Russian State Academic Drama Theater named after. A.S. Pushkin - the legendary Alexandrinsky Theater - is the oldest national theater in Russia. It was established by a Senate Decree signed by the daughter of Peter the Great, Empress Elizabeth, on August 30, 1756, the day of St. Alexander Nevsky. It was this theater that became the progenitor of all Russian theaters, and the date of its foundation is the birthday of the Russian professional theater. The establishment of the theater served as the beginning of the state policy of the Russian state in the field of theatrical art. For two and a half centuries, the Russian State Drama Theater served as an attribute of Russian statehood. From the day of its foundation until 1917, it was the main imperial theater, the fate of which was occupied by the Russian emperors. In 1832, the Russian State Drama Theater received a magnificent building in the center of Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg, designed by the great architect Carlo Rossi. This building was named the Alexandrinsky Theater (in honor of the wife of Emperor Nicholas I, Alexandra Feodorovna) and since then the name of the Alexandrinsky Theater has been inextricably linked with the world history of performing arts. The unique building complex, with a five-tier auditorium, a huge stage, palace front foyers, a majestic facade, which has become one of the emblems of the Northern capital, is one of the pearls of world architecture registered by UNESCO. The walls of the Alexandrinsky Theater preserve the memory of great figures of the Russian state, politicians, military leaders, and cultural figures. A.S. has been here. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, N.V. Gogol, I.S. Turgenev, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov, P.I. Tchaikovsky, A.M. Gorchakov, S.Yu. Witte, V.A. Stolypin, K.G. Mannerheim, many crowned heads of European states. It was here, at the Alexandrinsky Theater, that the premieres of almost all works of Russian dramatic classics from “Woe from Wit” by A.S. took place. Griboyedov to the plays of A.N. Ostrovsky and A.P. Chekhov. The Alexandrinsky Theater is a textbook on the history of Russian theatrical art. It was on this stage that famous Russian actors played - from V. Karatygin and A. Martynov to N. Simonov, N. Cherkasov, V. Merkuryev, I. Gorbachev, B. Freundlich. This stage was decorated with the talents of famous Russian actresses from E. Semenova, M. Savina (founder of the Union of Theater Workers of Russia), V. Komissarzhevskaya to E. Korchagina-Alexandrovskaya, E. Time, N. Urgant. Today, such artists as S. Parshin, V. Smirnov, N. Marton, G. Karelina, I. Volkov, P. Semak, S. Smirnova, S. Sytnik, M. Kuznetsova and many other outstanding experienced artists work on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater and young artists.
Over the years, great theater directors Vs. worked in the theater. Meyerhold, L. Vivien, G. Kozintsev, G. Tovstonogov, N. Akimov. The performances of the Alexandrinians were included in all world theater encyclopedias. Great artists A. Benois, K. Korovin, A. Golovin, N. Altman, outstanding composers A. Glazunov, D. Shostakovich, R. Shchedrin collaborated with the theater.
Since 2003, the artistic director of the theater has been a director with a European name, People's Artist of Russia, State Prize laureate Valery Fokin.
Among the great oldest national theaters of Europe - the Parisian Comedie Francaise, the Vienna Burgtheater, the London Drewry Lane, the Berlin Deutsches Theater - the Alexandrinsky Theater takes pride of place, serving as a symbol of the Russian National Theater. The theater has unique collections of scenery, costumes, furniture, theatrical props, weapons, and the richest museum funds, which can be exhibited both in Russia and abroad in the most prestigious exhibition spaces. During the 2005/2006 season. The Alexandrinsky Theater carried out a general reconstruction, as a result of which the historical appearance of the building's interiors was recreated. At the same time, Alexandrinka became one of the most advanced modern stage venues in terms of engineering. The grand opening of the reconstructed Alexandrinsky Theater took place on August 30, 2006, during the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the oldest state drama theater in Russia. In the morning, Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga consecrated the stage and auditorium of the theater, blessing the assembled actors, directors and theater workers. In the afternoon, the Marble Palace hosted the opening of the exhibition “Theater of Illustrious Masters,” dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the Russian theater. The opening of the renovated Alexandrinsky stage was the culmination of the anniversary celebrations. Among the guests were Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir, Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the North-Western District Ilya Klebanov, Head of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography Mikhail Shvydkoy.
The celebration of this anniversary has become the most important event of state policy in the field of theatrical art. Based on the order of the President of the Russian Federation No. Pr-352 dated 03/02/2004, the Russian Government Order No. 572-r dated 05/12/2005 “On the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian State Theater” was issued, in accordance with which the main events took place in Alexandrinsky Theater throughout 2006. In November 2012, the 180th anniversary of the Alexandrinsky Theater building was solemnly celebrated. The new stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater opened on May 15, 2013. The modern unique architectural complex of the New Stage was built according to the design of St. Petersburg architect Yuri Zemtsov on the site of the former theater workshops between Ostrovsky Square and the Fontanka embankment. The new stage is a multi-level space, including 4 halls of different capacities and a spacious two-level foyer; it is equipped with the most advanced lighting, sound, video and media equipment. The New Stage Media Center, an ideal venue for meetings, master classes and film screenings with 100 seats, has everything necessary to organize television-level Internet broadcasts; Many New Stage events are broadcast on various Internet resources.
The new stage is not only a modern stage for the oldest drama theater in the country, which produces 4-5 premieres during the season and hosts more than 120 performances. Over the course of three years, the New Stage has developed a reputation as one of the main cultural and educational multidisciplinary centers in St. Petersburg. The New Stage regularly hosts master classes and meetings, concerts, film screenings, exhibitions – 250 events annually. In the summer of 2016, another platform was opened to the public on the New Stage - the Roof, where meetings, poetry readings, concerts, and film screenings take place. In August 2014, the Alexandrinsky Theater was awarded the status of National Treasure.
In April 2016, the Alexandrinsky Theater was included in the register of the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.

One of the oldest in Russia, the first state theater Alexandrinka always arouses special interest among the public and close attention of critics. It has a special regard: it must correspond to the high rank of the imperial theater, and it has maintained this mark with honor for more than 250 years.

Origin

The reign of Peter the Great's daughter Elizabeth was marked by a surge in cultural life in Russia. In particular, under her rule, the entertainment industry demonstrates rapid growth, many private theaters are created, touring troupes of foreign artists gather, playwrights write the first plays in Russian. There is also a need to create a state theater following the example of other European capitals. And on August 30, 1756, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree establishing the first imperial theater in Russia. This is how the future Alexandrinka acquires its official status.

At first the theater was called Russian and served to present comedies and tragedies. The core of the troupe consists of people from Yaroslavl: who became the director of the troupe, and the actors Dmitrievsky, Volkov and Popov. Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov, who is considered the progenitor of Russian drama, becomes the playwright and director of the theater. The repertoire is based on French plays by Racine, Beaumarchais, Voltaire, Moliere, as well as works by Russian authors: Fonvizin, Sumarokov, Lukin, Knyazhnin. The main emphasis was on staging comedies.

Construction of a building

The theater was incredibly popular in St. Petersburg, but it did not have its own premises, it wandered to different venues, and it vitally needed a special building. But only 76 years after its founding, the Alexandrinsky Theater appeared, the address of which is known to any theatergoer today. There was originally a wooden building on that site, which was occupied by the Italian troupe Casassi. But later the theater collapsed, the premises were purchased by the treasury, and then severely damaged in a fire in 1811; the war with Napoleon distracted it from its problems.

But, despite the lack of funding, in 1810 Carl Rossi created a project for rebuilding the square. And only in the 30s, under Nicholas I, the question of building a theater seriously arose. Carl Rossi becomes the head of this process; he took the architects Tkachev and Galberg into his team. A lot of money was invested in the construction, and work began to boil: 5,000 piles were driven into the ground for the foundation of the building, but they still decided to save on decorations. Instead of copper and bronze, painting and wood carving were used.

The structure was erected in just 4 years, and on August 31, 1832, the Alexandrinsky Theater, whose address is Ostrovsky Square, 6, acquired a building built by the greatest architect of our time. Karl Rossi supervised not only the construction, but under his leadership the design of the square and the interior decoration of the hall was brought to life. The Alexandrinsky Theater, a photo of which is now in the album of every tourist who has visited St. Petersburg, is a monument to the great architect.

Architecture and interior

The Alexandrinsky Theater became part of a large-scale urban planning project in Russia. The front facade, facing Nevsky Prospekt, is made in the form of a deep loggia of 10 columns, on the attic of which the famous quadriga of Apollo is located. Along the frieze bordering the building are laurel garlands and theatrical masks. The side facades are decorated with porticoes of 8 columns. The Empire style building is a real pearl of St. Petersburg. The side street leading to the theater, now named after Rossi, was planned by the architect according to strict ancient laws. Its width is equal to the height of the buildings, and its length is increased exactly 10 times. The street is designed in such a way as to emphasize the splendor and grandeur of the architectural image of the building.

The emperor saw the interior only in red, but there was not enough fabric, and ordering it could greatly delay the opening. The architect managed to convince the ruler - this is how the theater received its now famous blue upholstery. The hall accommodated about 1,770 people, had 107 boxes, stalls, galleries and a balcony; its ingenious design gives it amazing acoustics.

Imperial period

In honor of the wife of Nicholas I, the theater was named Alexandrinsky. It becomes the center of stage life in Russia. Here the Russian theatrical tradition was born, which would later become the country's glory. After its opening, the Alexandrinsky Theater maintained its usual repertoire policy: mainly comedies and musical plays were staged here. But later the repertoire becomes more serious, it is here that the premieres of Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”, “The Government Inspector” by N.V. Gogol, and “The Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky take place. Davydov, Savina, Komissarzhevskaya, Svobodin, Strepetova and many others worked in the theater during this period.

By the end of the 19th century, the Alexandrinsky Theater was on par with the best drama theaters in Europe in terms of the power of its troupe and productions.

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a crisis that could not escape the Alexandrinsky Theater. In 1908, V. Meyerhold became the head of the group, who strives to create a new repertoire, but at the same time carefully preserves existing traditions. He stages unique performances: “Don Juan”, “Masquerade”, “The Thunderstorm”, which become masterpieces of the new theater school.

After the October Revolution in 1917, the theater was accused of glorifying imperial power, and difficult times followed. In 1920, it was renamed the Petrograd Academic Drama Theater, and it began to actively stage new drama: “At the Lower Depths” and “The Bourgeois” by M. Gorky, plays by Merezhkovsky, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Alexei Tolstoy and even Lunacharsky (People's Commissar of Education).

Thanks to the efforts of chief director Yuri Yuryev, the troupe has retained a galaxy of old masters, joined by actors of the new school: Yakov Malyutin, Leonid Vivien, Elena Karyakina. During the Second World War, the theater was evacuated to Novosibirsk, where the actors continued to perform performances. In 1944 the troupe returned to Leningrad.

The post-war and subsequent years were difficult for culture as a whole and for Alexandrinka as well. But famous performances still appear here, such as “Life in Bloom” based on the play by Dovzhenko, “Winners” based on B. Chirskov.

During the Soviet period, outstanding actors worked: V. Merkuryev, A. Freundlich, N. Marton, N. Cherkasov, I. Gorbachev and brilliant directors: L. Vivien, G. Kozintsev, N. Akimov, G. Tovstonogov. The theater does not lose its significance, despite ideological difficulties.

Back to basics

In 1990, the original name was returned, and the Alexandrinsky Theater reappeared in the world. The years of perestroika were not easy for it, but the theater managed not only to survive, but also to preserve the troupe and unique collections of scenery and props. Thanks to the efforts of Academician D.S. Likhachev, the Alexandrinsky Theater becomes a recognized national treasure. It is impossible to imagine St. Petersburg without this cultural institution. It is a symbol of Russian theater, along with the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky Theater.

Present day

The Alexandrinsky Theater, reviews of which are almost always written in enthusiastic terms, is trying to maintain its brand today. Since 2003, through His efforts, a theater festival of the same name has been held in Alexandrinka. Under the leadership of Fokin, a grandiose reconstruction of the theater took place. He ensured that the theater had a second stage on which experimental performances were staged. The best actors and directors work here. The theater sees its mission in preserving the traditions of the Russian theater school, supporting new trends and helping talents.

Famous theater productions

The Alexandrinsky repertoire always included the best plays; all the classics were staged here: Chekhov, Gorky, Ostrovsky, Griboedov. Today, the performances of the Alexandrinsky Theater are based on the best works of playwrights: “Nora” by G. Ibsen, “The Living Corpse” by L. Tolstoy, “Marriage” by N. Gogol, “The Double” by F. Dostoevsky. Each production becomes a global event. V. Fokin is very sensitive to repertoire policy; he says that there can be no random productions here. The theater's mission is to promote the classics, and the latter occupies a leading place in the Alexandrinsky playbill.

Alexandrinsky Theater Troupe

The Alexandrinsky Theater (St. Petersburg) is known all over the world. Today the troupe includes such stage veterans as N. Urgant, N. Marton, V. Smirnov, E. Ziganshina, as well as talented young people: S. Balakshin, D. Belov, A. Bolshakova,

A theater located in the very heart of St. Petersburg, a theater where Griboedov’s “Woe from Wit” and Ostrovsky’s “The Thunderstorm” were first staged, a theater that was called the “director’s Mecca” - directors from Meyerhold to Tovstonogov worked there.

Birth of the first Russian public theater

The decree on the creation of the “Russian Theater for the Performance of Tragedies and Comedies” was signed by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna on August 30, 1756. The first public theater in Russia, he earned the right to be called the father of Russian theater. At its “birth” the troupe was headed by Fyodor Volkov, and Alexander Sumarokov himself became the director of the theater! Even then it became clear that the theater would become famous and would gather on its stage a whole galaxy of stars from the theater world.

The Alexandrinsky Theater was called "the director's Mecca"

From pavilion to palace

In the middle of the 18th century, the Opera House was located in the Anichkov Garden, intended for masquerades and performances. The first theater building on Ostrovsky Square appeared in 1801. On the site of the wooden pavilion, architect Vincenzo Brenna erected a theater in which the Italian troupe of entrepreneur Casassi gave performances. After the infamous fire at the Bolshoi Theater in 1811, the architect de Thomon put forward a proposal to rebuild the building, but this was prevented by the war with Napoleon.

The first director of Alexandrinka was Alexander Sumarokov

Casassi Theater

However, the theater simply needed a large room. The famous architect Carl Rossi worked on the creation of the project for 11 years. The final version was approved only in 1828, the very next day a commission was created “to build a stone theater and two buildings behind it” and immediately began construction. In 1832, a new theater opened on the site of the old Maly Theater, an excellent example of the Empire style that reigned in architecture at that time. It was then that the theater received the name Alexandrinsky in honor of the wife of Nicholas I, Alexandra Fedorovna.

The Alexandrinsky Theater is named after the wife of Nicholas I

Under the shadow of the muses

A special feature of the building is the metal ceilings, which Rossi personally insisted on. Emperor Nicholas I had doubts about the strength of such structures, but the architect managed to prove he was right. The façade of the theater is decorated with a multi-column loggia, and the side facades are decorated with eight-column porticoes. The niches contain plaster sculptures of the muses Thalia (patron of comedy), Melpomene (patron of tragedy), Clio (patron of history) and Terpsichore (patron of dance). Where the muses are, there is Apollo, and this time we couldn’t do without him. The facade of the building is crowned by a quadriga of the god Apollo (the work of Vasily Demut-Malinovsky), which makes the Alexandrinsky Theater in common with the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

Glitter and luxury

The interior decoration of the theater differs from what Rossi planned - the architect dreamed of more decorations. Nevertheless, the hall already looked magnificent: carvings, gilding, painting, colored upholstery of the chairs (originally blue, but due to oil lamps the hall became smoky, and the upholstery had to be changed to crimson). Seats for spectators were located according to the then modern system of boxes in many tiers with an amphitheater and a spacious stall. In total, the theater could accommodate almost 1,700 people!

According to Russia's plan, Alexandrinka should have even more decorations

Hall of the Alexandrinsky Theater

Textbook of Russian theatrical life

Based on the history of the Alexandrinsky Theater, one could write a textbook on Russian theatrical life. This theater hosted the premieres of almost all famous dramatic works of Russian classics. This includes “Woe from Wit,” and “The Inspector General,” and “The Thunderstorm” (in total, 49 of Ostrovsky’s plays were staged on the Alexandrinsky stage), and even the infamous first production of Chekhov’s “The Seagull.” At the beginning of the 19th century, Griboyedov’s early comedies “The Young Spouses” and “Feigned Infidelity” were successfully performed on stage.

The premieres of almost all Russian classics took place in Alexandrinka

The emphasis during the performances was on the actors' plasticity, their external technique, and the combination of singing and movement. This is what led to the difference between the St. Petersburg and Moscow theater schools. Famous actors performed on the theater stage: Davydov, Varlamov, Dalsky, Strepetova, then Komissarzhevskaya herself! They worked under the guidance of the most talented directors of their time, for example, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Igor Terentyev, Nikolai Akimov, Grigory Kozintsev, Georgy Tovstonogov. Outstanding artists Benois, Korovin, Golovin, Altman and composers Glazunov, Shostakovich, Shchedrin also collaborated with the theater.

What's in my name?

Since 1920, the theater received the name “State Drama Theater”, and then, in 1937, on the centenary of the death of Pushkin, the theater received the name of the sun of Russian poetry. That is why the Alexandrinsky Theater is often called Pushkinsky. The official name returned only in the 1990s. During the Great Patriotic War, the theater worked in Novosibirsk; it returned to Leningrad only in 1944.

In 2006, during the celebration of the 250th anniversary, the grand opening of the reconstructed Alexandrinsky Theater took place. And from 2010 to 2013, work was carried out to create the second stage of the theater, which opened with a laboratory performance based on Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.” Today the theater is directed by director Valery Fokin.

For the needs of the entrepreneur Casassi. The establishment was named the Casassi Theatre. After the fire at the Bolshoi Theater in 1811, the architect Thomas de Thomon proposed rebuilding the theater, expanding its stage and hall. But this was prevented by the War of 1812.

Discussions about rebuilding the theater continued again after the war, when Emperor Alexander I returned to St. Petersburg. For the new owner of the Anichkov Palace, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, the space of the estate was put in order, but there was not enough money to rebuild the Casassi establishment. At this time, funds were used for the construction of the General Staff building. Despite the refusal to build a theater, the design of the square with a new building in the 1810s was drawn up by Carl Rossi, who was engaged in remodeling the interiors of the Anichkov Palace.

Rossi's project began to be implemented with the coming to power of Nicholas I. The Emperor wished to rebuild the square in front of the Grand Duke's palace, which was entrusted to the architect. On April 5, 1828, the project was approved, and the next day a Commission was created “to build a stone theater and two buildings behind it.” The commission was headed by N. Selyavin, vice-president of the Cabinet. Architects N. Tkachev and I. Galberg became Rossi’s assistants at the construction site.

By the spring of 1828, 950,000 rubles were paid from the treasury to the owners of the plots necessary for construction. Those who were in no hurry to vacate the place were forcibly evicted within one week.

For the foundation of the theater, about 5,000 piles were driven into the ground. The walls of the building were erected in the same year. In 1829, they began to install ceilings, which the architect planned to make from metal. This decision was opposed by General Engineer P. Bazin, who headed the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works. He expressed his doubts about the reliability of metal ceilings in a report to the emperor. Nicholas I created a commission to examine the project “for the construction of metal rafters and the roof of the newly built theater on Nevsky Prospekt, whether the walls and rafters will withstand the weight of the machines and whether this device will be dangerous.” Work at M. Clark's Alexander Iron Foundry, which manufactured these structures, was suspended. Carl Rossi and M. Clark were required to provide a model and explanation. In connection with these events, the architect Rossi wrote the following letter to the emperor:

"Illustrious prince, dear sir!
I had the honor to receive an order from Your Excellency, dated September 2, with the announcement that the Sovereign Emperor, having considered the opinion of General Bazin and other papers ... regarding the installation of metal roofs on the newly built theater ... deigned to stop all work on this device until further notice.
On this occasion, I take the liberty to convey to Your Excellency that when His Imperial Majesty deigned to approve my project for a new theater and chose me to build it, then through this I was endowed with complete and complete power of attorney, which I had the good fortune to justify by experience with what others had already produced by me buildings that are not ordinary, such as: the construction of a metal archive in the General Staff Building and the conical vault of a large arch connecting the General Staff building with the new building from the Malaya Millionnaya side. Now, to my greatest regret, I see that I am completely deprived of this power of attorney, and envy and intrigue triumph.
As a result of this, and so as not to darken my reputation, I humbly ask... to seek permission to complete the work begun on installing a metal roof, for me personally, together with Mr. Clark, according to our adopted system. Both I and Mr. Clark answer with honor and head that the said roof will not cause the slightest misfortune and that the entire structure will have the proper strength...
In conclusion, I will inform Your Excellency that in the event that any misfortune occurs in the said building due to the installation of a metal roof, then, as an example for others, let me be immediately hanged from one of the rafters..." [Quoted from: 2, p. 528]

After inspecting the finished metal structures at Clark’s plant on September 19, 1829, Nicholas I announced the decision: “... continue the stone construction of walls for a metal roof and immediately put several iron rafters for the roof for testing, and also put cast iron rafters above the stage after finishing them experience in advance at the factory..." The test consisted of checking the strength of the rafters by hanging a load weighing 40 tons on each of them. Thus, Rossi’s project was nevertheless accepted for execution.

The project for decorating the hall was not fully realized. The architect intended it to be more elegant than what was executed. Bronze and copper were replaced with wood carvings and artistic painting. This decision was made due to the lack of funds that were going to the needs of the army at that time. The decoration of the auditorium based on Rossi's sketches was created by Okhta carvers, stucco masters N. Sipyagin and M. Sokolov, and artists the Dodonov brothers.

Nicholas I wanted to see the auditorium upholstered in red fabric. Rossi announced to the emperor that there was no such thing in stock, and if one waited for its purchase, it would not be possible to open the theater on time. Thus, Rossi achieved the realization of his plan - to decorate the auditorium with blue upholstery.

The grand opening of the theater took place on August 31, 1832. The next day the newspapers wrote:

"This huge, elegant, majestic building was built by the architect Rossi. The hall contains five tiers of boxes, except for benoirs. There are 242 chairs, located in nine tiers. Behind the chairs rise like an amphitheater, to the boxes of the first tier, the so-called seats behind the chairs (number 182 ), numbered benches, very comfortable for spectators and listeners... The performance opened with the tragedy “Pozharsky, or the Liberation of Moscow” and a Spanish divertissement, that is, various Spanish dances [Cit. from: 2, p. 530].

The theater was named after the wife of Emperor Nicholas I, Alexandra Feodorovna. Since then it has been called "Alexandrinka". The building became part of the unified architectural ensemble of Ostrovsky Square. Above the colonnade, the facade of the theater is decorated with a quadriga, ruled by the god of arts Apollo. The author of the sculpture is S. S. Pimenov. Apollo's quadriga was made by craftsmen from the Aleksandrovsky plant. For this work, masters Pyotr Katerinin and Pyotr Odintsov, as well as apprentice Rogozin, received silver medals on Annin ribbons, and master Andrei Malikov received a gold medal.

The Alexandrinsky Theater was initially under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Imperial Household. Its Rossi walls were painted light grey.

In the year of the opening of the Alexandrinsky Theater, on the basis of an imperial order, the management provided Carl Rossi with free and eternal use of a ticket to box No. 14 of the second tier. On January 14, 1837, the director of the imperial theaters, Gedeonov, reported to the Minister of the Court:

".... Mr. Rossi asked the management if she would like to take this box away from him, and pay him money for it.
Due to the unknown whether Mr. Rossi still has the right to make such a transfer of a lodge without special permission... I did not dare to accept his proposals.
But this box is occupied at almost all performances by various persons from the audience, and as admission into it... is always done with a special ticket issued to it by Mr. Rossi, it was discovered that with this ticket a person was sent to the theater, who sold it in the corridor I’m telling this in places about solitary people of all kinds... This person who was sent was not only confirmed many times not to do this again, but even... for this reason he was detained in the theater with the announcement that if he continued such actions in the future, then.. will be forwarded to the police.
Despite this, however, it turned out that during the performance that took place on January 10, seven people of various kinds were admitted into the box in the same way, of whom there was a quarrel and a fight between two, during the investigation of which the police turned out that among those sitting in this box there were nobles or officials, as well as serfs..." [Quoted from: 2, 548]

After this incident, Rossi was announced that the next similar incident would result in him being deprived of his ticket.

Once upon a time, on the days of theatrical premieres and benefit performances, a long line of carriages and carriages lined up at the entrance to Alexandrinka. Among the “golden youth” of that time, it was indecent to walk to the theater, so enterprising cab drivers specially parked their carriages near the theater, on Nevsky Prospekt. From there the young people drove up to their destination.

On the eve of 1849, Nicholas I wanted to update the decoration of the auditorium of the Alexandrinsky Theater. He ordered the four boxes near the stage to be enlarged and the hall's upholstery to be replaced with red, which was entrusted to Carlo Rossi, who created two alteration projects. This work was the last for the 72-year-old architect.

In Soviet times, the theater received the name "Academic Drama Theater named after A.S. Pushkin." With the acquisition of this name, he began to be called “Pushkinsky”.

The building of the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on Ostrovsky Square was built in 1832 according to the design of Karl Rossi.

Anichkovs (Onichkovs) - a family of Russian pillar nobility. Over the past three centuries, it has been closely associated with the city of St. Petersburg, giving its name to several key urban infrastructure facilities.

Coat of arms of the Anichkov family (in the old days, the Onichkovs).

The genus has been known since the 16th century. According to a later genealogy tale, in 1301 a certain Tatar Khan Berka (Berkai), prince of the Great Horde, entered the service of Ivan Kalita. After baptism, Berka allegedly took the name Onikiy, married the daughter of a noble man Vikula Vorontsov, and his descendants began to be called Anichkovs.

In 1801, the architect Brenna rebuilt the large wooden pavilion that stood on the site of the current square into a theater in which the Italian entrepreneur Antonio Casassi organized an Italian opera troupe.

Vincenzo Brenna
Vincenzo (Vincentiy Frantsevich) Brenna (August 20, 1747, Florence - May 17, 1820, Dresden) - decorative artist and architect, Italian by origin. Court architect of Emperor Paul I.

Engraving by S. Cardelli based on the original by A. Ritt. 1790s

Casassi, Antonio

Antonio Casassi was an Italian impresario who worked in St. Petersburg. In 1780 he entered the service of the directorate of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theaters. Very little information has been preserved about Antonio Casassi himself. In 1801, by his order, V. Brenna built a wooden theater in St. Petersburg, on the site of the current Alexandrinsky Theater, in which he maintained an Italian opera troupe. The troupe and the theater itself, under the name "Maly", came under the jurisdiction of the state directorate in 1803.

Over time, this room no longer met the growing needs of the city, and it was decided to build a new stone theater. However, the implementation of the idea was delayed due to the unstable situation under Alexander I - military conflicts with Turkey, the war with Napoleon of 1812.

In 1818, the boundaries of the garden were narrowed, and the area formed between the Public Library and the garden of the Anichkov Palace was transferred to the theater directorate.

Rossi building

Between 1816 and 1827, Carl Rossi developed a number of projects for the reconstruction and development of this square. All these options included the construction of a city theater on the square. The final version of the project was approved on April 5, 1828, and construction of the theater building began in the same year.

Four years later, on August 31 (September 12), 1832, in the center of St. Petersburg, on Alexandrinskaya Square (now Ostrovsky Square), on the site of the wooden “Maly” Theater, the grand opening of a new majestic empire-style theater building took place.

Alexandrinsky Theater. 1903

State Academic Drama Theater named after A.S. Pushkin. 1957

The main façade of the theater, from Nevsky Prospekt, is decorated with a deep multi-column loggia, the space of which seems to be part of Ostrovsky Square.

Alexandria Theatre, 19th century

Alexandria Theatre, 19th century

The side facades of the building are made in the form of eight-column porticoes.

On the other side, the street designed by Rossi and forming a common ensemble with the theater leads to the theater (Zodchego Rossi), the perspective of which is closed across the entire width by the rear, almost flat, but richly decorated facade of the theater.

The building is bordered by an expressive sculptural frieze with antique theatrical masks and garlands of laurel branches. In the niches on the end facades there are statues of muses, on the attic of the main facade there is a quadriga of Apollo. The work was carried out by one of the outstanding sculptors of his time - V. I. Demut-Malinovsky.

Muse with harp (right niche)

Muse with a mask (left niche)

Interior

A loggia with a powerful Corinthian colonnade, crowned with an attic with stucco reliefs of Glory and the chariot of Apollo, richly designed cornices, friezes, bas-reliefs, rhythmic lines of windows, arches, balustrades - all this makes up a solemn ensemble, a kind of architectural symphony; The interior decoration of the theater is also remarkable.

Seats for spectators were created according to the most advanced multi-tiered system of boxes for its time with an amphitheater and a spacious stalls. The five-tier auditorium has good proportions and excellent acoustics. In 1841, there were 107 boxes (10 in the benoir, 26 boxes on the first tier, 28 on the second, 27 on the third and 16 on the fourth), a balcony for 36 people, a gallery on the fourth tier with 151 seats, 390 seats on the fifth tier, 231 chairs in the ground floor (9 rows) and 183 seats behind them. In total, the theater could accommodate up to 1,700 people.

Alexandria Theater today

The decoration of the auditorium is solemn and elegant, the interiors of the theater have practically preserved the original decoration. Initially, blue upholstery was used, it was replaced in 1849 with crimson: the theater, in which the lighting was provided by oil lamps, became smoky from the inside. For the same reason, over time, all the wall and ceiling paintings were updated, and later the stage was completely redone. In addition to the velvet decoration, the boxes are richly decorated with gilded carvings: the carvings of the central (“Royal”) box and the boxes near the stage were made according to drawings by Rossi, and the ornament on the barriers of the tiers was created in the second half of the 19th century.

The decoration of the auditorium was complemented by a wonderful perspective pictorial ceiling, which depicted Olympus and Parnassus (artist A. K. Vigi), which was later replaced.

Original engineering design

The design of the theater's roof is based on original systems of metal structures invented by K. I. Rossi in collaboration with engineer M. E. Clark. This design was innovative and was proposed for the first time in the history of construction equipment. The roof rests on 27 iron arched trusses with cast iron parts with a span of 29.8 m. The internal longitudinal walls support 18 lower arched trusses that carry the attic floor and the suspended ceiling above the auditorium. The tiers of boxes are supported by cast iron brackets. The ceiling above the stage is a system of triangular trusses with a span of 10.76 m, supported by cast iron consoles and struts.

K.I. Rossi defended his design in front of inert official circles, which was not easy. Confidence in the strength of the metal structure he proposed is illustrated by one of the reports
“... in the event that... ... any misfortune occurs from the installation of metal roofs, then as an example for others, let me be hanged at the same time on one of the rafters of the theater.