When Peter 1 is on red. Creation of public theaters, libraries, museums (kunstkamera)

Imperial Theaters of Russia- theaters that existed at public expense and were under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. Existed from 1756 to 1917; also called court theaters.

Background to the creation of imperial theaters

The first royal theater. Alexey Mikhailovich (Moscow)

The royal theater first appeared in Russia in 1672 under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and existed until 1676.

The initiator of the creation of a theater similar to the European one was the boyar Artamon Sergeevich Matveev. The German pastor Johann Gottfried Gregory was appointed playwright, and the play was called “The Artaxerxes Action”. Then 60 foreigners were selected, who began to be trained in acting, and the theater was hastily built in the Tsar’s residence near Moscow, in the village of Preobrazhenskoye.

“On October 17, 1672, the opening of the long-awaited theater and the first performance took place. The tsar himself and all his fellow boyars were present at this important event. The queen and her court ladies were in a special box. The first performance lasted ten hours, but the king watched it all to the end and was very pleased. When the performance was over, the audience immediately went to the bathhouse, because they believed that after such an “action” it was necessary to wash away all their sins. The theater was called a “disgrace” at that time. In 1673 some changes took place. The theater was moved to another room, which was located above the Apothecary Chamber of the Kremlin. The troupe of actors has also expanded."

However, with the death of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1676, the first Russian royal theater also died.

Theaters under Peter I (Moscow)

Since the 18th century, foreign theater troupes, mainly French and Italian, have worked in Moscow. These were private enterprises. They built their own premises or privately equipped some other people's buildings.

Seeing Nikita Afanasyevich Beketov in the role of Sinav, I was so delighted that I did not know where I was: on earth or in heaven. Then the idea was born in me to start my own theater in Yaroslavl.

At the beginning of 1752, the Yaroslavl troupe, after the Senate executor Ignatiev learned about it, was summoned to St. Petersburg. Some of the actors in Volkov's troupe were assigned to study in the Land Gentry Corps. The entire staff of the imperial theaters was approved by the highest, and the salary was also determined from the Court Office, to which the Theater Directorate was subordinate.

From this day on, the former buffoon, buffoon, is legalized as a Russian actor and receives citizenship rights

From this date, the official countdown of the structure of the Imperial Theaters began, under the auspices of which several already existing acting troupes gradually gathered and new state-owned (sovereign) theaters opened.

"30 Aug. In 1756, Empress Elizabeth gave a decree to the Senate “to establish a Russian theater for the presentation of tragedies and comedies.” A.P. Sumarokov was appointed director of the theater. From this date begins the history of public Russian. imperial (state) theaters. The core of the theater, created in 1756, consisted of students of the cadet corps of commoners and actors of the Yaroslavl troupe - F. and G. Volkov, I. Dmitrevsky, Yakov Shumsky and others. Appropriations for Russian. the troupe were insignificant - 5 thousand rubles. per year, while the content is French. troupe amounted to 20 thousand rubles. per year. The first Russian actresses were A. M. Dmitrevskaya, the outstanding tragic actress Tatyana Troepolskaya and others.
Imperial Troupe. theater consisted mainly of serfs» .

By the highest decree, it was decided to determine premises in St. Petersburg for the first Russian theater, which was located in the Golovkin House (now on this site - the building of the Academy of Arts) on Vasilyevsky Island.

On October 24, 1756, Sumarokov demanded from the Gentry Corps that, in pursuance of the Highest Decree, “it would be good for the singers and Yaroslevites studying in the corps to be sent to him for assignment as comedians, because they are all needed for this.” The first Russian dramatic troupe in St. Petersburg included “court singers who had lost their voices” - Grigory Emelyanov, Pavel Ivanov, Kozma Lukyanov, Fyodor Maksimov, Evstafiy Grigoriev, Luka Ivanov, Prokofy Prikazny; Yaroslavl residents - Fedor and Grigory Volkov, Ivan Dmitrevsky and Alexey Popov; then the lineup was replenished with Gavrila Volkov, Yakov Shumsky and Mikhail Chulkov. The troupe also included five actresses: Avdotya Mikhailova, dancer Elizaveta Zorina, Maria and Olga Ananyin and Agrafena Musina-Pushkina (see: Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters. - St. Petersburg, 1904-1905. - Issue XV. - P. 27).

The same decree extended to the second capital - in Moscow, a troupe was created at Moscow University, the Free University Theater was headed by M. M. Kheraskov. Later, on the basis of this theater, the troupe of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater was created.

In 1759, the Court Office, by the highest command of Elizabeth Petrovna, began to engage in the new Russian theater; performances were given for the reigning persons, as well as for their entourage - the court and noble public.

Imperial theaters under Catherine II

After the death of Empress Elizabeth and the very short reign of Peter III, theatrical art in Russia experienced a rapid rise again with the accession of Catherine II to the Russian throne. However, during all this time, foreign artistic troupes were also not forgotten and were revered at the highest court.

Until 1766, the management of the theater was concentrated in the court office; then Empress Catherine II established an independent directorate of all court theaters and ordered the construction of a theater building in St. Petersburg - the future Bolshoi Kamenny Theater. I. P. Elagin became the first director of the Imperial Theaters.

He compiled a “Stat to everyone about theaters and chambers and ballroom music belonging to people.” To this first theater. The staff approved by Catherine II included: 1) Italian opera and chamber music, 2) ballet, 3) ballroom music, 4) French theater, 5) Russian theater. 6) people and craftsmen belonging to the theater. The same “Stat” founded a theater school and established pensions for artists. A special decree created a Committee to manage spectacles and music. This decree determined the organizational forms of activity of I. t. Rus. dram the troupe retained the name of the court troupe and continued to give performances on the court stage in line with other court troupes. Along with this, Russian actors also had to give public performances “for money in city theaters.”

Elagin held the high post of director of the Imperial Theaters from December 20, 1766 to May 21, 1779, after which this position was taken by V. I. Bibikov in 1779-1783.

In 1784, the Committee issued the “Legislation of the Committee for those belonging to the court theater,” which is a set of rules defining the behavior of all “belonging to the court theater.”

Since 1791, the court theaters again came under sole management and their directors were successively: Prince Nikolai Yusupov (1791-1799), Count Nikolai Sheremetev (1799) and Chief Marshal Alexander Naryshkin (1799-1819), under whom in 1806, already under Alexander I, the Imperial Moscow theaters were established.

Imperial theaters under Alexander I

Theater buildings of the Imperial Theatres. Saint Petersburg

In the 18th century the main scenes are inside the palace, as well as:

Opera house near Nevskaya prospect(“Comedy-Opera, which is near the prospect”) in the area of modern M. Konyushennaya street. (1742-1749) - The opera house was located in a former riding arena near the Nevskaya Prospekt on the bank of the Glukhaya River (now the Griboyedov Canal), not far from the Lutheran kirk (later the Church of Saints Peter and Paul). The theater hall, in addition to the stalls, had two tiers and separate boxes for Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and the princess - the future Catherine II. G. Valeriani, I. Vishnyakov, A. Perezinotti, C. Gibelli worked there. The building burned down in October 1749;
Opera house near the Summer Garden(architect F. Rastrelli; 1750-1763) - in February 1750 (the plan and section of the Opera House with Rastrelli’s signature, dated February 14, 1750, have been preserved) personal decrees of Elizabeth Petrovna followed on the construction of a new theater and already on November 28 of the same year opening of the theater for which the opera Bellerophon was written (Bonecchi, Araya, Valeriani);
Bolshoi (Stone) Theater(Karuselnaya, now Theater Square, 3; architect F.V. von-Baur, M.A. Dedenev, opened in 1783) The building of the Bolshoi Stone Theater, which began construction in 1775 by the architect Antonio Rinaldi, was opened in 1783 (to Let's just say that the theater existed until 1886, when the building was transferred to the Russian Musical Society for reconstruction as a Conservatory and was partially dismantled and entered into the new building of the Conservatory). At the same time, in 1783, performance fees began, from which taxes were levied. Performances remained free for the reigning house and courtiers. The Directorate of the Theater was supposed to provide all court events. Court performances were free. Spectators were collected by summons from the Court Office. It was both an honor and a duty to attend such spectacles.

“On holidays, free performances were also performed “for the people.” By decree of the imp. Catherine II dated July 12, 1783, court troupes were ordered to give a certain number of performances per month in public theaters (Kamenny and Derevyanny) for citizens who bought tickets for the performances" (see Imperial theaters. Authors A. L. Porfiryeva, Yu. N. Kruzhnov) .

Wooden theater. At first it was known as the Karl Knieper Theater, in 1779 it became known as the Free Russian Theater. Background: in the 18th century in St. Petersburg on Tsaritsyn Meadow (now Field of Mars), not far from the royal menagerie, a wooden theater was built, designed specifically for the performance of foreign actors, gradually it received the same name. The Wooden Theater, or Maly, was maintained by the entrepreneur Kniper and the artist Dmitrevsky, in 1783 purchased for the treasury. It existed until 1796/1797, when it was demolished. (see Small).
Hermitage Theater(1783; architect G. Quarenghi). The Hermitage Theater is being built at the Imperial Palace of the Hermitage by the decision of Catherine II by the architect Giacomo Quarenghi on the foundation of the “Theater Building” building, which already belonged to the Imperial Theaters. Today the Hermitage Theater is the oldest surviving theater building in St. Petersburg.

This is a small court theater with a capacity of 250 seats, designed for the imperial family and a small circle of elected and close associates.
The auditorium itself is unique: small in volume, it is designed in such a way that it does not require the use of theater binoculars. Everything that happens on stage is clearly visible from any place. The hall has a unique, antique-tinged shape and special volume with natural, excellent acoustics. These features of the theater once again emphasize the skill and natural gift of its architect.<…>But its foundation, on which it stands, is the same age as the city itself. The architect uses the foundation and walls of previous structures. The stone theater at the Hermitage is being built on the site of the premises of the old, fourth Winter Palace. On November 16, 1785, the theater opened its first season with the premiere of A. Ablesimov’s comic opera “The Miller, the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker” (see Hermitage Theater).

By 1809, the Theater Directorate (St. Petersburg) had 7 troupes on its staff (ballet, 2 Russian, 3 French and 1 German) and at least 10 theaters, including stages at country residences.

In the second half of the 19th century:

Mariinsky Theater - Imperial Theater of Russian Opera and Ballet;
Alexandrinsky Theater - Imperial Theater of Russian Drama;
The Bolshoi Kamenny Theater (later rebuilt, in its place is now the St. Petersburg Conservatory) - the imperial theater of Italian opera;
The Mikhailovsky Theater is the imperial theater of the French musical and dramatic troupe;
The Maly Theater (now the Bolshoi Drama Theater) is the imperial theater of French and then Russian operetta. - (see Small).

By this time - the second half of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. - the office of the Imperial Theaters was a whole department with a huge number of officials.

Theater buildings of the Imperial Theatres. Moscow

In 1776, by decree of Empress Catherine II, the construction of a theater building in Moscow began. Prince Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov was appointed executor, who immediately began construction. But the building burned down before it could become a theater and accommodate either actors or spectators. The disgruntled prince entrusted the work to his companion M. Medox, who built the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater. Looking ahead, let's say that this building burned down in 1806, already under Emperor Alexander I and switching to the imperial, that is, state-owned system. The new building was built by K.I. Rossi on Arbat Square, but it suffered the same disaster during the fire in the Napoleonic War of 1812. In 1821, construction of the theater began on the original site according to the design of O. Bove, and in 1825 the Bolshoi Theater of Moscow opened. In 1842, the theater came under the leadership of the St. Petersburg directorate of imperial theaters; An opera troupe arrived from St. Petersburg to Moscow. In 1853, this building also burned down, and the theater was restored and renovated by the architect A. K. Kavos, son of Caterino Kavos. Back in 1803, at the request of the musician and composer Katerino Kavos, who worked in St. Petersburg, the troupe was divided into musical and dramatic.

Performances were given in Pashkov's house, from 1808 - in the New Imperial Theater (Arbatsky), then from 1814 - in the Apraksin Theater on Znamenka.

But even before 1824, when the Maly Theater officially opened, the ballet and opera (Bolshoi Theater) and drama troupes (Maly Theater) of the Imperial Moscow Theater were a single whole: a single directorate, the same performers, but also for a long time after that the theaters were even connected by an underground passage, there were common costume rooms, etc.

Managers

Managers of the Moscow office:

Kokoshkin, Fedor Fedorovich (playwright) - director of the Moscow Theater from 1822 to 1831.
Zagoskin, Mikhail Nikolaevich - director of the Moscow Theater from 1831 to 1842
Vasiltsovsky, Alexander Dmitrievich - from 1831 to 1848
Verstovsky, Alexey Nikolaevich - from 1848 to 1860 - manager of the office (from 1860 to 1862 - manager of the Moscow office).
Lvov, Leonid Fedorovich - from 1862 to 1864
Neklyudov, Vasily Sergeevich - from 1864 to 1866
Pelt, Nikolai Ivanovich - from 1866 to 1872
Kavelin, Pavel Alexandrovich, chairman of the commission for managing Moscow theaters - from 1872 to 1876.
Ober, Lavrenty Nikolaevich - from 1876 to 1882
Pchelnikov, Pavel Mikhailovich - from 1882 to 1898
Telyakovsky, Vladimir Arkadyevich - from 1898 to 1901
Bool, Nikolai Konstantinovich - from 1901 to 1910
Obukhov, Sergei Trofimovich - from 1910 to 1917

Managers of the St. Petersburg office:

Pogozhev, Vladimir Petrovich - from 1882 to 1896
Vuich, Georgy Ivanovich - from 1902 to 1903? G.
Krupensky, Alexander Dmitrievich - since 1903? to 1914

Directorate of the Imperial Theaters:

Gedeonov, Alexander Mikhailovich - from 1833 (in Moscow theaters from February 1, 1842) to 1858.
Saburov, Andrey Ivanovich - from 1858 to 1862
Borkh, Alexander Mikhailovich - from 1862 to 1867
Gedeonov, Stepan Alexandrovich - from 1867 to 1875
Kister, Karl Karlovich - from 1875 to 1881
Vsevolozhsky, Ivan Alexandrovich - from 1881 to 1899
Volkonsky, Sergei Mikhailovich - from 1899 to 1901
Telyakovsky, Vladimir Arkadyevich - from 1901 to 1917

Office of the Imperial Theaters. XIX -XX centuries

In 1839, the “Regulations on Artists of the Imperial Theaters” was published, according to which the division of artists by role into 3 categories was approved:
1) main performers of roles (1st role) of all types of dramatic art, directors, bandmasters, decorators, orchestra soloists, ballet soloists, chief costume designer and orchestra conductors,
2) performers of 2 and 3 roles (2nd role), prompters, “wardrobe masters”, musicians, “theater masters”, “sculptors”, fencing masters,
3) choristers, actors for appearances (3rd role), figures, hairdressers, music scribes, singers, music office supervisors, etc.

The structure of the imperial theaters strictly adhered to the system of acting roles. The actors were divided according to their roles: tragedians, comedians, first lovers (jeunes premiers), fathers of families, mothers, simpletons, travesties, etc.

The Russian Imperial Theaters maintained their role until 1882, when the commission (Messrs. A. N. Ostrovsky, A. A. Potekhin and D. V. Averkiev), which developed the basis for the reform of the artistic part of the Imperial Theaters, decided to abolish the division of artists by role (Pogozhev V. . P. Centenary of the organization of the Imperial Moscow Theaters // Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters. St. Petersburg, 1904-1905.

Theater posters became a monopoly of the imperial theaters.

In Russia, the right to print posters for all theaters was a monopoly of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and its counterparties: (GOPP - in St. Petersburg and LEVENSON - in Moscow). This monopoly was introduced by actor Vasily Fedotovich Rykalov (1771-1813). We read from P. Arapov: “The Russian troupe at the end of the 18th century consisted of 21 actors and 22 actresses, among whom were wonderful artists... including Vasily Fedotovich Rykalov, who excellently represented old people in Molière’s comedies... “The Fashion Shop” was a great success, an original comedy by I. A. Krylov in three acts, where, by the way, during a search for contraband, the landowner Sumburova is found in the closet, where she was hiding for fear of being overtaken by her husband in a fashion store. Rykalov was excellent in the role of Sumburov.” (P. Arapov. Chronicle of the Russian Theater, p. 90)

Since 1842, Moscow theaters were again subordinated to the general directorate. In 1842, in St. Petersburg, under the authority of the director of the Imperial Theaters, the Mariinsky, Alexandrinsky and Mikhailovsky theaters merged. In Moscow, the Bolshoi and Maly theaters have been united again. The Directorate of the Imperial Theaters was in charge of the repertoire and the administrative and economic part of the Imperial Theaters, dealt with the material, everyday and creative working conditions of artists, and worked with playwrights. At the Imperial Theaters there were theater schools that trained ballet, opera and drama artists.

The artists and all workers belonged to all the premises of the Imperial Theaters at once and therefore were easily assigned and reassigned to different stages. For example, the famous Russian artist Leonid Leonidov, who initially studied in St. Petersburg with Karatygin and ascended to the St. Petersburg stage in 1839, was appointed to the Maly Theater in Moscow in 1843 and soon inherited the repertoire of the great tragedian P. Mochalov, but with the death of his teacher in 1854 for performance of his roles was urgently transferred back to the St. Petersburg stage. It seems that the equally famous artist Fyodor Petrovich Gorev, who played alternately at the Maly Theater (Moscow), at the Alexandrinka Theater (St. Petersburg), and many others, also had an artistic career.

However, the situation of the actors was extremely difficult, although at the same time, one cannot fail to mention the benefits provided, such as, say, pensions after elderly actors leave the stage. The audience at the imperial theaters was mostly the same - at first the theater served as entertainment for the carefree rich aristocracy - and demanded different performances, so the premieres followed one another very quickly. The actors constantly had to learn new roles. The directorate practiced penalties and arrests as administrative measures against the offending actor. And the profession of an actor itself was not considered prestigious for a long time. We should not forget about the social structure of the state - the centuries-old serfdom; at first, all Russian theaters consisted of troupes recruited from serfs; Even at the beginning of the 19th century, the Imperial Troupe in Moscow was formed by buying up landowner troupes, which consisted entirely of serfs. And although serfdom was officially abolished in 1861 (by that time this system had already rotted in itself, and many peasants were engaged in their own trades and paid off themselves and their families), contempt for the lower layers was still alive in the upper strata of society for a long time. Actors began to represent a separate, specific layer of society. In most cases, families were made up of their own circle, and children inherited the traditions of their parents, replacing them on the imperial stage. Acting dynasties emerged.

Description: This clearly reflected the general character and content of the arts and literature. The stronghold of the old ideology was the church - Peter subordinated it to the state, abolished the patriarchate, and created a synod consisting of representatives of the highest clergy on the royal salary and headed by an official. Peter abolished liturgical dramas, which emphasized the superiority of spiritual power over secular power and contributed to the exaltation of the church. He laid the foundation for secular education, decisively broke patriarchal life, introducing assemblies, and with them “European manners,” European dances, etc. Meeting resistance to novelty, Peter introduced it by force. The results of Peter's activities in various fields were reflected at different times; in the theater, for example, in full only in the middle of the 18th century. The abstract contains 1 file:

Peter 1.doc

Plays of this kind in their poetics did not differ from contemporary panegyric literature in general and from “fun”. This dramaturgy is characterized by the widespread use of allegories and an abundance of scholastic embellishments. Characters such as Self-will, Pride, Vengeance, Idolatry, Wrath, Truth, Peace, Judgment and the like were woven into the action, alternating with biblical images (Jesus, David). Historical figures (Alexander, Pompey) and mythological images (Mars, Fortune). The author's thought was difficult to discern in the poetic and rhetorical heaps. The characters and stage positions moved from one work to another. And the plays themselves suffered from monotony. The texts of the panegyric school performances of the early 18th century have not survived, but their detailed programs, written in stilted, archaic language, have reached us.

Russian public theater.

Peter was not satisfied with the school theater. Religious in its content, this theater was aesthetically too intricate and complex for the average viewer. Peter sought to organize a secular theater accessible to the urban masses. The theater he founded, despite the short duration of its existence, played an important role in the development of Russian theatrical culture.

In 1698 - 1699, a troupe of actors and puppeteers was in Moscow. They were led by the Hungarian Jan Splavsky. Puppeteers gave performances not only in the capital, but also in the provinces. It is known that in September 1700, some of them were sent “to show comedy things” to Ukraine, and Yan Splavsky was sent to the Volga cities, including Astrakhan. And so in 1701, the Tsar gave the same Splavsky an order to go to Danzig to invite comedians to the Russian service.

In Danzig, Splavsky entered into negotiations with one of the best German troupes of that time, led by the actor Johann Kunst and directly associated with the famous reformer of German theater Felten. An agreement was reached, but the troupe was afraid to go to Russia. I had to send for the actors again. This time, in the summer of 1702, Kunst and his eight actors arrived in Moscow. According to the concluded agreement, Kunst pledged to faithfully serve His Royal Majesty.

While negotiations were ongoing with the troupe, the question of where and how to build a theater building was discussed for a long time. It was planned to equip an old room in the palace above the pharmacy as a theater. Temporarily, a large hall in the Lefortovo House in Nemetskaya Sloboda was adapted for performances. At the end of 1702, the construction of the Comedy Hall on Red Square was completed. It was 18 meters long and 10 fathoms wide (36 x 20 m), lit by tallow candles. The technical equipment was luxurious for that time: a lot of scenery, cars, costumes.

Since Peter’s intentions included the creation of a public theater in the Russian language, on October 12 of the same year, 1702, Kunst sent ten Russian youths from clerks and merchant children to study. Then twenty of them were recruited. At the same time, it was indicated that they should be taught “with all diligence and haste, so that they could learn those comedies quickly.” In the same year, one of his contemporaries wrote that the Russians had already given “several small performances” in a house in the German settlement. According to documents, it is known that some kind of comedy was shown on December 23, 1702. This is how the Russian public theater began its existence.

Performances were performed twice a week, German performances alternated with Russian ones. This continued for more than a year, that is, until Kunst’s death (1703), when the German troupe was mostly released to their homeland, Kunst’s widow and actor Bandler were instructed to continue training Russian actors. However, they apparently could not cope with the task, and in March of the following 1704, Otto Furst (Firsht), a goldsmith by profession, became the head of the theater business. But he also failed to cope with the matter. Misunderstandings constantly arose between Furst and his Russian students. The students, in essence, stood up for the national theater, and therefore complained about their principal that he “does not know Russian behavior”, “careless in compliments” and “due to lack of knowledge in speeches” the actors “do not act in firmness”. For the entire year 1704, only three comedies were staged. The actors asked to choose a theater director from among themselves and continue the business on a new basis, in other words, they wanted to free themselves from foreign tutelage. But Fürst remained at the head of the business until 1707.

To increase the number of spectators, a decree was published in 1705: “Comedies should be performed in Russian and German, and during those comedies musicians should play different instruments.” Nevertheless, few people attended the performances; sometimes only 25 spectators gathered in a hall intended for 450 people. By 1707 the performances had completely ceased.

The reasons for the failure of the Kunst-Fürst Theater and its short-term existence, despite the support of Peter and the government, are explained by the fact that the performances did not satisfy the audience.

The activities of two types of theaters of the early 18th century - school and secular public - did not pass without a trace in the history of theater in Russia. To replace the closed public theater, theaters for various segments of the population began to emerge one after another in the capitals. In 1707, Russian performances began in the village of Preobrazhenskoye with the Tsar's sister Natalya Alekseevna, in 1713 in the village of Izmailovo with the widow of Ivan Alekseevich - Proskovya Fedorovna. Costumes from the theater on Red Square were sent to the village of Preobrazhenskoye, and plays from the Kunst repertoire were also sent there. Princess Natalya formed a whole theatrical library.

Theater at the court of Tsarina Praskovya Feodorovna. Functioned since 1713. It was organized and directed by her daughter Ekaterina Ivanovna. Performances to which the public was allowed were performed in Russian, but the theater’s repertoire cannot be determined.

After the death of the Tsar's sister, the St. Petersburg Theater continued to function for a long time.

In 1720, Peter made a new attempt to invite to Russia from abroad a troupe of actors who spoke one of the Slavic languages, in the hope that they would quickly learn the Russian language. He ordered a “company of comedians” to be hired from Prague. A traveling group of Eckenbarg-Mann arrives in St. Petersburg, which Peter could have seen abroad. The troupe gives several performances and, on Peter’s initiative, plays an April Fool’s joke with the audience. On this day, a performance is announced in the presence of the royal family, and therefore Mann even doubles the prices. However, when the audience arrives, they find out that on the occasion of the first of April there will be no performance. Thus, Peter uses theatrical jokes to popularize the calendar reform.

In 1723, Mann's troupe reappeared in St. Petersburg, for which Peter ordered the construction of a new theater, already in the center, near the Admiralty. Peter himself visited the Mann Theater more than once, and therefore a type of royal box was built for him. However, this troupe also cannot solve the problems that Peter sets for the theater. According to the instructions of his contemporaries, Peter even specifically “promised a reward to the comedians if they composed a touching play.” In fact, the first drama competition is being announced in Russia. The acting troupe does not live up to Peter's hopes and leaves St. Petersburg. Thus, Peter’s second attempt to establish a public theater in Russia, this time in the new capital, ended unsuccessfully.

Johann Kunst

The Peter the Great era, which caused a fruitful revival in all areas of cultural life, is characterized by such an important event in the history of Russian artistic culture as the creation of the first public theater in Russia, designed according to Western European models. The theater, according to Peter, was supposed to play the role of a kind of tribune for the advanced ideas of the era. The first public theater arose in Moscow on the initiative of Peter. The organization of this theater is one of the most interesting pages in the history of the Europeanization of Moscow Rus', in the history of that cultural transformation, on which Peter himself and the leading people of his era worked a lot.

Theatrical performances by this time were not a novelty in Russia. In 1672, at the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, there was a theater in which, under the leadership of Pastor Gregory, plays of predominantly religious content were staged. The theater was a court one; A limited circle of people attended the performances. Soon after Gregory's death, the theater was abolished. Peter, who correctly appreciated theater as an excellent means of propaganda and education of spectators, which he could see abroad, did not need to organize newly closed court performances, but to create a public theater accessible to a wide segment of the population, with a repertoire in which his favorites would be reflected ideas.

Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts

Abstract

On the history of Russian theater

Topic: “Russian theater in the era of Peter I »

Completed:

Group student

304 TV

Abrakhin D.I.

Checked:

Tsidina T.D.

Chelyabinsk, 2008

2. Introduction 3

3. Peter's fun 4

4. School theater 5

5. Russian public theater 7

6. Johann Kunst 9

7. Conclusion 14

8. List of sources 15

Introduction.

The social, state and cultural development of Russia, which began in the 17th century and was prepared by the entire course of history, noticeably accelerated in connection with the transformations of Peter I. It marked the onset of a new historical period.

In works on the history of Russian theater, the era of Peter I is often combined with the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. In some cases - like “the Moscow theater under Tsars Peter and Alexei”, in others - it is covered by a broader chronological concept of “ancient theater”, “ancient performance”. Meanwhile, the differences in these two periods are much greater than the similarities. And in theatrical terms, the era of Peter the Great stands apart, just as in all others.

The point is not only that the professional theater of Peter the Great’s time does not have a direct connection with the first professional theater under Alexei Mikhailovich, they are separated by an interval of twenty-five years, during which all traces of the first theatrical venture, both human and material, disappear. A new professional theater is emerging on completely different principles - socially political, artistic, and organizational.

For some time it was believed that after the death of Alexei Mikhailovich, performances continued in the house of Princess Sophia, an energetic, intelligent and quite educated woman for her time. However, Morozov’s work also revealed the apocryphal nature of this information, although Princess Sophia may have had an interest in the theater: at least, her favorite Prince Golitsin, a man with a pronounced “Western” streak, had in his library “four written books on the structure of comedy ", as precisely established by the inventory. But practically there was no longer a court theater.

Peter led an active offensive struggle against the dominance of religious medieval ideology and implanted a new, secular one.

This was clearly reflected in the general character and content of the arts and literature. The stronghold of the old ideology was the church - Peter subordinated it to the state, abolished the patriarchate, and created a synod consisting of representatives of the highest clergy on the royal salary and headed by an official. Peter abolished liturgical dramas, which emphasized the superiority of spiritual power over secular power and contributed to the exaltation of the church. He laid the foundation for secular education, decisively broke patriarchal life, introducing assemblies, and with them “European manners,” European dances, etc. Meeting resistance to novelty, Peter introduced it by force. The results of Peter's activities in various fields were reflected at different times; in the theater, for example, in full only in the middle of the 18th century.

"Peter's Fun"

To popularize his transformations, Peter resorted to a wide variety of means, but he attached especially serious importance to methods of visual, spectacular influence. This is precisely the reason for his widespread use of “fun” (ceremonial entrances, street masquerades, parody rituals, illuminations, etc.), as well as his appeal to the theater.

Let us dwell first of all on the so-called “amusements”, in which the agitational and political role of the spectacle appeared especially clearly.

The first experience of organizing such a spectacle was the “fiery fun” organized on the Red Pond in Moscow at Maslenitsa in 1697 on the occasion of the capture of Azov. Here emblems were first used, then usually introduced into panegyric theatrical performances of the Moscow Academy. When, after the victory over the Swedes and the founding of St. Petersburg, Peter returned to Moscow, he was given a solemn welcome. Several triumphal gates were built. Some of them were built by the “educational assembly of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy” and decorated with paintings that were also used in academic panegyric theatrical performances. On the triumphal gates, built in 1704 to commemorate the final liberation of the Izhora land, more sophisticated and intricate allegorical paintings were depicted. The Poltava victory was also reflected in allegorical paintings, and the same Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy took a close part in their creation. Academic poets wrote odes of praise; on the gates located near the academy and decorated with the direct participation of academic teachers, there were many emblems with corresponding inscriptions. Academy students in snow-white robes with wreaths on their heads and branches came out to meet the solemn procession with the singing of cants.

The use of panegyrics and cants brought triumphal ceremonies closer to the declamations of the 17th century, and exquisite allegories continued the scholastic traditions of school theater. A theoretical justification for the need for allegorical images on the triumphal gates was made in 1704 by Joseph Turoboysky, perfect of the Moscow Academy. The purpose of the construction of the triumphal gates, in his words, is “political, and is civil praise for those who are working towards the goals of preserving their fatherland.” Further, he refers to the custom of all Christian countries to honor the winners, turning to divine scripture, worldly stories, and poetic fiction to weave a “crown of praise.” In 1710, the same author, in connection with the celebrations on the occasion of the Poltava victory, published a detailed description and explanation of the triumphal allegories under the title “Politikolenny Apophiosis of the praiseworthy courage of the All-Russian Hercules.” The name of the Russian Hercules meant Peter I, and the Poltava victory was called “the glorious victory over the chimera-like divas - Pride, the decision of Untruth and the theft of the Sweans.” I. Turobosky in his writings tried to explain to the audience the system of symbols, emblems and allegories, since, obviously, the authors themselves were aware that not all allegorical images are publicly available.

Peter used the ancient folk custom of Christmas and Maslenitsa dressing up for the purpose of political propaganda in grandiose street masquerades. Particularly outstanding were the Moscow masquerade of 1722 on the occasion of the Peace of Nystad, the St. Petersburg masquerade on the same occasion in 1723, and, finally, the Maslenitsa masquerades of 1723 and 1724. Masquerade processions were by land (on foot and on horseback) and by water. They numbered up to a thousand main participants who were grouped thematically. Men walked in front of each group, women behind; each group had its own central figure, all the rest formed a retinue. The figures had a traditional character and moved from masquerade to masquerade. The costumes were both theatrical, props, and close to historical and ethnographic authenticity.

One masquerade figure was often borrowed from mythology: Bacchus, Neptune, Satyr, etc. Another group of masquerade images of the 1720s consisted of historical characters. The Duke of Holstein at one of the masques “represented the Roman commander Scipio Africanus in a magnificent brocade Roman costume, surrounded by silver braid, in a helmet with a high feather, in Roman shoes and with a leader’s baton in his hand.” It can be assumed that in general the traditional characters of masquerades were partly borrowed from repertoire of the modern St. Petersburg theater, from where the masquerade costumes were taken. The third group consisted of ethnographic characters: Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Tatars, Armenians, Turks, Poles, etc. Participants in masquerades of this time also dressed up in costumes of peasants, sailors, miners, soldiers, and winegrowers. They also dressed up as animals and birds: bears, cranes. All masked people had to strictly adhere to their roles and behave according to the mask during the procession. The main participants in the masquerade were located in boats, gondolas, shells, and on thrones; Once, even an exact copy of the battleship "Ferdemaker" was built with full equipment, guns, and cabins. All this was moved by horses, oxen, pigs, dogs and even scientific bears.

The role and significance of masquerades of the Peter I era were not limited to external entertainment. Magnificent celebrations were a means of political agitation.

School theater

However, Peter considered theater to be a more effective means of public education. Bassevich, one of his contemporaries close to Peter, wrote: “The Tsar found that spectacles were useful in a big city.” The theater of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich pursued political goals, but was aimed at a very limited circle of courtiers, while Peter the Great's theater was supposed to conduct political propaganda among broad sections of the urban population. This led to the creation of a public theater. Peter tried to attract to Russia for the first time such actors who would speak, if not Russian, then at least one of the Slavic languages close to Russian. So, when actors from a German troupe arrived in Russia in 1702, they were asked whether they could play in Polish; when Peter invited the troupe for the second time in 1720, he tried to attract Czech actors. But both of Peter's attempts were unsuccessful.

Under Peter, two main types of theater continued to develop: school and secular; At this time, plays of the city drama theater, which developed widely in the second quarter of the 18th century, also began to appear.

Oral folk drama continues to develop. It has been established that performances were performed in the early years of Peter’s reign, for example in Izmailovo in 1696, at the academy in 1699. In 1698, puppet shows were organized by Jan Splavski. About the performance in Izmailovo on January 14, 1697, the testimony of contemporaries has been preserved: “Ridiculous words in jokes and deeds displeasing to God... were performed.” At the same time, the clerk of the Preobrazhenskaya Izba, Ivan Gerasimov, said that “he, Ivan, was called in that comedy (that is, in one of the plays.) George and they laughed at that.” Probably, we are talking about the performances of 1696, which were part of the celebrations regarding the capture of Azov.

The plays of the secular theater of Peter the Great's time are oversaturated with action, the intrigue in them is extremely complicated, heroic episodes are interspersed with crudely comic scenes. The secularization of school theater plays is intensifying and deepening, They,. True, they do not yet break with the biblical and hagiographic content, but at the same time they are filled with elements of modernity; they include a wide range of symbolic, historical and mythological images.

However, there was a large discrepancy between the tasks that Peter set for the secular theater and living theatrical practice. German troupes could not play in a language understandable to the urban masses, and could not give programmatic journalistic performances. Russian theater was mainly represented by school theater. The aesthetic paths of which by this time had sharply departed from the traditions of Simeon of Polotsk.

It is still impossible to establish with accuracy when performances began at the Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. But we can guess. That they were included in the curriculum of the academy shortly after its opening. The reason for the emergence of performances was the clash between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, in fact, with the Jesuits who were in Moscow, who staged performances on religious themes at their school. In response to this, Lefort gave a performance directed against Catholics (1699).

According to the Jesuits, who were probably biased, the academic performances were not distinguished by great artistic merit: “since nothing special came of it,” they turned to foreign actors.

The history of the theater of the early 18th century was lucky in that the oldest drama that has come down to us from 1701 is equipped with detailed stage directions and a list of performers. This allows us to recreate with sufficient clarity the picture of the performance at the Moscow Academy of that time. The school drama of that time reproduced the emotional experiences and psychological fluctuations of a person. Instead of God, whom the school theater usually did not bring to the stage, the Judgment of God appears in front of the audience. The production of the play required rather complex stage adaptations. The play was called "The terrible betrayal of a voluptuous life with the deplorable and poor...". Allegorical characters (Lust, Truth, Retribution and others) were endowed with attributes that traditionally accompanied these figures in painting.

Another example of school drama of the early 18th century of the same genre is Dmitry Rostovsky’s drama “The Penitent Sinner.” It is interesting because it was part of the repertoire of the Yaroslavl theater of F. Volkov, and in 1752 it was performed by the Yaroslavl residents at the court. Christian-religious edification, a wide introduction of allegorical characters, and complex technical design make this play similar to the previous one.

Along with plays such as morality plays, the Russian school theater knew a large number of Easter plays and Christmas mystery dramas. In Christmas dramas, the influence of folk dramas (nativity scenes) and games is noticeable, and there is also a connection with everyday life.

Noteworthy is "Comedy for the Nativity of Christ" (1702), attributed to Dmitry Rostovsky. It develops the legendary plot of the Christmas drama: a prophecy about Christ is heard, there is a scene of the shepherds, who appears as an angel; further scenes of Herod with the wise men going to worship Christ; scene of the Magi; Herod gives the order for the beating of infants; and finally, Herod dies in agony. These episodes were framed by allegorical scenes. The play also contains the usual speeches from the throne for secular drama of that time.

So, biblical stories in school drama underwent a peculiar treatment, gradually becoming secularized, absorbing everyday material

A special group of plays in the school theater of the early 18th century were panegyric dramas; in them, political allusions to the praise of Peter overshadowed the religious basis of the plot. Such are, for example, “A Terrible Image of the Second Coming of the Lord” (1702), in which the policies of the Polish King Augustus were condemned, or “The Triumph of the Orthodox World” (1703), in which the victory of the Russian Mars - Peter over Misfortune - the Swedes. On June 11, 1702, Stefan Yavorsky wrote about this to the head of the Ambassadorial Prikaz, Golovin, “Now... in honor of the supreme and in praise of our most gracious monarch, dialogues are being prepared at the Moscow Academy; this action will be carried out when the people, or your desired arrival to us, are expected ".

In February 1705, the play “Liberation of Livonia and Ingermenland...”, written in honor of the conquest of the Baltic states in 1703-1704, was staged. The Poltava victory was marked (February 1710) at the Moscow Academy with the solemn allegorical action “God's humiliation of the proud... humiliation.” It is based on the biblical story of David's victory over Goliath. The play featured lame Sweden (an allusion to the lameness of Charles XII, who was wounded in the leg before the Battle of Poltava) and Treason, the allegorical embodiment of Mazepa. The play consisted of two parts: the first showed the “united proud”, the second - “opponents or traitors.” Each part was preceded by a pantomime. The allegory became clear to the audience especially in the second part, in which the action unfolded on two levels: on stage in a dramatic performance (Absesalom’s indignation against his father David, the conqueror of Goliath) and on a transparent screen “through the umbra,” that is, in shadow paintings. In these paintings, the viewer saw how “a Russian eagle... catches a lame lion from a lion cub, caught a lion cub with the help of God, a lame lion.” The play ended, according to the custom of school drama, with a special epilogue. Interludes were played during the intermissions of the performance, but their content, unfortunately, is not known.

Russian public theater.

After the death of the Tsar's sister, the St. Petersburg Theater continued to function for a long time.

Johann Kunst

Judging by the documentary data that we currently have, this was the case. Returning from a trip abroad, Peter set out to create, among other things, a theater modeled on those he had seen abroad. The organization of the theater was entrusted to the Ambassadorial Prikaz. Since no one in Moscow took on this new and difficult task, since this time there was no person in the German Settlement who knew the theater business, it was decided to write out the actors and the experienced “comedian ruler” from abroad. The Tsar hurried the clerks of the Ambassadorial Prikaz, demanding the immediate implementation of the project he had conceived. The clerks found themselves in a rather difficult position, since they did not know where to look for “comedians” and how to even begin this business. They were rescued by a certain Jan Splavsky, a foreigner, a native of Hungary, an employee of the Ambassadorial Prikaz. Jan Splavsky offered to send him to Danzig to negotiate with the director of some traveling theater troupe and invite him to Moscow for permanent work. The ambassadorial order took advantage of this proposal from Splavsky. In June 1701, Jan Splavsky was sent to Danzig, where he apparently had some connections. Arriving in Danzig, Splavsky entered into an agreement with the leader of one of the German traveling troupes, Johann Christian Kunst. On April 12, 1702, Splavsky signed an agreement with Kunst and secured the latter’s consent to immediately leave for Moscow with all his “acting people.” According to this agreement, Kunst undertook to “not only serve the great sovereign, but, like a faithful slave, should also amuse his royal majesty with all inventions and fun, and for this purpose he should always be alert, sober and ready to be.” A few days later, on April 16, Splavsky and the “comedians” left Danzig and were in Moscow on June 10. The troupe that came with Kunst was small: it consisted of only nine people; Along with Kunst, his wife Anna Kunst, the first actress on the Russian stage, also came. True to his usual tactics, Peter wanted foreign specialists to teach the Russian people their trade. Already in August, the clerks of the Ambassadorial Prikaz received orders to recruit actors “from timid Russians, whatever ranks can be found,” but “convenient for the job,” that is, they were given the choice of actors from any segment of the population, but people suitable for this job. Such persons were selected from clerks and townspeople - twelve people. Thus, from the very first days of his arrival in Moscow, Johann Kunst had to perform the duties of not only an “initial comedian”, i.e. e. director of the first Russian public theater, but also director of a theater school. The “Russian boys” were ordered to study “with all diligence and haste,” and Johann Kunst was ordered in the Ambassadorial Order “to teach them all kinds of comedies with good zeal and with all revelation.” Johann Kunst's responsibilities were generally quite varied. The director of the theater or, as he was called, “His Royal Majesty’s Comedian Ruler,” Johann Kunst was at the same time the main director, a decorator, and even a costume designer. He also had to oversee the construction of the theater building. To the extreme amazement of the clerks of the Ambassadorial Prikaz (the theater was in charge of the latter), it was decided to build a “comedy mansion” no more or less than on Red Square - in the immediate vicinity of the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral. This could not help but seem insolent and blasphemous to people brought up in the spirit of the Old Church Moscow views. Weighed down by the responsibility entrusted to them to supervise the construction of the theatrical “house”, they decided to ask F.A. Golovin to transfer this matter to the Armory Chamber: “Such things are not common for us, and we cannot drag our feet about it, sir.” This request was not respected. “About comedy, what are you told to do, do you miss the greats? - F.A. Golovin wrote to the clerks from Arkhangelsk, where he was then with the tsar. -Are you much more oppressed by business? It seems that it is more hectic and hectic here than yours - they do it boringly. As it was written to you in advance, do and hasten to build an anbar before the coming of the great sovereign. You’ve become bored!” Having received this answer, the clerks still could not come to terms with the idea that a theater “barn” would be built on Red Square, and once again tried to convince F.A. Golovin to move this “barn” somewhere further away. “In that place,” they wrote to F.A. Golovin, “there won’t be that much land for that building, but if it’s built out of necessity, the square and triumphal lighthouses will be filled from that mansion.” The clerks also expressed doubts about the question of whether this visiting “comedian” was a “perfect master,” since “he had no experience.” The clerks, however, failed to convince F.A. Golovin. The theater was ordered to be built on Red Square and, moreover, “without any stop.” The theatrical “house” was built of wood, 20 fathoms long, 12 fathoms wide and 6 fathoms high. It was supposed to have “a theater, and choirs, and benches, and doors, and windows.” The ceiling was ordered to be “knocked down and the roof covered and the outside sheathed with planks.” In order not to waste time and not wait for the construction to be completed, it was decided to open performances in a temporary theater, adapting the Lefort Palace in the German Settlement for this purpose. According to a contemporary, it was a huge stone building in Italian style, which was entered by two staircases on the right and left sides. It was in the Lefortovo Palace that Kunst probably rehearsed his first comedies.

It is difficult to say exactly when performances began in the “comedy mansion” on Red Square - apparently, already at Christmas time in 1702-1703. The theater on Red Square had a fee; It was “free” for everyone to go to the theater. Peter tried to make the public more interested in the theater through various measures and, often, by order; for some performances, according to contemporaries, all “noble people” were supposed to gather, even the dowager queen and the princesses; in some cases, even clergy were invited to the theater. One of the measures designed to attract the public to the theater was to reduce the costs associated with attending performances. The Tsar’s decree ordered that on the days of performances “police gates in the Kremlin, Kitai-Gorod and White City should not be locked at night until 9 o’clock in the morning, and visitors should not be charged the gate fee, so that those watching the action would willingly go to the comedy " In order to have a place to stay for those coming to the city for the performance, it was ordered to build “three or four huts” near the theater. There is no information available about how often performances were given in the “khoromina” on Red Square, but the fact that they took place is evidenced by the surviving collection figures. Seats in the theater were of four categories - 10, 6, 5 and 3 kopecks. Labels or entrance tickets were printed on thick paper and sold by guards in a special “closet”. The theater could accommodate up to 400 spectators. The material design of the performances, judging by the data that has reached us, was at the level of modern Western European theatrical technology. Johann Kunst's theater was well known for the so-called “curtains”, backdrops, and frames of “perspective writing”, painted backstage. Various types of prop supplies were also widely used in Johann Kunst's theater. They did not spare sheet gold and silver. It is also known that Johann Kunst used in his productions machines designed to reproduce certain stage effects. Much attention was paid to the costume; They spent a lot of money on costumes. Johann Kunst once even had the opportunity to listen to “reproachful words” from the Ambassadorial Prikaz, why he makes “only linen dresses” and trims them with “tinsel”, and explain to those “not thinking” that “even if there was straight gold, it would not be clear by candlelight and he didn’t show up at the theater” and that “there’s nothing to do with straight gold for a hundred thousand rubles.” It is known, finally, that performances in the theater “hall” on Red Square were accompanied by an orchestra of musicians specially appointed back in 1702-1703. from Hamburg. The musicians, including eleven people led by the head of the orchestra, were discharged at the request of Johann Kunst, because “as if there is a body without a soul, a comedy cannot exist without music.” In 1704, two foreign singers were invited “to sing in German”: the girl Johanna Willing and her sister, the wife of the general physician Termina Pagenkampf, simply called Pagankina in documents. Since 1702, two ballet dancers, Karl Koky and his brother Jan Koky, were also in the service of the Ambassadorial Prikaz for theatrical needs.

The first Russian public theater did not last long. At the end of 1703, Johann Kunst died, and his troupe was released to their homeland.

In March 1704, a certain Otto First, by profession not an actor, but a goldsmith, became the head of the theater on Red Square. The new director of the theater failed to cope with the responsibilities assigned to him and soon ruined the whole business. In one of the official documents of 1705 we read that this year the “smallest amount” of money was collected, since “there were only 12 comedies all year.” This could not continue this way, and in 1706 the theater on Red Square was abolished. F. A. Golovin wrote to the clerks on May 21, 1706, asking them to call First and foreign “comedians” and announce to them the sovereign’s decree so that they would no longer be in comedy and “not act in comedies.” In 1707, salaries were no longer given to “comedians”, either Russian or foreign. The theater ceased to exist. In 1707, some Koryakin, “by decree of the great sovereign,” tried to dismantle the very building of the theater “house.” The demolition of the building was, however, stopped, and the dilapidated “khoromina” stood on Red Square for several more years. After 1713, this “horomina” is no longer mentioned in documents - obviously, it was completely destroyed.

The first Russian public theater, as we see, lasted only three or four years (1702-1706). It is not known exactly what reasons prompted the government to close the case so quickly, on which so much effort and money had been spent. When explaining the government's decision to close the Moscow theater on Red Square, they usually point to its last director, Otto First, who ruined the business with his careless leadership; note the unprofitability of this theatrical enterprise, the income of which did not correspond to the expenses, which were extremely burdensome for the state budget; Finally, they also refer to the fact that Peter and his court left Moscow, moving to the new capital. All this is true. All these circumstances undoubtedly played a role, but they were not the main reason for the liquidation of the first Russian public theater. Judging by the data we have, another fact was of decisive importance: the theater did not live up to the hopes that were placed on it, it was unable to give what was demanded of it. Peter was dissatisfied with the theater's repertoire. Interesting in this regard is the testimony of one of Peter’s contemporaries, the Holstein minister Bassevich. “When a troupe of German comedians arrived,” Bassevich wrote in his memoirs, speaking about the Russian theater in the first years of the 18th century, “Peter ordered a beautiful and spacious theater to be built for it with all the amenities for the audience. But she was not worth the trouble... The German theater at that time was nothing more than a collection of flat farces, so that some naive features and sharp satirical hints completely disappeared in the abyss of rude antics, monstrous tragedies, an absurd mixture of romantic and refined feelings, expressed by kings and knights, and the buffoonery of some Jean Potash, their confidante. The emperor, whose taste in all arts, even those for which he had no disposition, was distinguished by fidelity and accuracy, once promised a reward to comedians if they composed a touching play, without this love pasted in everywhere, which he was already tired of, and cheerful farce without buffoonery."

When organizing the theater, they expected it to respond to modern times, they hoped that it would be able to take into account the situation and, without confining itself to its traditional repertoire, would, along with plays from this repertoire, stage “comedies” of propaganda content, on instructions from the government. What hopes were pinned on the theater in this regard is clearly shown by an incident that took place back in 1702. Before Johann Kunst, the first director of the theater, had time to arrive in Moscow, he had already received it through the clerks.

The ambassadorial order instructed F.A. Golovin to compose and “quickly” prepare for production “a new comedy about the victory and the delivery of the Oreshka fortress to the great sovereign” for the sovereign’s arrival in Moscow, i.e., a special play dedicated to the capture of October 11, 1702 . Russian troops of Shlisselburg. The task was given in such a categorical form that Johann Kunst did not dare refuse. “No comedian in the world can produce a completely new, unprecedented and unheard-of comedy in a week on a letter and perform and act in three weeks - but for the sake of love and a humiliated position against the Tsar’s Majesty, I accept and perform it,” answered Johann Kunst to the clerks and even asked to send him a detailed “list”, from which he could find out “how the taxation was accomplished and the union was strengthened,” as well as how he should “call the city with the hidden names of the generals.”

Whether I. Kunst fulfilled this promise is unknown. Apparently not, judging by the lack of any information about the production of this “comedy” on the stage of the Moscow theater. In December 1704, a similar order was given to Otto First: “Tell the comedians,” wrote F.A. Golovin to the clerks of the Ambassadorial Prikaz, “to perform a solemn comedy in Russian and German and so that they study it before the arrival of the great sovereign to Moscow, of course.” From the Ambassadorial Order they responded that, according to First, “a new triumphal comedy in German and Russian will be ready for the coming of the great sovereign.” But whether she was truly “ready” we do not know; information about this has not been preserved. These were the requirements for the theater. The theater, however, did not fulfill these requirements, and if it did, it was extremely reluctant, clearly preferring its traditional repertoire to these new “unseen and unheard of” comedies.

Conclusion.

Peter himself failed to create a permanent public theater. Both attempts in Moscow and St. Petersburg do not give the desired results. Nevertheless, it was in the era of Peter the Great that a solid foundation was laid for the further development of Russian theater. Under Peter I, the theater was quite clearly given political and artistic tasks - to serve the cause of state building in Russia. At this time, early Russian drama took shape, part of the new secular fiction. For the first time, theater becomes a means of educating the broad masses, although far from achieving the goal in this sense, but still functioning as a public and accessible theater. In the era of Peter the Great, the first professional entrepreneurs appeared in Russia, the acting profession stabilized, and the first actresses appeared on the stage.

For some time after the death of Peter 1, Russian theater continues to develop in the forms of amateur theater, the theater of the urban "lower classes. But here, too, everything that Peter's era brought to Russian theatrical culture is being mastered. And here forces are accumulating to fight for the further establishment of the national Russian theater.

List of sources

1. www.feb-web.ru

2. Reader on the history of Russian theater of the 17th and 19th centuries, N. S. Ashukin,

V. N. Vsevolodsky-Gengross, Yu. V. Sobolev, Publisher: Iskusstvo

3. History of Russian drama theater. Volume 1. From the beginnings to the end of the 18th century Kholodov E.G. Publisher: Art

The first public theater in Russia. The era of Peter I, which brought dramatic changes to all spheres of Russian life, also brought a new desire for publicity for Russian society. Peter founded the second capital - St. Petersburg, where everything was planned in a new way. And in this new life, reshaped in the European way, the first public theater appears.
In July 1701, Peter sent for a troupe led by I. Kunst, who agreed only after a certain fee had been established. In 1702 Kunst's troupe arrived in Moscow. It consisted of nine people: Antoni Rotax (also acting as a hairdresser), Jacob Erdmamn Starkey (also a theater tailor and costume designer), Mikhaila Virten (also a theater clerk), Jagan Martin Bandler (best comedian), Jagan Plantin, Karol Ernst Nitz, Mikhail Ezovsky; There was also one actress in the troupe - Kunst's wife Anna.
The question arose about the need for a theater building for performances. Construction has begun. However, for a very long time, the theater temporarily functioned in another building in the German settlement.
There was one drawback: Kunst’s troupe performed exclusively in German. Boyar F. Golovin in 1702 ordered the recruitment of Russian students. And with some changes, the recruited staff lasted until 1706.
In October 1702, Russian troops captured the Noteburg fortress, in honor of which Kunst was ordered to write a play by the time the troops returned to Moscow. The play was called "About the fortress of Grubeton. The first person in it is Alexander the Great."
And throughout the entire existence of this theater, a new “triumphant comedy” was staged there for each visit of the Tsar to Moscow. The repertoire included plays with the titles “Main and State Actions” and small comedies and farces.
The “Comedy Temple” on Red Square was built in 1703. However, Kunst was no longer able to stage there, since he died in early February of the same year. In his place they took Otto Fürst, under whom the theater experienced its most fruitful period. The system of public life was being established, a system of entrance tickets - “labels” of different prices - was introduced; Tolls for travel to Red Square have been cancelled.
In the absence of the Tsar, theatrical life became sluggish. The theater has not yet become something everyday for the people.
In May 1706, the German actors' contract ended and they left for their homeland. In the spring of 1707, in connection with preparations for hostilities, wooden buildings, including the Temple, began to be dismantled.
All theatrical belongings were transported to the village of Preobrazhenskoye; The court “home theater” of Princess Natalya Alekseevna began operating there. Peter's younger sister. Apparently, Russian actors also joined her staff. In 1708, the princess and her theater moved to St. Petersburg, where a special building was being built for the latter, quite large, with a stalls and boxes, and “anyone could come to the performance,” which, of course, applied only to the top of society. The princess herself wrote plays. The theater existed until her death in 1716 and to some extent compensated for the lack of a professional theater.
In 1723, a new German troupe appeared in St. Petersburg, for which a new “house” was organized on the Moika, in which they played until 1725 (until the death of the emperor).
Theatrical and spectacular panorama of Russia in the first third of the 18th century. Theater was one of the main elements of modern culture. But it took time for it to become part of the national culture. The development of Russian culture of that time (including theatrical culture) was affected by many factors, both external (related to European culture and interaction with it) and internal (related to the influence of ancient Russian culture, literature and folklore).
Since the time of Peter the Great, the arrival of foreign artists has become more frequent. Both individual actors and troupes came. And they came for several years. Representatives of the puppet theater were among the most popular among people of all classes, even among the monarchs themselves.
Despite all the diversity of the troupes, they had more in common than different. And the performance was a type of presentation in “pre-literary” theater with a focus primarily on “spectacle.” Most often these were scenes in the spirit of Commedia dell'arte (Italian comedy of masks). The performances were accompanied by music, vocal performances, acrobatic performances, etc.
The first such “comedy” troupe to come to Moscow during the reign of Peter the Great was the puppet troupe of Jan Splavsky. Subsequently, numerous other troupes came, such as the troupe of I.-K. Eckenberg (who had a “curious company with an English dancing master”), Jean Bernert and Franz Shemin, the German “gang” I.-G. Manna, the troupe of Yagan Grieg, the troupe of Vilim Durom (English), the Frenchman Jacques Renolt with his company, the Frenchman Jacob Rioux, also the Frenchman Gemay Vili, in 1728 Sifridus Schultz came from Sweden with his family and troupe.
The new theatrical world for Russia was like a new European dress, put on by order of the sovereign. In some ways she felt familiar - these are comedy shows brought by European comedians. As for the professional theater, this “dress” was only tried on in its isolated public “demonstrations”.
So, over a quarter of a century, in the era of Peter the Great, Russia had to take a closer look and try to fit into European culture, in which theater was one of the most important elements.

Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts

Abstract

On the history of Russian theater

Topic: “Russian theater in the era of PeterI»

Completed:

Group student

304 TV

Abrakhin D.I.

Checked:

Tsidina T.D.

Chelyabinsk, 2008

2. Introduction 3

3. Peter's fun 4

4. School theater 5

5. Russian public theater 7

6. Johann Kunst 9

7. Conclusion 14

8. List of sources 15

Introduction.

Peter led an active offensive struggle against the dominance of religious medieval ideology and implanted a new, secular one.

"Peter's Fun"

Let us dwell first of all on the so-called “amusements”, in which the agitational and political role of the spectacle appeared especially clearly.

The role and significance of masquerades of the Peter I era were not limited to external entertainment. Magnificent celebrations were a means of political agitation.

School theater

According to the Jesuits, who were probably biased, the academic performances were not distinguished by great artistic merit: “since nothing special came of it,” they turned to foreign actors.