Volkov Russian Academic Drama Theater

. F. Volkov Russian Academic Drama Theater

Volkov Yaroslavl Drama Theater is the oldest drama theater in the country, founded in the mid-18th century. The history of the theater company began in a small barn, where young Fyodor Grigorievich Volkov staged the first theatrical productions together with his brothers and friends. F. G. Volkov is the founder of the first professional public Russian theater. His name is immortalized in the name of the Yaroslavl theater, street and square of the city. In addition, every year outstanding theater figures – actors and directors – are awarded the government prize named after Volkov.

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History of the theater

The first performances that took place in Yaroslavl were based on plays by Sumarokov, Dmitri Rostovsky and Lomonosov. In addition to them, the theater company played comedies written by Volkov himself. The traditions of democratization and public accessibility of the theatrical art were popularized by Volkov’s followers – famous Russian actors Pavel Mochalov, Katerina Semyonova, Mikhail Shchepkin and Alexei Yakovlev.

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In the XIX century on tour in Yaroslavl Drama Theater named after Volkov visited the real masters of theater art – Lyubov Kositskaya, Pelageya Strepetova, Ivan Moskvin, Leonid Sobinov, Konstantin Stanislavsky. At the turn of the 20th century, the 150th anniversary of the theater was celebrated in Yaroslavl with a gala ceremony attended by famous artists who came from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

During the Soviet era, the Volkov Yaroslavl Drama Theater enjoyed a reputation as one of the best provincial theaters in the country. In 2000, in honor of the opening of the first theater group, it was granted the status of federal. Now more than two hundred people work here, and performances are shown on two stages. In recent years, the oldest theater in Russia has been dominated by modern productions staged by young directors.

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Since 2009, in April, the Russian Academic Drama Theater named after F. Volkov has been organizing the “Future of Volkov” festival. F. Volkov Russian Academic Drama Theater has been hosting the Future of Theater Russia festival, which brings together young directors and artists from different parts of the country. And in September, the city hosts the “International Volkov Festival”, which is popular in theater circles.”

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Fyodor Volkov

The future founder of the Yaroslavl theater was born in 1729 in a merchant family of Kostroma residents. Volkov’s father soon died. When the boy was 6 years old, his mother became the wife of merchant Polushkin and moved her son to Yaroslavl.

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As a child, Volkov witnessed various theatrical productions, school dramas, folk plays and performances of amateur theaters. At the age of twelve, Fyodor was sent to Moscow for training. There he mastered the German language and became fascinated by the plays staged by the students of the Slavic Greek-Latin Academy.

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In 1746 Volkov moved to the Russian capital and was greatly impressed by the court theater. During his two years in St. Petersburg he diligently studied stage business. Then, after the demise of the merchant Polushkin, Volkov became heir to his factories. However, the management of the family business did not interest the avid theatergoer, and he passed it to his brother.

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The first performances Yaroslavl residents staged in 1750 in a small barn, and a year later the city built a wooden theater. In 1752, at the request of Tsarina Elizabeth Petrovna, the Yaroslavl troupe was invited to the capital and began to play in front of the imperial court, and its leader was identified in the “first Russian actors.”

In the following years, Volkov composed 15 plays, several solemn odes, did artistic design and wrote music for performances. It is noteworthy that he took a direct part in the coup d’état, which resulted in Catherine II on the Russian throne.

In 1763, Fyodorov was appointed to the throne of Russia.

In 1763, Fyodor Grigorievich participated in a lavish masquerade, caught a cold, became seriously ill and died. He was buried in the cemetery, which belonged to the Moscow Zlatoust monastery. However, the monastery itself, as well as the grave of F. G. Volkov, has not survived to this day. In the park near the Volkov Drama Theater in Yaroslavl you can see a monument to Fyodor Volkov.

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The building of the Volkov Yaroslavl Drama Theater

At the beginning of the last century, the City Duma held a competition of architectural projects, the winner of which was recognized the work of Nikolai Alexandrovich Spirin, an academician of architecture. The construction of the new building took two years. In 1911, with a large gathering of citizens and visitors, the drama theater was opened and was named after Volkov.

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The theater building resembles the famous pavilion erected by the famous architect Domenico Zhilardi in the Kuzminki estate. The opulent facade with slender columns is decorated with sculptural images of the patron of arts god Apollo, the goddess of tragedy Melpomene and the patron of comedy graceful muse Thalia. The high reliefs on the sides are dedicated to the heroes of ancient Greek tragedies.

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Today, theater performances are played on the Main Stage, which seats 931 people, and the Chamber Stage with an auditorium for 120 people. For those who wish, paid tours are conducted around the building, during which you can learn about the history of the creation and modern life of the theater, its most famous directors and actors. Visitors are shown a large stage complex, two auditoriums, exhibitions and theater workshops.

Audience information

Tickets for productions of the Volkov Russian Academic Drama Theater are sold online. F. Volkov Russian Academic Drama Theater are sold online, in “Universal Box Offices”, which are located in various places in Yaroslavl, as well as in the box office of the theater itself. They work without weekends from 10.00 to 19.00. The cost of tickets varies from 100 to 700 rubles. During premieres and holiday performances, prices are set additionally.

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Please note that reserving seats without advance payment is not possible. It is possible to carry out photo and video filming only with the permission of the theater administration. The buffet is open before the beginning of the performance and during intermissions.

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How to get there

The Volkov Yaroslavl Drama Theatre is located in the historical center of the city, on the square named after Volkov, 3.7 km north of the railway station. The theater building can be reached by buses No. 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 9, 12, 14, 19K, 21B, 33, 42, 43 and 100, as well as shuttle buses No. 36, 37, 46, 47, 51, 61, 71, 73, 73, 80, 84, 87 and 91.

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