Theatre College

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THEATRE COLLEGE, Petersburg Imperial Theatre College. Originating from the Dance School founded in 1738 and the Music School of the Court Orchestra founded in 1740, it is associated with I. A. Dmitrevsky's training actors who studied at foster houses and other educational institutions in Moscow and St. Petersburg. One version is that the Theatre College (school) was opened in 1779 as "theatre boys and girls" were accommodated in the Lifeguard Company House at the corner of Millionnaya Street and Winter Canal. Another version belongs to V. N. Vsevolodsky-Gerngross saying that the college was opened in 1783 as P. A. Soymonov gathered students of ballet, drama, opera, music and theatre painting in one school situated in Seidler's house at the present-day 18 Kutuzovskaya Embankment with common disciplines for its charges in the curriculum such as music, dancing, singing, reciting, drawing, Russian reading and writing, mathematics, French, and Italian. Special education was provided in the last years of studies. Dmitrevsky was a teacher of the drama class. Universal art education was brought to the forefront and included in the curriculum in 1792-94 as Prince N. B. Yusupov, the entertainment and music director, implemented the joint education project put forward by the Casassi family. The college had its own training stage. Its location moved repeatedly at the turn of the 18th century until it settled at Teatralnaya Street (Zodchego Rossi Street). Children aged nine to thirteen were admitted to study usually for three to four years, although their stay was individual. Most of them came from the petty bourgeoisie, serfs also admitted though. Some graduates were educated in several professions to work both in ballet and drama companies. In 1809, a School Charter was developed to regulate admission, organisation, and program of studies. The college was renamed the Petersburg Imperial Theatre College in 1829. The regulations accepted in the same year divided the college into a men's unit and a women's unit and into a ballet class and an opera and drama class. Drama education declined by the late 19th century. While the school focused on training ballet dancers, opera and music education was transferred to the Conservatory. The college stopped admitting students to the drama department in 1884. It opened three-year drama courses instead in 1888 as suggested by S. A. Yuryev. The curriculum included drama, grace, dancing, singing, fencing, makeup, Russian and foreign literature, French, drawing, and history of theatre, drama, and social life. Among the teachers were V. N. Davydov, M. P. Pisarev, N. S. Vasilyeva, and N. F. Sazonov, among its students - E. S. Semenova, I. I. Sosnitsky, N. O. Dyur, A. E. Martynov, Sazonov, L. B. Yavorskaya, V. L. Yureneva, L. S. Vivien, Y. E. Ozarovsky, N. N. Khodotov, and E. I. Time. The Drama Courses had no status of a higher education institution; the respective petition was rejected by the Imperial Court Ministry in 1913. After the October of 1917, the college was renamed as the State Petrograd Theatre College. Based on the Drama Courses, the School of Russian Drama of State Petrograd Theatres and the Acting School were opened in 1918, the former united with the Ballet College into the School of State Academic Theaters in 1921 (for further information on the schools see under Academy of Russian Ballet and Academy of Theatre Art, respectively).

References: Всеволодский-Гернгросс В. Н. История театрального образования в России. СПб., 1913. Т. 1; Страницы истории: С.-Петерб. гос. академия театр. искусства. СПб., 2000.

A. A. Kirillov. Casassi
Davydov Vladimir Nikolaevich
Dmitrevsky (real name Narykov) Ivan Afanasievich
Dyur Nikolay Osipovich
Khodotov Nikolay Nikolaevich
Martynov Andrey Efimovich
Ozarovsky Yury Erastovich
Pisarev Modest Ivanovich
Sazonov Nikolay Fedorovich
Semenova Ekaterina Semenovna
Sosnitsky Ivan Ivanovich
Soymonov Peter Alexandrovich
Time Elizaveta Ivanovna
Vasilyeva N.S.
Vivien Leonid Sergeevich
Vsevolodsky-Gerngross Vsevolod Nikolaevich
Yavorskaya (nee von Gubbenet) Lidia Borisovna
Yureneva Vera Leonidovna
Yusupov Nikolay Borisovich, Duke
Kutuzova Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 18
Zodchego Rossi Street/Saint Petersburg, city
Всеволодский-Гернгросс В. Н. История театрального образования в России. СПб., 1913
Страницы истории: С.-Петерб. гос. акад. театр. искусства. СПб., 2000 Boarding House of Education
1738