Baltic House Festival Theatre

Categories / Art/Music, Theatre/Theaters, Concert Organizations
BALTIC HOUSE FESTIVAL THEATRE (4 Alexandrovsky Park) was established in 1936 by the Red Theatre Union and the Theatre of the Working Youth (TRAM) as the Memorial Lenin Komsomol Theatre, the theatre was called the Baltic House in 1991 and received its current name in 2000. In 1936-39, it was located at 12 Vladimirsky Avenue (today the Memorial Leningrad Soviet Theatre), it moved to the present building in 1939. Its artistic director from 1936 to1941 was V. P. Kozhich, and M. V. Chezhegov was the chief director in 1936-48. The repertoire was based on the works by N. F. Pogodin, A. N. Arbuzov, A. N. Afinogenov, K. G. Paustovsky et al. The best performances of that period include: Land by N. E. Virta, The Guilty without guilt by A. N. Ostrovsky, Barbarians by M. Gorky, Field Marshal Kutuzov by V. A. Solovyev, Cyrano de Bergerac by E. Rostand. The theatre was evacuated to Severodvinsk in 1942, and in 1943, it was moved to the Urals. At the end of the war the theatre was moved again to Sochi. In 1945, the theatre came back to Leningrad. In 1946, it resumed performances in its own building after its reconstruction. G. A. Tovstonogov (chief director in 1949-56) supported its publicist character and romantic elation of productions, which were typical for the theatre (From the Sparkle by S. N. Dadiani - Stalin Prize, 1950; Wreck of the Squadron by A. E. Korneychuk; Thunderstorm by Ostrovsky; On the Way of Immortality based on the book by Y. Fuchik; Report with a Noose around the Neck, together with A. G. Rakhlenko - Stalin Prize, 1952; The Insulted and the Injured by F. M. Dostoevsky together with I. S. Olshvanger). The thaw at the end of the 1950s - beginning of the 1960s inspired the production of plays by V. S. Rozov, A. M. Volodin, V. F. Panova, E. de Filippo, Rostand, they were staged by such directors as A. A. Belinsky, A. V. Pergament (the chief director in 1956-58), P. A. Khomsky (chief director in 1961-65) et al. E. L. Shiffers directed Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, in 1964, became the debut of a new wave in theatre. Shiffers, having graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema (see The Academy of Theatre Art) and the dramatic course of Tovstonogov added to the repertoire of the theatre company in 1967 with such performances as Visible Song (performance-concert), West-Side Story by A. Laurents and L. Bernstein, which involved the participation of the young directors V. E. Vorobyev and E. M. Padve. A considerable stage of the history of the theatre is connected with G. M. Oporkov (the chief director in 1970-83): Do not Leave the Beloved by Volodin, Skylark by J. Anouilh, Duck Hunt by A. V. Vampilov, Money for Maria by V. G. Rasputin, The Last by Gorky, two scenic versions of the Seagull by A. P. Chekhov etc. Directors S. Y. Spivak, K. M. Ginkas, G. N. Yanovskaya, V. S. Golikov and V. Y. Vetrogonov worked at the theatre during the period of the supervision of Oporkov. In 1981, the Minor Stage was opened in the theatre. The best performances of the recent time include: A. V. Zholdak directed Taras Bulba by N. V. Gogol, A. V. Galibin directed Frecken Juliet by A. Strindberg, The Guilty without Guilt by Ostrovsky, V. A. Tumanov directed Chardym by N. N. Sadur, The Play Which Does Not Exist by E. V. Grishkovts, A. A. Moguchy directed Natural Economy in Shambal by A. P. Shipenko, I. Vaitkus directed Master and Margarita by M. A. Bulgakov, Klim (V. A. Klimenko) directed Dream about Autumn by Y. Fosse. The following actors worked and work at the theatre: Y. V. Tolubeev, V. I. Chestnokov, A. N. Luzina, O. G. Okulevich, E. G. Altus, D. L. Volosov, P. V. Lobanov, A. G. Rakhlenko, O. V. Avericheva, E. A. Lebedev, O. V. Basilashvili, T. V. Doronina, V. M. Tatosov, T. L. Piletskaya, Y. A. Panich, E. G. Vitorgan, L. I. Malevannaya, R. A. Bykova, N. N. Urgant, P. P. Gorin, I. A. Slobodskaya, L. I. Borisevich, A. D. Balter, N. M. Tenyakova, V. V. Yakovlev, L. Z. Kirakosyan, E. G. Ziganshina, R. B. Gromadsky, V. A. Tykke, N. I. Popova, A. V. Petrov, V. I. Sukhorukov and R. L. Lialeikite et al. Today the Festival Theatre Baltic House is a theatre holding company uniting the following theatres and theatre companies in one building within a single administrative structure. It consists of its own theatre company Baltic House (V. A. Tykke has been an art director since 1996), the Theatre of Farce headed by V. M. Kramer (since 1997; the productions include Farces, or New Medieval French Anecdotes, Hamlet by Shakespeare, Vokhlyaks from Golopleks, or the Night Dream by I. S. Turgenev, Village of Stepanchikovo by F. M. Dostoevsky etc.), the collective Experimental Stage under the supervision of A. A. Praudin (since 1999; which has produced: Sisyphus and Stone by N. C. Skorokhod, Crocodile by K. I. Chukovsky, The Dowerless Bride by A. N. Ostrovsky etc.), the puppet show Potudan (directed by R. R. Kudashov since 2002) and the Baltic International Festival Centre. The Formal Theatre of A. Moguchy worked here in 1997-2002 (productions: Bald Soprano by E. Ionesco, Hamlet-Machine by C. Muller and V. G. Sorokin, Orlando Furioso by L. Ariosto, the School for Fools by S. Sokolov - together with the theatre company of the Baltic House etc.). The Festival Theatre Baltic House organises forums regularly: the International Festival Theatre Baltic House (since 1991), the international festival of mono-performances Monocle (since 1997), the festival of theatre advance guard Sun Cycle (since 1997), the international festival of the Russian theatres of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltic States Meetings in Russia (since 1998). The Festival Theatre Baltic House is undertaking a number of long-term projects for international theatrical cooperation. The theatre possesses two stages for performances and several stages for rehearsals. Honorary worker of arts of Russia S. G. Shub is a chief director for the Festival Theatre Baltic House. Honorary actor of Russia V. A. Tykke is an art director. The building was erected in 1939 (architects N. I. Miturich and V. P. Makashev) especially for the Lenin Memorial Komsomol Theatre, its architecture unites features of constructivism and Stalin's Empire style.

References: Рабинянц Н. А. Театр юности: Очерк истории Ленингр. гос. театра им. Ленинского комсомола. Л., 1959; Ее же. Театр молодых. Л., 1965.

A. A. Kirillov. Afinogenov Alexander Nikolaevich
Altus Efim G.
Anouilh Jean
Arbuzov Alexsey Nikolaevich
Ariosto Ludovico
Avericheva O.V.
Balter Alla Davidovna
Basilashvili Oleg Valerianovich
Belinsky Alexander Arkadievich
Bernstein Leonard
Borisevich L.I.
Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasievich
Bykov Rolan Antonovich
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich
Chestnokov Vladimir Ivanovich
Chezhegov Mikhail Viktorovich
Chukovsky Korney Ivanovich
Dadiani Shalva Nikolaevich
Doronina Tatyana Vasilievna
Dostoevsky Fedor Mikhailovich
Filippo Eduarde de
Fosse Yu.
Fucik Julius
Galibin Alexander Vladimirovich
Ginkas Kama Mironovich
Gogol Nikolay Vasilievich
Golikov Vadim Sergeevich
Gorin N.N.
Gorky Maxim (Alexey Maximovich Peshkov)
Grishkovets E.V.
Gromadsky Roman Borisovich
Ionesco Eugene
Khomsky Pavel Osipovich
Kirakosyan Leila Z.
Klimenko Vladimir Alexeevich
Korneychuk Alexander Evdokimovich
Kozhich Vladimir Platonovich
Kramer Viktor Moiseevich
Kudashov Ruslan R.
Laurents A.
Lebedev Evgeny Alexeevich
Lialeikite Regina L.
Lobanov Vadim Vladimirovich
Luzina A.N.
Makashov Vasily Pavlovich
Malevannaya Larisa Ivanovna
Miturich Nikolay Alexandrovich
Moguchy Andrey Anatolievich
Muller Heiner
Muller (Miller) Karl Fedorovich
Okulevich Oleg Georgievich
Olshvanger Ilya Saulovich
Oporkov Gennady Mikhailovich
Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich
Padve Efim Mikhailovich
Panich Yulian Alexandrovich
Panova Vera Fedorovna
Paustovsky Konstantin Georgievich
Pergament Alexander Viktorovich
Petrov Alexander Vasilievich
Piletskaya Tatyana Lvovna
Pogodin (real name Stukalov) Nikolay Fedorovich
Popova Natalia I.
Rakhlenko Alexander G.
Rasputin Valentin Grigorievich
Rostand Edmond
Rozov Viktor Sergeevich
Sadur V.V.
Shakespeare William
Shiffers Evgeny Lvovich
Shipenko A.P.
Shub Sergey Grigorievich
Skorokhod Natalia S.
Slobodskaya Inna Alexandrovna
Sokolov Sasha (Alexander Vsevolodovich)
Solovyev Vladimir Alexandrovich
Sorokin V.G.
Spivak Semen Yakovlevich
Strindberg Johan August
Sukhorukov Viktor Ivanovich
Tatosov Vladimir Mikhailovich
Tenyakova Natalia Maximovna
Tolubeev Yury Vladimirovich
Tovstonogov Georgy Alexandrovich
Tumanov Vladimir Anatolievich
Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich
Tykke Vladimir Alexandrovich
Urgant Nina Nikolaevna
Vaitkus Jonas
Vampilov Alexander Valentinovich
Vetrogonov Vladimir Yurievich
Virta Nikolay Evgenievich
Vitorgan Emmanuil Gedionovich
Volodin Alexander Moiseevich
Volosov D.L.
Vorobyev Vladimir Egorovich
Yakovlev Vladimir V.
Yanovskaya Genrietta Naumovna
Zholdak Andrey Valerievich
Ziganshina Era G.
Vladimirsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 12
Рабинянц Н. А. Театр юности: Очерк истории Ленингр. гос. театра им. Ленинского комсомола. Л., 1959
Рабинянц Н. А. Театр молодых. Л., 1965 Lensovet Theatre
Theatre Art Academy
1936