Theatre Art Academy

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THEATRE ART ACADEMY, St. Petersburg State Academy of Theatre Art situated at 34 and 35 Mokhovaya Street, a higher art education institution established after numerous changes in its form and name. Based on the Drama Courses of the Theatre College, an Acting School was opened at 13 Troitskaya Street (Rubinsteina Street) in 1918. At the same time, Stage Direction Courses were organised by V. E. Meyerhold attached to the theatre department of the People's Commissariat of Education at 20 Bolshaya Podiacheskaya Street. In 1922, the Acting School, Stage Direction Courses, Institute of Rhythm, Sorabis Drama School, and A. L. Volynsky's Choreographic School were all united into the Institute of Theatre Arts at 46 Liteiny Avenue. The institute was renamed as the Technical School of Theatre Arts in 1926 with the Technical Photo and Cinema School attached to it and a department of variety art founded at 2 Gagarinskaya Street and, from 1928, 34 Mokhovaya Street. In 1936, the Central Theatre College was formed out of a unification of a number of drama schools including the Juvenile Theatre, New Juvenile Theatre, Pushkin Drama Theatre, and Bolshoy Drama Theatre, based on the structure of the Technical School of Theatre Arts. In 1939, the college was reorganised into the Leningrad State Theatre Institute with the status of a higher education institution and newly established faculty of theatre science and chairs of acting and directing, voice training, and music education. The institute was evacuated to Pyatigorsk in 1942-44 then moved to Ordzhonikidze, Tbilisi, Tomsk, and Novosibirsk. A chair of theatrical movement was opened in 1945, a faculty of directing in 1954, and a department for puppet-shows in 1959, the latter reorganised into a chair in 1963 and a faculty in 1988. The institute was named after A. N. Ostrovsky in 1948-62. In 1962, it was united with the Research Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinema (see Institute of Arts History), which was transformed into a research department. It was then reorganised into the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinematography with its own School Theatre situated in the former Juvenile Theatre at 35 Mokhovaya Street. A department of theatre management was established in 1968 and a chair of variety arts in 1976. The institute was named after N. K. Cherkasov in 1984. The research department was separated again as an independent institute in 1990. The institute received its present-day name in 1993. The academy provides training for all professionals engaged in drama, musical drama, and puppet-show including creative, technical, and administrative work, as well as some other professions such as television producer, variety performer and director, etc. It has four faculties, 16 chairs, a school theatre, two libraries, postgraduate courses, and an editing and publishing department. Among the teachers V. E. Meyerhold, L. S. Vivien, S. E. Radlov, V. N. Solovyev, Y. M. Yuryev, B. V. Zon, N. P. Akimov, G. A. Tovstonogov, B. M. Sushkevich, S. S. Mokulsky, S. S. Danilov, and I. E. Kokh have worked at the institute at various stages of its development. Among its graduates were N. K. Cherkasov, N. K. Simonov, Y. V. Tolubeev and A. I. Raykin. The academy's main building is the former N. V. Bezobrazova's mansion situated at 34 Mokhovaya Street. A striking example of the art nouveau architecture, it was built by architects A.I. Vladovsky, Y. Y. Benois, and K. I. Strigulin in 1902-07, the interior designed by N. D. Prokofyev. The building belonged to the chancellory of the Council of Ministers and included the chairman's flat from 1915. It then accommodated the Polish Experimental Teachers' School from 1918. Two buildings situated at 33-35 Mokhovaya Street were built for Tenishev School. The buildings were partly rented in various times including the Tenishev School Hall, the circle built by architect A. P. Maximov in 1904, rented by various societies and theatre companies such as Comedy, a branch of L. B. Yavorskaya's New Theatre, P. P. Gaydeburov and N. F. Skarskaya's Travelling Theatre, Young Theatre, Russian Comedy, Free Theatre, Comedy and Drama, E. S. Demmeni's Puppet-Show, etc. V. E. Meyerhold's Studio staged Blok's Unknown Woman and Show Booth in the Tenishev School Hall in 1914. The hall housed the Juvenile Theatre between 1922 and 1962 now known as the academy's School Theatre.

References: Страницы истории: С.-Петерб. гос. академия театр. искусства. СПб., 2000.

A. A. Kirillov. Akimov Nikolay Pavlovich
Benois Yuly Yulievich
Cherkasov Nikolay Konstantinovich
Danilov Sergey Sergeevich
Demmeni Evgeny Sergeevich
Gaydeburov Pavel Pavlovich
Koсh Ivan Edmundovich
Maximov Alexander Pavlovich
Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich
Mokulsky Stefan Stefanovich
Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich
Prokofiev Nikolay Dmitrievich
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich
Radlov Sergey Ernestovich
Raykin Arkady Isaakovich
Skarskaya Nadezhda Fedorovna
Solovyev V.N.
Stregulin Konstantin Ivanovich
Sushkevich Boris Mikhailovich
Tolubeev Andrey Yurievich
Tolubeev Yury Vladimirovich
Tovstonogov Georgy Alexandrovich
Vivien Leonid Sergeevich
Vladovsky Alexander Ignatievich
Volynsky (Flexer) Akim Lvovich
Yavorskaya (nee von Gubbenet) Lidia Borisovna
Yuryev Yury Mikhailovich
Zon Boris Wulfovich
Bolshaya Podyacheskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 20
Gagarinskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 2
Liteiny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 46
Mokhovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 35
Mokhovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 34
Mokhovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 33
Rubinsteina St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 13
Страницы истории: С.-Петерб. гос. акад. театр. искусства. СПб., 2000 Theatre College
Theatre Art Academy
Tenishev's School
Young People's Theatre