Theater of the Russian Army: layout of the large hall, contact information. Academic theater of the Russian Army: hall scheme, repertoire, reviews Central theater of the Russian army small hall scheme

There is a wonderful picture in the journal "Technology of Youth" (1940. No. 2) - Central theater Red Army from the inside:

I especially liked the tank entrance.
A text comment explains:
"In the theatre in full voice works by the greatest masters of world drama and plays by Soviet playwrights will be performed.
The height of the stage box, counting from the floor of the stage to the grate, from where the sets suspended on cables descend, is 34 meters. Such a box would easily fit a large, eight-story building.
There are spacious side rooms on both sides of the stage. The area of ​​each of them is 350 square meters... These are the so-called pockets. They serve to prepare three-dimensional decorations. Here you can prepare for going on stage "battleship", "armored train", etc. For the same purpose, the back stage can also be used. Thus, it is possible to prepare a design for three different actions at once. And in the corner rooms, located between the pockets and the back stage, it is possible to store the decoration for 3-4 performances of the current repertoire. "
The theater of the Soviet army is one of the characteristic monuments of Stalinist architecture.

Some art critics and historians consider this building a landmark, seeing in it a departure from the "style of the 1930s." and the beginning of the Stalinist Empire. In any case, the idea was grandiose, and, moreover, it was not the last architects in the hierarchy of that time (the deputy of the USSR Supreme Soviet, academician of architecture K.S.Alabyan, who was assisted by V.N.Simbnrtsev). Traditionally, as it happens with iconic buildings, the construction of the theater reflected several aspects at once that were characteristic of the essentially imperial Stalinist state.
1. "Army - eternal love empire, it is an instrument of conquest, it is also a model for society "(this is a phrase from an article by Yevgeny Anisimov).
Empires were created on the basis of overwhelming militarization.
It is no coincidence, writes the Soviet magazine, “the inspiration of the whole construction was the Red Army and its glorious commander, Marshal Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov. Comrade Voroshilov personally looked through the sketches of artistic painting, fittings, furniture and made very significant specific amendments. Nothing escaped the attention of the People's Commissar. Throughout the entire period of construction, he tirelessly cared for the theater to be beautiful, comfortable, simple, so that the theater was worthy Soviet people and his great Red Army. "

"You involuntarily raise your eyes up to see the aviation. Over the heads of the spectators, in the vastness of the clear, blue sky, proud Stalin's falcons soar. This magnificent artistic painting of the ceiling gives a feeling of freedom, expanse. artwork- painting of the ceiling of the large auditorium and foyer - made by painting professors L. A. Bruni and V. L. Favorsky. "

2. Art is an instrument of propaganda.
The theater of unprecedented size was supposed to show "pictures of the glorious military past of the Russian people. Mass heroic performances will reflect the bright pages of the history, life and everyday life of the Red Army, which won fading glory for itself in the battles for the homeland, for socialism."
"The revolution put art at the service of the people," is the typical mantra of the Soviet press when it comes to culture.
3. Theatricality - in general feature that time.
Let us recall the development of the main highways with houses-decorations (the lush front facade and the untreated others), sports and military parades, etc.
Therefore, the new empire could not help but create its own large theater. And having already created, she made sure that he was the most-most. Another principle follows from this.
4. Gigantomania.
It is no coincidence that the sources of Stalin's time all the time mention the competitive nature of Soviet construction: more than in the rest of the world, more beautiful than before the revolution.
"The stage of the theater is adapted for a wide variety of performances and productions. Its width reaches almost 40 meters, and the depth, counting from the portal, is equal to 30 meters. But this is only the main stage area. Behind it there is a vast back stage (rear stage), which can also be used for theatrical action. If we add to this the front part of the stage (proscenum), which goes beyond the boundaries of the portal, then the total depth of the entire stage will be 62 meters. auditorium... On it, you can deploy a massive action with the participation of more than a thousand people. Here you can show on a grand scale the capture of Winter Palace, assault on Perekop. A battalion of infantry, cavalry, and tanks can "operate" on such a scene. The theater has a special tank entrance through which these formidable combat vehicles will enter the stage.."

"In theaters built by the bourgeoisie, care for the audience did not rise above the stalls and boxes. It was a concern for a rich visitor. Comfortable, soft armchairs, the chic and luxury of so-called" expensive seats "were intended for him. the galleries were not very worried, there were common wooden benches, almost nothing was visible from here, the voice of the actor was barely audible.
In the new Soviet theater, in the Central Theater of the Red Army, all the seats are equally comfortable and good. Here, each spectator has twice as much space and air as in other theaters. The auditorium is designed for almost 2 thousand seats. It is for drama theater- a record figure. Despite such a large capacity, the farthest balcony seats are only 28 meters away from the stage. "
5. City - sacred place with its own symbols.
In the very center is the leader's mausoleum, the central squares are places for ceremonies in honor of great events.
The Commune Square, on which the theater is located, also played an important role. A whole memorial of the military glory of the Red Army was to be formed here.

"In the near future, Commune Square will be transformed, the compositional center of which is new theater... Now there is a vast building to his left. Central house Red Army them. M. V. Frunze. On the other side of the square, to the right of the theater, an equally vast building will rise Of the Central Museum Red Army. Tram traffic will go to neighboring streets and lanes. Surrounded by a forest, this square will be an amazing but beautiful corner of Moscow, embodying a formidable force and greatest culture The Red Army, its unfading glory, which will live for centuries and will reach our distant descendants. "
6. The architecture of the Stalinist era, of course, had its own language of symbols, which, no doubt, fit into the Theater of the Red Army.
In fact, it became a true anthem to the Soviet five-pointed star, perhaps the most important symbol.
Probably everyone knows the legend that the commander Voroshilov traced his marshal's ashtray with a pencil and suggested that Alabyan build a theater in a similar shape.

True or fiction - I personally do not know. However, in addition to the fact that several tiers of the building in the plan turned out to be five-pointed stars, the columns framing them also have a cross-section in the form of a star.
Inside, the stars are decorated with stairs, ceilings, balconies, lamps.

What else can you add?
“The best qualified forces of the country took part in the construction of the theater. The project of the theater was developed by architects, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, academician of architecture KS Alabyan and VN Simbnrtsev.
A wonderful stage device, the only one in the world, developed by engineer P.E. Maltsin. His work was influenced by a careful study of the richest experience of the stage of the Moscow Art Academic Theater of the USSR. A. M. Gorky. "[Which was built by the damned capitalists led by the sponsor of the Bolsheviks industrialist S. T. Morozov]

"It goes without saying that complex and varied Technical equipment theater, as well as lighting the auditorium, stage, foyer and other premises require a colossal amount of electricity. The total installed capacity throughout the theater exceeds 4,000 kilowatts. This means that if you simultaneously turn on all the mechanisms of the scene and all the lighting devices, then just such a tremendous power will be required, which would be enough for lighting big city with a population of several tens of thousands of inhabitants. The theater is equipped with its own electrical substation with a capacity of 2,400 kilowatts. More than 10 thousand light points have been arranged throughout the building and about 50 kilometers of multicore cable have been laid. If all these veins, all electrical and telephone wires were pulled into one line, then it would stretch from Moscow to Kiev, at a distance of 800 kilometers. "

"Above the large auditorium there is a concert hall for almost 500 seats. The Red Banner Ensemble of the Red Army Song and Dance and the best artistic forces of the capital will perform here. theater performances... In addition, this hall will serve as a rehearsal room for the theater. In this respect, it is a great convenience, because the stage here is as wide as below.
Above concert hall there is a spacious art workshop. A large scenic set is being prepared here. "

In addition, the theater was never fully implemented according to the idea - the war prevented, probably:
"The architectural design of the theater has not yet been fully completed. A giant figure of a Red Army soldier has yet to be erected on the upper tower of the building. A grandiose sculpture" October "is also to be erected over the central pediment of the theater. The five upper corners of the building will be decorated with sculptures depicting various branches of the Red Army the lower corners will have powerful fountains. "

The Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army has no analogues not only in Russia, but also in the world. This also applies to the enormous size of the building itself and its stage, and the organization of the theater, which is completely under the control of the Ministry of Defense.

The army has always played an important role in the life of Russian and Soviet society. Suffice it to recall the numerous sports teams most high level, under the patronage of the army, forged victories that brought prestige to the state. The Ministry of Defense's attitude to art was also very attentive. In 1930, the Central Theater of the Red Army was created, which took place in a specially built building - a monumental masterpiece of the Stalinist Empire style. All other theaters in Moscow can envy such a building. The theater building was commissioned in 1940 and includes two halls - Bolshoi and Maly. The large hall, which can accommodate 1900 spectators, is the most spacious theater Hall in Europe.

The dimensions of the stage of the Great Hall are also grandiose. Previously, massive, large-scale performances with the reproduction of battle scenes were very popular. If necessary, entire military units could enter the stage of the theater, as well as horsemen or cars!

Strictly speaking, by the time of the official opening, the theater had already existed for two years. It was an organized system of propaganda teams that acted in military camps for Far east... After moving to Moscow, the theater immediately began to gain popularity. At first, the theater's repertoire consisted mainly of patriotic plays. The posters were full of the following names: "First Horse", "Commander Suvorov", "Front", "Stalingraders". The most famous performance theater throughout its history is "A long time ago" by Alexander Gladkov, which served as the basis for the film "Hussar Ballad". This performance is over 1200 times higher!

The theater of the Russian (until 1993 - Soviet) army has always been famous for its troupe. V Soviet time the issue of recruiting was solved simply - as employees of the theater passed military service best young actors. Actresses also willingly went to work in the theater. Soviet army- the conditions of remuneration there were very good. V different time the theater's actors were Vladimir Soshalsky, Boris Plotnikov, Evgeny Steblov, Alexander Domogarov. Leading actors modern theater The Russian army is Vladimir Zeldin, Fyodor Chenkhankov, Lyudmila Chursina, Lyudmila Kasatkina.

V contemporary repertoire theater - 19 performances, among which there are Russian classics (works by A. Ostrovsky) and European classics (Lope de Vega, Goldoni) and more modern plays. If you want to enjoy the game of masters and feel the grandeur of the theaters of "Soviet hardening" - buy tickets to the theater of the Russian Army!

The best monumental artists took part in the design of the theater: the frescoes of the acoustic ceiling were painted by Lev Bruni, the reinforced concrete curtain-portal was made according to the sketches of Vladimir Favorsky, the plafonds over the buffets in the amphitheater were created by Alexander Deineka and Ilya Feinberg, picturesque panels Pavel Sokolov-Skal and Alexander Gerasimov decorated the ceremonial marble staircases. Furniture, shades and chandeliers were made by special orders, and the columns around the building have a star-shaped cross-section.

Moscow was adorned with a new remarkable building: the Central Theater of the Red Army was built. The grandiose, monumental building of the theater rises on the Commune Square, one of the most spacious squares in the capital. It pleases the eye with its wonderful architectural appearance, slender harmony of forms, unusual volumes and height. In addition to its main purpose - to be the center of the theatrical culture of the Red Army, the theater should also serve the great architectural monument the heroic army of the country of socialism, a monument that will exist for many, many centuries. Therefore, in terms of the plan, the theater building was given the shape of a five-pointed Red Army star. This emblem is the main, leading motif in the entire architecture of the building.

But the shape of the building played with him cruel joke: during the Great Patriotic War, German pilots used the theater of the Soviet Army as a reference point, because 4 of its beams pointed to Moscow train stations, and the fifth to. Therefore, the architects were almost accused of treason, and the building was disguised: villages, churches, groves appeared on the site of the theater.

The theater of the Red (since 1951 - Soviet, since 1993 - Russian) army has the largest stage in Europe.

The building occupies 10 floors on the surface (of which 6 are the Large Stage with 1,520 seats, 2 floors are the Small Stage with 450 seats) and 10 underground floors. The stage of the theater is adapted to show massive battle scenes with the participation of real tanks.

The stage mechanics were designed by engineer Ivan Maltsin. It works practically without repairs even now: 2 huge circles rotate, 12 lifting platforms can turn the stage from a stadium into a mountain landscape.

TSATRA is a departmental theater of the Russian Army, and therefore many famous actors... And instead of the theater director - the head. There are also military barracks, and halls with strange names: "Cabbage", where sauerkraut was kept during the war, a "zoo" where all kinds of artificial horses are kept. At the same time, the TSATRA troupe is considered one of the best in Moscow. Also in the theater building festive events Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and shoot films. For example, an episode of the film "Kin-Dza-Dza" was filmed here.

They say that...... the building of the Theater of the Russian Army was not completed: it was planned to put a statue of a Red Army soldier on the upper tower, a sculpture of October above the central pediment, and statues of various types of troops and fountains were supposed to decorate the five corners of the building. It was supposed to arrange on the roof summer garden for walking spectators during the intermission. In this projected form, the TSATRA building fell on the bas-relief of the Northern River Station.
... Faina Ranevskaya left the theater with the words: “I don’t play at airfields”.
... from the building of the Theater of the Russian Army in

"Moscow has been adorned with a new remarkable building: the Central Theater of the Red Army has been built. The grandiose, monumental building of the theater rises on Commune Square, one of the most spacious squares in the capital. It pleases the eye with its wonderful architectural appearance, harmonious harmony of forms, unusual volumes and height. purpose - to be the center of the theatrical culture of the Red Army, the theater should also serve as a great architectural monument of the heroic army of the country of socialism, a monument that will exist for many, many centuries.Therefore, the theater building was given the shape of a five-pointed Red Army star. the entire architecture of the building. " - magazine "Technology of Youth" 1940

Walk past a building that some historians believe is a landmark in Soviet architecture(the beginning of the Stalinist Empire), we could not. And one summer night they tried to get inside unnoticed. Knowing that the theater belongs to the Ministry of Defense and that they are doing conscript military service, we assumed that in a few hours after lights out, everyone would be in the arms of Morpheus.

Our guess turned out to be correct.

01. The theater of the Red Army begins its history in 1929. This year, at the initiative of the Political Directorate of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (PU RKKA), a theater was formed from several propaganda brigades to serve the troops of the Red Army and their commanders. On February 6, 1930, the first review performance "K.V.Zh.D." (directed by V. Fedorov, script by S. Alimov) dedicated to Armed conflict between China and the Soviet Union in 1929 over the southern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Initially, this section of the road was built by agreement with China, even during Russian Empire, but after October revolution(1917), it was nationalized by the Harbin Soviet of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies. Two weeks later, the Chinese troops explained that this was not necessary and dispersed the Harbin Council. In 1924, the government of the USSR reached an agreement with China and the road was taken over by the Soviet side. But in 1929, China seizes the Chinese Eastern Railway. Now the Red Army has to intelligibly explain to the Chinese that it is not necessary to do this and in two and a half months it suits complete rout Chinese troops and regains control of the road. In 1932, Japanese troops capture Harbin and join the puppet state of Manchukuo, formed in the same year. In light of these events Soviet authority after months of negotiations, it sells the Chinese Eastern Railway to the government of Manchukuo. Thirteen years later, the Red Army erased the puppet state of Manchukuo from history and took the road back, and in 1952, as a sign of goodwill, the USSR donated it to China free of charge. This date is considered the birthday of the theater. Before the appearance of a separate building, the theater played its performances in the Red Banner Hall of the House of the Red Army (Now - Cultural Center Armed Forces Russian Federation) and often toured the Red Army units and garrisons.

02. In the 30s, the uncontrolled demolition of architectural monuments began in the USSR, which, according to the party, were symbolized by royal power... Instead of old symbols, new ones were required - demonstrating the values ​​of a young and ambitious state. The architects of that time were characterized by the search for a new, special "proletarian" style. The emphasis was on continuity from classicism of clarity and simplicity of forms, but without abstract abstraction, from the baroque - an organic sense of the materiality of the world, but without exaltation and hypertrophy. In 1932, the new style was approved by the party and the term was first voiced - socialist realism.

03. Under the influence of a new trend in architecture, the deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, academician of architecture Halabyan Karo Semenovich (1897 - 1959). Soviet architect. Chief Architect of Moscow. In 1929 he was among the founders of the All-Russian Society of Proletarian Architects (VOPRA), which considered its goal to promote "new proletarian architecture". In addition to the theater of the Red Army, K.S. Halabyan is also known for other works: the pavilion of the Armenian SSR at the All-Russian Exhibition Center, the ground lobby of the Krasnopresnenskaya metro station, the Sochi sea terminal, the building of the railway station in Voronezh, the planning of the Khimki-Khovrino residential area, participated in the development Master plan for the reconstruction of Moscow. He was a laureate of the USSR State Prize (1941), a laureate of the Lenin Prize (1951), was awarded two orders (the Order of the Badge of Honor, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor), received the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Arts and Technology in Paris. January 5, 1959 Karo Semenovich dies of lung cancer. A street in Moscow (Halabyan st.) And a street in Yerevan (Halabyan st.) Are named in his honor. and architect Vasily Nikolaevich Simbirtsev (1901-1982). Soviet architect. Chief architect of Stalingrad (now Volgograd). One of the organizers of the All-Russian Society of Proletarian Architects (VOPRA). In addition to work on the Central Theater of the Red Army, it is also famous for other projects: the pavilion of the Byelorussian SSR, residential buildings on Krasnoselskaya Street and Leningradskoye Highway, Prombank on Tverskaya Street. He was engaged in the restoration of Stalingrad after the war. Was awarded the order Labor Red Banner and Stalin Prize 2 degrees. October 19, 1982 Vasily Nikolaevich dies in Moscow. A street in Volgograd (Simbirtsev street) is named in his honor. developed a project for the Central Theater of the Red Army.

04. The architects were tasked with creating a building-monument embodying the might of the Red Army. Taking into account the fact that the specificity of theater buildings with a deep stage already had a spatial composition worked out for centuries, unfolding along the longitudinal axis of symmetry (entrance, vestibule, foyer with corridors, auditorium, stage box). It was very difficult to create a new volumetric-spatial form that the viewer would associate with the Red Army.

05. Since socialist realism demanded simplicity and clarity of forms and no abstract perception, the figure was chosen as the basis five pointed star so that even the birds understand that this is not just some kind of theater, but the theater of the Red Army. There are a lot of stars in the theater, even the columns have a cross-section in the form of a star.

06. It was impossible to solve the assigned tasks without losses. In the Central Theater of the Red Army, the acoustics are worse, the area of ​​the foyer and halls is overstated, a number of rooms not provided for in the program, and a few extra staircases. All this led to a significant increase in the volume of the building.

07. The whole country, without exaggeration, was engaged in the construction of the theater "About 40 different factories of the Soviet Union carried out orders for this grandiose structure. The Kramatorsk plant named after Stalin made heavy truss structures for the stage; Leningrad plant" Electrosila "gave the theater motors; Kharkov Electromechanical Plant - complex electrical equipment; Moscow plant" Metro "made external fittings, metal hangers, marble works; Malo-Vishersky glass factory made colored glass and all artistic glass fittings. "- magazine "Technology of Youth".

08. Probably the most spectacular place in the theater is the large hall with 1520 seats. This is the most spacious theater hall in the world. When it was designed, special care was taken to ensure that all seats were equally comfortable, emphasizing equality between classes. “In theaters built by the bourgeoisie, care for the audience did not rise above the stalls and boxes. It was a concern for a rich visitor. Comfortable, soft chairs, the chic and luxury of so-called“ expensive seats ”were intended for him. The galleries were not very worried. There were common wooden benches, almost nothing was visible from here, the voice of the actor was barely audible. The revolution put art at the service of the people. And in the new Soviet theater of the Red Army, all the seats are equally comfortable and good. " They even solved the problem of the seats flapping by hinging them so that they turned silently.

09. Scene large hall also not small, it is considered the largest not only in the Russian Federation, but also in Europe. Dimensions are not the only thing a theater can be proud of. Technical devices, and its mechanisms designed by engineer I.E. Malcin, could change the smooth floor of the stage, making it possible to create any relief on it. The stage consists of three main parts: a large rotating drum 26 meters in diameter, inside it is a half-size snare drum and a stationary part. Both drums can rotate around their axis independently of each other. In addition to rotating discs, so-called tables are installed on the stage, which can rise to a height of 2.5 meters and descend to a depth of two meters. A total of 19 tables are installed, 10 on a large disc, 3 on a small one, and 3 on each side in the fixed part. With these tables, it was possible to create a giant amphitheater for large conventions. For such cases, special shields were provided to cover the orchestra pit, thereby uniting the auditorium with the stage, which increased the capacity of the room to almost 4 thousand people.

10. In the diagram above, behind the stage, a point unusual for theaters is striking - a tank entrance. As conceived by the architects, it was planned that in theatrical performances it will be possible to use the real military equipment... I don't know if this is true or fiction, but I was told that once a tank drove into the theater. The floor of the stage could not stand it, and it failed. By the way, the tank had a lot to fall, there are three technical floors under the stage.

The photo shows a small rotating drum with a diameter of 13 meters.

11. Going down under the stage, you can see the construction of a large rotating drum. Its height is 9.5 meters. The bottom of the drum consists of two powerful, mutually crossing beams, on which the running wheels are mounted. With these wheels, it rests in a circle on a circular rail track along which the drum rotates.

Metal truss structure of a snare drum under the stage.

12. In order for the device to work at the lowest level there is an engine room with electric motors. Energy is supplied to the electric motors from the outside, which caused certain difficulties in the construction. It was impossible to simply run wires and cables to the drums, since if they were rotated, they would simply be torn. The solution to this problem was the use of ring pantographs. But the factories to which the engineers contacted did not dare to undertake such a complex and urgent order - there were only two months left before the opening. The Komsomol of the Dzerzhinsky region came to the rescue, on the territory of which the theater was being built. Having contacted the Komsomol members of the Moscow Dynamo plant named after Kirov (now this plant is in an abandoned state), they asked them to fulfill the order. Together with the chief engineer of the plant, within a month, drawings were prepared and two pantographs were manufactured, for the large and small drums. The enthusiasm and professionalism of Soviet engineers is admirable, because before that, no one had made such pantographs and they were completely unique in terms of design. The necessary products were manufactured before the contract was concluded between the plant and the construction organization.

One of the snare drum motors.

13. Electric motors, lighting (over 10,000 light points were located throughout the theater in the 40s) and various equipment needed a large number of electricity. Therefore, the theater has its own electrical substation... At the time of opening, about 50 kilometers of multi-core cable was stretched through the entire theater. "If all these veins, all electrical and telephone wires were pulled into one line, then it would stretch from Moscow to Kiev, at a distance of 800 kilometers." In the 21st century, the theater hosted large-scale reconstruction, for the renewal of electrical equipment. For 6 months of work, more than 300 kilometers of cable were laid to connect stage lighting, electroacoustics and video projection equipment.

14. Not last role Marshal of the Soviet Union K. E. Voroshilov played in the creation of the theater. With his direct participation, the main issues arising in the construction were resolved. He also looked through and made amendments to the sketches of art painting, followed the selection of furniture and interior items. There is a legend that the marshal had something to do with the appearance of the theater. At a meeting with the architect K.S. With Alabyan, he traced his star-shaped ashtray with a pencil and suggested building it this way.

15. Being in the big hall it is impossible not to pay attention to the painting of the ceiling. It was executed by the professors of painting L. A. Bruni and V. L. Favorsky. Here is how they wrote about her in the magazine Tekhnika Molodezhi from 1940: "You involuntarily raise your eyes up to see aviation. Over the heads of the audience, in the clear blue sky, proud Stalin's falcons soar. This magnificent artistic painting of the ceiling gives a feeling of freedom, expanse. "

16. A few words about the theater repertoire.

17. Throughout its history, the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army (the last name, the theater was renamed several times) has created more than 300 performances.

18. The performances were not only of a military-patriotic orientation ("Front" by AE Korneichuk, "Stalingraders" by YP Chepurin, "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" by BL Vasiliev, etc.). Shown were classic performances by William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Othello) and performances by Russian classics (The Bourgeoisie, At the Bottom "- M. Gorky," The Inspector General "- N. Gogol," Heart is not a stone "- A. Ostrovsky," Uncle Vanya "," The Seagull "- A. Chekhova and others). The big hall of the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army (TSATRA) also hosts the games of the KVN Major League.

19. Among the performances, there are also performances that are long-livers: "Dance Teacher" Lope de Vega, staged in 1946, was staged more than 1900 times, the premiere of 1942 "A long time ago" by Alexander Gladkov - about 1200 times. They can be seen in TSATRA even now.

20. In addition to performances, all festive events of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are held on the basis of the theater, anniversary dates types and arms of the RF Armed Forces, Main and Central Directorates of the RF Ministry of Defense. The good tradition of military-patriotic education of young people has not been forgotten either.

21. Since the founding of the theater, in Soviet times, the troupe has constantly toured military units and garrisons. Now the artists of TSATRA also do not sit in their building, and annually (more than 20 visits) give concerts and perform with performances in various military districts ...

22. "The staff of TSATRA consists of more than three hundred people, including more than 130 people creative composition, including: People's Artists of the USSR V.M. Zeldin, L.A. Chursina, 13 People's artists Of the Russian Federation, 22 Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and 6 Honored Workers of Culture of the Russian Federation. A number of artists have been awarded State prizes, orders and medals of our state. The theater employs about 30 veterans of the Great Patriotic War. "- from the official website of TSATRA.

23. For creative youth of draft age, there is an opportunity to serve in the theater.

24. For a short summer night, we did not manage to go around the whole theater. But we managed to visit, in addition to the large hall, the art workshop, which is located above the large and small halls.

25. Large scenic sets are being prepared in it. There are special markings on the floor to make it easier to work with canvases, and walkways are installed under the ceiling so that you can look from above the process of preparing the scenery and make changes. When the decoration is ready, it is folded up and passed through the hatch under the grate floor, where it is lowered down with the help of blocks.

26. There is one more purpose of the premises: formation and drill training for the "theater troops" who are in service are taking place here.

27. Despite the fact that the building appears to be complete, a number of architectural elements were not completed for the opening of the theater in 1940.

28. The figure of a giant Red Army soldier was not erected on the upper tower of the building, which cannot but rejoice. Not installed sculptural composition"October", above the central pediment of the theater. And on the five upper corners of the building, there are not enough sculptures depicting different kinds troops.

29. But the biggest loss, in my opinion, is the unfulfilled idea of ​​using the roof. According to the plan, it was supposed to have a garden with flower beds and lawns, as well as a restaurant, a dance floor and a cinema. In winter, there was an opportunity to arrange a skating rink. For visitors to the theater, on the roof, an excellent panorama would open up, because in 1940 it was the tallest building in Moscow.

Equipment for lifting and lowering decorations. They have stood since the founding of the theater.

31. By the way, the idea of ​​using roofs for leisure activities is not new. In the fall, I happened to visit the roof of the first skyscraper in Moscow, where a restaurant was opened in 1916, and after the revolution, a square, a playground and much more, but more on that another time.

32. In conclusion, a few words about the small hall, which we could not get into due to lack of time. It is located above a large hall and has 450 seats. The Red Banner Ensemble of the Red Army Song and Dance and other artists of the capital performed there. Rehearsals are also held in the small hall. I will also get here soon, but as a spectator.

That's all. A curtain.

The following materials were used to write the post.

Moscow is full of unique sights, each of which is worthy of a separate, enthusiastic story. The Theater of the Russian Army is unique in many ways. Nowhere in the world is there a theater of such a rank that would be inextricably linked with the army.

This is not an army ensemble or a visiting team with thematic repertoire, this is one of the great establishments of its kind in the world. Its status is peculiar: it is a departmental theater of the Armed Forces, and many actors on its stage served in the full sense of the word. Before the war, in the system of the USSR Ministry of Defense there were several such theaters related to certain regions of Russia, they were called

Unique army - unique theater

The theater of the Russian Army, the hall in which the large stage is located (some compare it to a football field), are the largest in the capital. The theater building is one of a kind. And the point is not only that the stage of a multi-storey building is the largest in Europe, the very shape of this building is unique: the building at the base is a star. The army is posted later in the article. The magnificent structure is located so that all five rays are directed to some significant places - the center of the capital, and the three largest transport hubs - Savelovsky, Rizhsky and Belorussky railway stations. And of course, the unique building is surrounded by legends. One of them says that German bombers really wanted to bomb a star, as they would say now, visible from space.

The birth of the theater

The Theater of the Russian Army (or rather, its troupe) was formed in 1929 from amateur army collectives, gradually diluted by professional actors and directors. The date of birth of TSATRA is considered to be February 6, 1930. On this day, the performance "K.V.Zh.D." was staged.

Maybe because already in 1930 artistic director theater with light hand Yuri Alexandrovich Zavadsky became director of Vladimir Meskheteli, the theater acquired a reputation as a highly professional institution. The best stage director and director at that time selected a talented troupe and a wonderful repertoire. The Theater of the Russian Army (then the Red) is quickly becoming a favorite place for Muscovites and guests of the capital.

Skillful leadership

This institution has always been lucky with artistic directors, thanks to whom the level of stage performances set by Zavadsky never dropped, and the performances, surprising and shocking the audience, became legends, according to which, given their popularity, films were filmed, for example, "Dance Teacher" with the legendary Vladimir Zeldin. And isn't the 85th season 3D musical "Paula Negri" worthy of surprise and praise?

There were few artistic directors in the history of the theater. After Zavadsky, the eminent (the brightest director and artistic director, according to theater experts) became the artistic director. Then - no less titled and popularly beloved Andrey Popov. After his death, his student Boris Afanasyevich Morozov became the artistic director, who is still in charge. The Theater of the Russian Army has always been famous for its troupe, you can enumerate for a long time the stars of the first magnitude who served in TsATRA for many years. In 1975, this theater was awarded the title of academic (the second letter in the abbreviation).

One of a kind building

But, as noted above, this theater is also famous for its building. It is located in the center of Moscow, on a very spacious square, which is called Suvorovskaya (earlier - Commune Square, even earlier - Yekaterininskaya, the nearest metro station - "Dostoevskaya").

Looks organically against the backdrop of the grandiose TSATRA building, which is the dominant feature of the entire district. A unique example of the Stalinist Empire style (the official name is Soviet monumental classicism), was built from 1934 to 1940 according to the project of architects K. S. Alabyan and V. N. Simbirtsev, who were given a more than ambitious task: the building was supposed to symbolize the power of the Red Army. And the structure in the shape of a star (the scheme of the theater of the Russian Army is given above), like nothing else, met these requirements. In one of the articles, the TSATRA building is called the peripeter - from the Greek “surrounded by columns”, which really adorn the facade very much, giving it the desired monumentality.

The gigantism inherent in the Stalinist Empire

It is not surprising that actions with the participation of cavalry (the play "The First Horse" by Vsevolod Vishnevsky) and even tanks can be played out on the stages of the theater. The building has 10 overground floors (six of which are used for scaffolding, in particular, 4 floors - a large stage and two - a small one) and the same number of underground floors. The room with a large stage can accommodate up to 1.5 thousand people. theater of the Russian army gives an idea of ​​its size. The balcony of the large hall, like the amphitheater, is divided into five sectors. The exact number of places is 1520 (originally there were 2100). He is well known to millions of TV viewers, since the teams of the major league of KVN performed here for 10 years - from 2002 to 2012.

Cozy hall of the small stage

The room with a small stage is designed for only 400 seats. Chamber or experimental performances are staged here. Moreover, on small stage performs its performances Children's theatre studio Natalia Aristova. There were such performances as "Kovaleva from the province", A. Popov staged Kafka here. And when the big stage was reconstructed, the performances continued to be staged on the small one. The list of productions performed on these two stages can constitute a whole brochure, and reviews and responses to the performances can constitute a whole book.

Diverse repertoire

It is easy to assume that the theater's repertoire has always, over the 70 years of its existence, included performances related to military themes. They sang the praise of the Russian Army at all times. For many years, the heroic F. Gladkov “A long time ago” did not leave the stage. In 2005, it was revived, and it closed the 77th season.

Performances based on plays by A. N. Ostrovsky never left the stage of this theater. Now they are showing Wolves and Sheep. In 2015 Academic theater Russian army will celebrate its 85th anniversary with festive anniversary concert which must pass on big stage on the Day of Russia. The theater's repertoire is no stranger to performances by foreign authors (the already mentioned musical "Pola Negri"), large historical performances: now "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich" is playing on the big stage. Aibolit was staged for children on a small stage.

Good theater - good reviews

The Theater of the Russian Army has the most enthusiastic reviews. People admire everything: the grandiose architecture, the graceful decoration of the foyer, where you can take part in a photo shoot and even drink a glass of champagne offered at the entrance. I especially like the performances, in particular the above.