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Peter’s theater opened in Moscow
On December 30, 1780 (January 10, 1781) in Moscow opened a stone building of Peter’s theater, the first public theater of the former capital. The theater was constructed by the architect H.H. Rosberg by means of theater entrepreneur M.G. Medox. Inside there were a parterre, three circles of boxes and a gallery seating about 1.5 thousand spectators, a “masquerade hall with widows along two walls”, a “card room” and other special premises. In 1788 a new round masquerade hall, “Rotunda”, was attached to the building.
On the day of the grand opening the “Moscow bulletin” wrote: “To the content of the honorable audience we are glad to inform that this enormous building constructed for the people’s pleasure and entertainment… in the opinion of the best architects and on the approval of theater experts is constructed and completed to the perfection with such a solidity and advantage that it excels by these qualities almost all famous European theaters. As to the desired security of this public house, there has been taken every measure in order to make it absolute…”.
Peter’s theater was showing drama performances, operas and ballets. Namely on its stage were shown the first Russian comic operas. At the best times theater annually showed 30 plays and 75 performances. The establishment was very popular so that the system of “tickets reservation” was introduced. Only well-to-do public could afford to reserve: it was impossible to buy a ticket in a box for one performance, one should subscribe for “the annual place rent” announced in advance in a “Moscow bulletin” edition.
The Peter’s theater troupe consisted of free actors as well as of serfs. The troupe’s main body included the actors who started their professional activity at the University theater. Besides, the French, Italian and German troupes also appeared on its stage.
The Peter’s theater was a private enterprise of Medox who was obliged to compete with the Emperor’s theaters financed by the state treasury as well as with the home serfs theater (of Sheremetiev, of Durasov families, etc.). Therefore the owner used all possible means to maintain the priority of his establishment. Thus Medox was the first in theater practice to form the artistic council for discussing various internal issues (e.g. repertoire approval, distribution of the roles between the actors), organized the preliminary dry runs of new performance inviting experts to define whether the premiere is ready or not. In spite of that Medox business gradually declined, proceeds from the performances lowered, actors left and joined to other troupes, theater fell into decay. Finally the state treasury took it for debts and in 1801 it went into possession of the foundling hospital.
In 1805 the Peter’s theater building burnt down and the troupe passed over to the Emperor’s theaters directorate. In 1821-1824 at the site of Medox theater, designed by the architect O. Bove, was erected the modern building of the Bolshoy theater that has become the pride of the domestic culture.
Lit.: Большой театр, большая история. [Электронный ресурс] // Москва и москвичи. 2005. № 12; Зверев В. Московская антреприза Михаила Медокса. Бывают странные сближенья… // Промышленные ведомости. 2006. № 1/2; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.promved.ru/articles/article.phtml?id=674&nomer=26.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: