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The Moscow Art Theater named after Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
(Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov) is a Moscow drama
theater formed in 1987 after the division of the USSR Moscow Art
Theater named after Maxim Gorky into two theaters. Since 1989, it
has been named after Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, one of its main
authors. In 2004, it returned to the historical name “Moscow Art
Theater”, abandoning the title “academic”.
Artistic director
- director - Konstantin Yuryevich Khabensky, People's Artist of the
Russian Federation (since October 28, 2021).
United Theater
Public art theater (1898-1901)
Moscow Art
Theater (1901-1919)
Moscow Art Academic Theater (1919-1932)
Moscow
Art Theater of the USSR named after Maxim Gorky (1932-1989)
Titles after split
Moscow Art Theater named after Anton Pavlovich
Chekhov (1989-2004)
Moscow Art Theater named after Anton Pavlovich
Chekhov (since 2004)
The USSR Moscow Art Theater was created in 1987 after the signing of
Order No. 383 by the USSR Minister of Culture Vasily Zakharov. According
to this document, the theater was officially divided into two: the
Moscow Art Theater named after Maxim Gorky on Tverskoy Boulevard under
the direction of Tatyana Doronina and the Moscow Art Theater named after
Anton Chekhov (for two years after the division it also bore the name of
Gorky) on Kamergersky Lane. Theater director, People's Artist of the
USSR Oleg Efremov was appointed its director. In the same year, the
premiere of the play “Pearl Zinaida”, staged by Efremov, took place.
In 1989, the Moscow Art Theater received the name of Chekhov. In
1996, by decree of Russian President B.N. Yeltsin, the theater was added
to the list of Russian cultural heritage sites. On June 16, 1997, the
Russian Government approved the charter of the theater and officially
appointed Oleg Nikolaevich Efremov as artistic director of the Chekhov
Moscow Art Theater.
On May 24, 2000, the artistic director of the
theater Oleg Efremov died.
After the death of O. Efremov in 2000, the artistic director of
the Moscow Art Theater. A.P. Chekhov became People's Artist of the
USSR Oleg Tabakov, who set a course for updating the repertoire and
troupe, and attracting a wide range of spectators to the theater.
Bets were placed on classic works of world drama - “The White
Guard”, “Hamlet”, “The Cherry Orchard”, “The Golovlevs”, “King
Lear”, “Tartuffe”, “Ivanov”, “Vassa Zheleznova”, “Marriage” ,
“Zoyka’s Apartment”, as well as modern domestic and foreign drama -
plays by Olga Mukhina, the Presnyakov brothers, Mikhail and
Vyacheslav Durnenkov, Vasily Sigarev and other authors were
performed on the theater stage.
At the invitation of Tabakov,
the troupe included Olga Yakovleva, Avangard Leontyev, Alla
Pokrovskaya, Valery Khlevinsky, Vladimir Krasnov, Marina Golub,
Sergey Sosnovsky, Boris Plotnikov, Dmitry Nazarov, Konstantin
Khabensky, Mikhail Porechenkov, Anatoly Bely, Mikhail Trukhin,
Alexey Kravchenko, Ksenia Lavrova -Glinka, Yuri Chursin, Irina
Pegova, Fyodor Lavrov, Maxim Matveev, Alexey Devotchenko and others.
Leading directors began to be involved in the creation of
performances: Mindaugas Karbauskis, Sergei Zhenovach, Viktor
Ryzhakov, Yuri Butusov, Evgeniy Pisarev, Adolf Shapiro, Vladimir
Mashkov, Kirill Serebrennikov, Konstantin Bogomolov, Marina
Brusnikina, Vladimir Petrov, Temur Chkheidze, Tadashi Suzuki, Dmitry
Brusnikin, Lev Erenburg, Anton Yakovlev, Marat Gatsalov, Vasily
Barkhatov, Sergei Puskepalis, Alla Sigalova, Dmitry Krymov and
others.
Both productions and directors regularly participate
in and become laureates of prestigious theater festivals such as the
Golden Mask, Crystal Turandot, Cherry Forest, the Konstantin
Stanislavsky Foundation Festival, the Seagull Award and others.
In 2001, a new theater stage was opened at 3-A on Kamergersky
Lane, intended for experimental productions. It became the third
stage of the theater, complementing the Main and Small stages.
In 2004, the theater returned to the historical name of the
Moscow Art Theater (MAT), removing the word “academic” from the
name.
In 2006-2007, on the initiative of Oleg Tabakov, a
large-scale reconstruction of the Main Stage and Hall was carried
out, thanks to which the Moscow Art Theater became one of the most
technically equipped theaters in the world: during the work, the
upper and lower stage mechanisms, sound and lighting equipment were
updated.
In 2010, the Moscow Art Theater issued a limited
edition commemorative medal for the 150th anniversary of Chekhov.
The award was presented to outstanding cultural figures in Russia
and foreign countries for their personal contribution to the
development of art and preserving the memory of Chekhov’s work. In
the same year, the anniversary evening “Our Chekhov” took place on
the Main Stage, staged by Evgeny Pisarev based on letters from the
playwright and the founders of the Art Theater.
For the
anniversary of Konstantin Stanislavsky in 2012, with the support of
the Ministry of Culture, the Internet project “Heritage of the Art
Theater” was launched. Digital library". Books from the Moscow Art
Theater publishing house were made publicly available, as well as
television and film versions of performances, and a series of
television programs created by the Kultura TV channel in 1990-2000.
In 2012-2013, for the 150th anniversary of the founder of the
Moscow Art Theater, the project “The Year of Konstantin Stanislavsky
at the Art Theater” was carried out, which included the
international festival of acting schools “Open Lesson: Stanislavsky
Continues”, the international scientific conference “Stanislavsky
and the World Theater”, and a director’s laboratory "Here and now".
On the anniversary day - January 17, 2012 - a dedication performance
“Outside the System” (directed by Kirill Serebrennikov) was
performed on the Main Stage.
Among the theater’s numerous
special projects, one can highlight the evening dedicated to the
150th anniversary of Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko (2008, director
Evgeny Pisarev), the symphonic performance “Requiem” dedicated to
the 65th anniversary of the Victory (2010, director Kirill
Serebrennikov), evenings in memory of Oleg Efremov (2012 - “If I’m
honest, I must”, directed by Dmitry Chernyakov, 2017 - “Our
Efremov”, directed by Nikolai Skorik), director’s laboratories
“Modern actor in modern theater”, “New fairy tales”; international
projects “For the First Time in Russian”, dedicated to modern
French, Spanish, German, Finnish drama and directing; project
“French theatre. Comedy." 2018 became the “Year of Gorky at the
Moscow Art Theater” - the program of the Year included the
director’s laboratory “Gorky. Prose", documentary dedication play
"The Sun Rises" (directed by Viktor Ryzhakov), lectures and other
events.
For 20 years, the theater has been hosting poetic and
literary evenings from the “Reading Circle” cycle (ideologist and
director - Marina Brusnikina), dedicated to modern and classical
prose, poetry and drama. As part of the “Reading Circle,” evenings
dedicated to David Samoilov, Joseph Brodsky, Bella Akhmadulina,
Andrei Voznesensky were held; for several years in a row, the “Night
of Poetry” was held, as well as the evening “Space of Prose,” which
took place simultaneously on all three stages of the theater. In
2015, an evening from the “Circle of Reading” series opened the Year
of Literature in Russia.
Back in August 1998, Moscow Mayor
Yuri Luzhkov signed an order to build a monument to Chekhov
dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Moscow Art Theater.
Created according to the design of People's Artist of the USSR
Mikhail Anikushin, the monument was installed in Kamergersky Lane
opposite the theater. In September 2014, on the initiative of
Tabakov, not far from the theater building at the intersection of
Kamergersky Lane and Tverskaya Street, a monument to the founders of
the Moscow Art Theater Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin
Stanislavsky, created by the architect Alexei Morozov, was unveiled.
The monument is a two-figure composition with a stele on a pedestal.
At the bottom of the stele is a board with a Latin inscription: a
translation of the beginning of the monologue of Chekhov’s Nina
Zarechnaya “People, lions, eagles and partridges, horned deer...”
from the play “The Seagull.”
In 2006, the theater financed
the installation of a memorial plaque at house 5/7 on Glinishchevsky
Lane, where People's Artist of the USSR Mark Isaakovich Prudkin, who
worked at the theater for 75 years, lived.
On March 12, 2018,
the director and artistic director of the theater Oleg Tabakov died.
By order of the Minister of Culture dated March 23, 2018, theater
director, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Sergei Vasilyevich
Zhenovach was appointed director and artistic director of the theater
from April 23, 2018.
On October 26, 2018, a bust of Oleg Tabakov
was unveiled in the foyer of the theater.
On October 27, 2021,
Zhenovach left the post of artistic director - director of the theater.
On October 28, 2021, People's Artist of Russia Konstantin Khabensky
was appointed as the new artistic director - director of the theater.
After the full-scale attack of the Russian Federation on neighboring
Ukraine, the premieres of those who did not support the war with Ukraine
disappeared from the theater plans, and in the remaining performances
the names of objectionable directors - Dmitry Krymov, Kirill
Serebrennikov and Alexander Molochnikov - were removed, and instead of
them, they began to write not the name next to the director’s name, and
"DIRECTOR". In January 2023, Khabensky fired People’s Artist of Russia
Dmitry Nazarov from the theater and at the same time his wife, Honored
Artist of Russia Olga Vasilyeva, because of Dmitry Nazarov’s anti-war
position and, according to Khabensky, “anti-Russian sentiments.”
In 2023, the Art Theater Prize was established, aimed at supporting and
popularizing young artists. The first award ceremony took place on March
27, 2023.
The theater building is an architectural monument of the 18th
century, built during the reign of Catherine II: according to legend in
the 14th century, the land on which the building stands belonged to the
commander of Dmitry Donskoy - Iakinfu Shuba. In 1767, a mansion in the
Empire style was built on Kamergersky Lane for Prince Peter Odoevsky,
which was rebuilt several times in the 19th century. In 1882, by order
of the merchant Georgy Lianozov, the architect Mikhail Chichagov changed
the building, turning it into a Chamber Theater.
In 1902, the
architect Fyodor Shekhtel reconstructed the building specifically for
the Moscow Art Theater. His original project was partially completed:
the interiors, lamps, doors, and window frames were redone. A bas-relief
“Swimmer” was installed above the entrance, made by sculptor Anna
Golubkina. Fyodor Shekhtel also performed sketches of the theater's
curtain and emblem. Shortly before the October Revolution in 1914, next
to the main building, the architect built a commercial building, which
was transferred to the Moscow Art Theater in 1938; today it houses a
theater museum and an educational stage.
The next reconstruction
of the building was carried out in 1977-1987 under the leadership of the
architect Salome Gelfer - the interiors were restored, a new stage was
erected, a building with administrative and utility rooms was added, and
a small stage was created.
In the spring of 2015, at the
intersection of Andropov Avenue and Nagatinskaya Street near the
Kolomenskaya metro station, a capsule was laid on the site of a new
9-story building of the Moscow Art Theater branch; the opening was
planned for 2018. The building was to house a transforming auditorium
with 647 seats, large and small rehearsal rooms, a restaurant and a
buffet for spectators, and office space.
The Moscow Art Theater Museum has existed since 1923. The basis of
its collection was a fund of documents on the history of the theater
together with the personal funds of Stanislavsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko
and other major figures of the Art Theater. Initially, the museum was
located in the theater building, since 1939 - in Kamergersky Lane, 3-a
(building - 1914, architect F. O. Shekhtel). In 1923-1952, the museum
was headed by N. D. Teleshov, in 1952-1968 - by F. N. Michalsky (the
prototype of the administrator Fili from M. A. Bulgakov’s “Theatrical
Novel”). In addition to historical documents, the museum contains works
of theatrical and decorative art, memorial items related to the history
and modern creative activities of the Art Theater.
The structure
of the museum includes: a department of manuscript funds and book
collections, a department of visual funds and memorial historical
collections, a department of excursion and lecture work; branches -
House-Museum of K. S. Stanislavsky (Leontyevsky Lane, 6) and
Museum-Apartment of Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko (Glinishchevsky Lane,
5/7). The museum has a library (about 13 thousand items).
Moscow
Art Theater School named after Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko
In 1943,
on the initiative of Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, a theater university
was opened at the theater - the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio, now
one of the leading theater schools in the world.
The first rector
was Vasily Sakhnovsky, then the School was headed by Veniamin
Radomyslensky (1945-1980), Oleg Tabakov (2000-2018). Since 2000, the
university has been headed by Doctor of Art History Anatoly Smelyansky,
since 2013 by actor, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Igor
Zolotovitsky.
The studio school includes an acting department, a
stage design and theater technology department, and a production
department.
On April 23, 2018, the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky announced that the “Studio of Theatrical Art” of Sergei Zhenovach will become a branch of the Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov.
Igor Wernik
Nina Gulyaeva
Evgenia Dobrovolskaya
Natalia
Yegorova
Vyacheslav Zholobov
Yevgeny Kindinov
Alexey Kravchenko
Vladimir Krasnov
Avant-garde Leontiev
Stanislav Lyubshin
Raisa
Maksimova
Mikhail Porechenkov
Sergey Sosnovsky
Natalya
Tenyakova
Konstantin Khabensky
Mykola Chindyakin
Olga Yakovleva
Alexey Agapov
Olga Vasilieva
Andrey Davydov
Stanislav
Duzhnikov
Dmitry Dyuzhev
Igor Zolotovitsky
Galina Kindinova
Yanina Kolesnichenko
Boris Korostelev
Rimma Korostelyova
Natalia Kochetova
Viktor Kulyukhin
Maxim Matveev
Daria Moroz
Vyacheslav Nevinny Jr.
Irina Pegova
Natalia Rogozhkina
Alexander Semchev
Vladimir Timofeev
Oleg Topolyansky
Valery
Troshin
Mikhail Trukhin
Alyona Khovanskaya
Eduard Chekmazov
Daria Yurskaya
Paulina Andreeva
Armen Arushanyan
Kristina Babushkina
Nadezhda Borisova
Denis Burgazliev
Andrei Burkovsky
Artyom
Bystrov
Alexey Varushchenko
Pavel Vashilin
Julia Vitruk
Artyom Volobuev
Pavel Vorozhtsov
Olga Voronina
Yana Gladkikh
Nina Guseva
Maria Zorina
Svetlana Ivanova-Sergeeva
Maria
Karpova
Yulia Kovaleva
Svetlana Kolpakova
Alexey Krasnyonkov
Rostislav Lavrentyev
Ksenia Lavrova-Glinka
Olga Litvinova
Anton
Loban
Yana Osipova
Artyom Panchik
Vladimir Panchik
Alexandra
Rebenok
Nikolai Salnikov
Anastasia Skorik
Maria Sokova
Danil
Steklov
Yevgeny Sytyi
Ksenia Teplova
Kirill Trubetskoy
Alexander Usov
Victor Khoryniak
Julia Chebakova
Natasha Schwetz
The tradition of handing out commemorative tokens was born in 1901,
when the first commemorative tokens "Seagull" were presented by A. P.
Chekhov to the actors who played in his plays "The Seagull" and "Uncle
Vanya".
In October 1908, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the Moscow Art Theater, the "Seagull" badge was issued with three
portraits: Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and
Savva Morozov. The badge was awarded to all those who served at the
Moscow Art Institute for 10 years. In 1923, on the occasion of the 25th
anniversary of the Moscow Art Theater, its founding fathers decided to
award the honorary jubilee badge "Seagull" to actors who have worked in
the theater for 15 years, and other employees for 25 years of service.
In 2001, the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theater named after
A. P. Chekhov Oleg Tabakov introduced the division of badges into gold
(30, 35 and 40 years in the theater), silver (25 years) and bronze (15
years), thereby indicating the importance of the contribution of Mkhatov
residents to the common cause.
In 2019, they presented a new
badge design, the author of which was the chief artist of the Moscow Art
Institute named after A. P. Chekhov Alexander Borovsky - the golden
"Seagull" with an emerald appeared - for 45 and 50 years at the Moscow
Art Theater, and the golden "Seagull" with a diamond - for those who
have served in the theater for 55 years and more.