Russian Drama Theater (Ufa): history, repertoire, reviews of performances

The Russian Drama Theater in Ufa was founded in the second half of the 19th century. His repertoire is extensive, the troupe consists of talented artists. The performances have repeatedly won prizes of festivals and competitions.

Creation of theater

In 1861 the first theater room in the city was opened, this is the year when the Russian Drama Theater (Ufa) was born. The history of the development of the theatrical art of the city began in 1772. There was still no building, there was only an improvised stage in the voivode's apartment, at which Polish exiles played a play about Pan Bronislaw. The professional troupe appeared only in 1841, but it did not have its own building. In 1861 a wooden theater building was built, the auditorium was designed for 400 seats. Soon a summer theater was built in the city. In the winter of 1890-1891. The theater hosted on its stage the opera company of Semenov-Samara, among whose choristers the seventeen-year-old F. Shalyapin, who was still unknown, acted. Soon both theater premises - winter, and then summer - burned down, and in 1894 merchant VA. Videneev built a summer theater, in which was remarkable acoustics. The Russian Drama Theater (Ufa), built by Videneev, was one of the best theater buildings, but, unfortunately, in 1991 it was demolished.

The Soviet period

In 1919, the Soviet government established the Russian Drama Theater (Ufa), the basis for which was defined in the Aksakovsky People's House. Only then did the name sound different: it was the Ufa State Demonstrative Theater. In honor of the opening two performances were demonstrated: "King Harlequin" and the apotheosis entitled "Freedom" (on the occasion of the second anniversary of the revolution).

In 1920-1930 the theater had no own troupe, it appeared only in 1930, and during this period the actors were invited from other cities and worked temporarily on a contractual basis. For 10 years (from 31 to 41 years) was played about 150 works. In 39 years of the 20th century, the Russian Drama Theater (Ufa) got its building along Gogol Street, where he lived until 82, now there is a philharmonic society. In the war years the repertoire was patriotic, the actors played not only permanently in their premises, from them organized front brigades that went to the front and showed fragments of their performances to the defenders of the homeland in order to raise their fighting spirit. After the war a new stage of the creative development of the theater began, it receives the status of a city theater, but the second half of the 50's was marked by the return of the republican status. New actors and directors came to the troupe. The repertoire has changed, now the focus was on the conscience of man, good and evil, the tragedy of war, the comprehension of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Second World War. Especially popular were such productions:

• "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich" based on the work of A. Tolstoy.
• "Forgive me!" - the story is based on the story of V. Astafyev.
• "Mother Courage and her children" by Brecht.

Since 1970, the creative crisis of the theater lasted 10 years, since the methodology of art was unstable, constant changes occurred in the levels of mastery of the stage directors and then performers. The most famous productions of that period were: "Tomorrow was a war" by B. Vasiliev, "Family portrait with an outsider" by S. Lobozyorov, collage from Mikhail Bulgakov's plays, M. Rochev "Echelon", N. Erdman's "Suicide" and others.

In 1981, the theater received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and in 1982 - a new building, which is located to this day. In 1984, the theater had a new chief director, who later became artistic director - Honored Artist of Russia and the Republic of Bashkortostan MI Rabinovich.

Our days

Since the late 90s and until now the theater has been successfully touring Russia and the countries of the former Union Republics. Russian Drama Theater (Ufa) in 1998 received the title of "Academic" for a great contribution to the development of culture and art. December 23, 2005 is a significant date, from this day the Ufa theater is called the State Academic Russian Drama Theater of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Repertoire and troupe

The troupe of the theater consists of 49 talented actors, of which three Honored Artist of Russia and seven - People's. Very diverse repertoire. The Russian Drama Theater (Ufa) offers performances both on classical works and contemporary authors, as well as performances for children: M. Lermontov's Masquerade, I. Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, P.P. Ershov, "Exhibits" V. Durnenkov, musicals Kim Breitburg: "Blue cameo" for adults and "Snow Queen" for children.

About the theater

Today, as before, at Prospect Oktyabrya, house number 79 is the Russian Drama Theater (Ufa). Reviews about the performances the spectators leave very warm, admire the performances and say that this is the best theater in the city, and the main director M.I. Rabinovich is a great and ingenious.