Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The history of the Moscow Drama Theatre named after N.V. Gogol begins on April 24, 1925, when the Traveling Drama and Comedy Theatre appeared under the Central Committee of the Railway Workers’ Trade Union. The path it has taken over 100 years is described in the mos.ru article.
Theatre of Transport
The troupe of the Drama and Comedy Theatre, assembled by director and actor Kirill Golovanov, played at the E. F. Kukhmisterov Railway Workers Club, workers’ clubs, at junction stations and station platforms. Tours were an important part of life – the artists showed performances for railway workers in different regions of the country. The repertoire was based on plays telling about the lives of ordinary workers.
In the 1930s, the theatre received a new name — the Central Theatre of Transport. It remained under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Railways, but faced some problems that concerned both financing and the creative component. Moscow newspapers of that time repeatedly asked the question: was the Theatre of Transport needed at all? But a solution was found: the theatre and the studio of the 2nd Moscow Art Theatre signed an agreement according to which directors and actors of the 2nd Moscow Art Theatre staged plays and gave lectures there, and the Central Committee of Railway Workers helped them during tours, providing entire carriages on trains.
In 1939, with the arrival of artistic director Nikolai Petrov, a new era began for the Theatre of Transport. Nikolai Vasilyevich, who had previously directed the Alexandrinsky Theatre in Petrograd, approached this work very systematically. The first thing he did was to invite new playwrights to collaborate. One of them was Alexander Afinogenov — his play Mashenka was staged by the Theatre of Transport simultaneously with the Mossovet Theatre, for which it was written.
A two-year tour
In May 1941, the troupe went on tour to the Far East. The Ministry of Railways allocated a ten-car train especially for this trip: the actors, scenery, and even costumes received separate compartments. The Great Patriotic War, which began soon after, extended the planned three-month journey by two years, and the troupe’s schedule was significantly altered. Now they had to perform not only at the best city venues, but also in barracks, depots, and stations. There were cases when the troupe performed a play for only six or seven people.
Some of the theatre staff went to the front. The rest divided the duties among themselves. For example, the actors were divided into two groups: while the first set up the scenery and tidied up the costumes, the other actually played on stage. Then they changed. Among the plays that were shown in those years were “Notre Dame de Paris”, “The Barber of Seville”, “Russian People”. There was also a play “On the Eve” by Alexander Afinogenov, created especially for this theatre. The author wrote it in the first months of the war; he died in October 1941.
During these tours, the artists performed more than one thousand performances and gave about 900 concerts.
Help for the Front and Performances During the Battles. Life of Theaters During the War Years
In 1943, a very important event took place: the theater was given a building on Kazakova Street — the same one where it is located today. It was not alien to the artists — they had performed on this stage many times before, but they shared the space with various clubs and sections. Today, the 19th-century sleepers that once ran along the entire perimeter of the building are a reminder of the theater’s past — the Railway Workers’ Club. It is impossible to say exactly what their original purpose was, but now they have become that unique interior detail that brings something important to the overall atmosphere.
Brecht, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rediscovered Plays
In 1959, the theatre was named after Nikolai Gogol — the event was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the writer’s birth. By that time, the repertoire had expanded significantly, including not only plays, but also larger works, such as Vyacheslav Shishkov’s “Gloomy River”. Singer and actor Leonid Utesov shone on the stage of the Moscow N.V. Gogol Theatre, playing the lead role in the play “Shelmenko the Orderly” for one season.
In 1964, the premiere of the play “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” based on the play by Bertolt Brecht took place. The story of a woman who saved someone else’s child at the cost of her own well-being was staged by chief director Alexander Dunayev. It was one of the first productions of Brecht’s play in the country and one of the theater’s most successful performances. The main character was played by the young actress Lyudmila Gavrilova, who had just joined the troupe at the time. Today, she can also be seen on stage, for example, in the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
In 1965, the theatre was headed by director People’s Artist of the RSFSR Boris Golubovsky, who tenderly loved modern drama and prose. Thanks to him, plays began to appear in the repertoire that did not leave the stage for a very long time, such as “Riding a Dolphin”, “Until the Cart Turned Over”, “The Old Cossack Way”, “The Supreme Court” and many others. It was he who brought Boris Chirkov, Emilia Milton, Leonid Kulagin, Yevgeny Menshov, Svetlana Bragarnik, Olga Naumenko and other artists to the troupe.
In 1974, the theater showed the play “Rock and Roll at Dawn.” According to the plot, American students rehearsed the production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” – the audience of the Gogol Theater became the first in the country to hear the melodies from the famous rock opera.
In 1988, the theater was headed by director People’s Artist of Russia Sergey Yashin. He paid much attention to the plays of American playwrights Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill. His plays “Suits for a Summer Hotel” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” were shown in the United States, and local journalists wrote that the Russian director rediscovered these authors for Americans.
Our days
Sergei Ivanovich headed the theatre until 2013. After his departure, it was decided to transform the theatre into a project with three resident troupes. In addition to performances, viewers were invited to film screenings, concerts, lectures and open discussions.
In 2022, a new page in history will be written. The artistic director was appointed director and laureate of the Moscow Prize in Literature and Art Anton Yakovlev. The repertoire was formed anew – 15 premieres were shown in 2.5 years. Anton Yuryevich himself calls mystical drama the theater’s calling card. “Storm. Temptation” based on the play by Alexander Ostrovsky.
“This performance defines the direction and form of the theatre, the essence of what I do today,” said the artistic director. “I can also include the recent premiere of the play “Crime and Punishment” among such productions. After watching it, you can understand in which direction the theatre is moving, how the actors work here.”
Also on the bill today is: “Uncle’s Dream” Fyodor Dostoevsky, “Resurrection” Leo Tolstoy, “The Eldest Son” Alexandra Vampilova and many others. Last season, the premiere of the play “Soboryane” based on the novel by Nikolai Leskov took place — it was staged in collaboration with the Russian Concert Agency. The chamber ensemble “Soloists of Moscow” under the direction of Yuri Bashmet takes part in the play. The production was shown at Russian and international festivals, it was nominated for the Russian National Theatre Award “Golden Mask”, as well as for the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia “Nail of the Season” award.
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“The Gogol Theatre is very diverse, smart, conceptual, and bright,” added Anton Yakovlev. “It professes the genre of fantastic realism and metamodernism, and advocates an interesting interpretation of classical works.”
Performances are shown on two stages. The large hall is designed for 610 seats. Three years ago, it was renovated: plastic chairs were removed and comfortable armchairs were installed, a new floor was made, the walls were painted, and modern equipment was installed. The small stage has 115 seats. In addition to performances, creative meetings and conferences are held there. Another important space of the theater is the foyer in front of the large stage. They open and close the season there, organize concerts and performances for children.
About the future
The immediate plans include, of course, new performances. Anton Yakovlev will soon begin rehearsals for a production that will combine the plays Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and A Plague on Both Your Houses! by Grigory Gorin. There are plans to bring Zoyka’s Apartment and Morphine by Mikhail Bulgakov to the stage, as well as create an immersive performance based on Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov.
But the Gogol Theatre is not only about performances. For example, open rehearsals for spectators and director’s laboratories (jointly with GITIS) for young talents are held here. As a result of one of them, two performances were added to the repertoire – “The Overcoat” and “Notes of a Madman” based on the works of Nikolai Gogol.
In 2022, the musical and poetic project “Poetomania” began, in which artists read poetry, accompanying themselves on musical instruments. The plans include joint projects with Mosconcert, the Tyumen Philharmonic Orchestra and much more. Details are still being kept secret.
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