The Russian State Pushkin Academy Drama Theatre, commonly referred to as the Alexandrinsky Theatre, was founded in 1756 by Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. The current building of the theatre was opened in 1832. It was designed by Carlo Rossi, an Italian-born Russian architect known for his Empire style buildings.
The Alexandrinsky Theatre is one of the oldest drama theatres in Russia. It hosted the first productions of now-famous plays, such as Woe from Wit by Alexander Griboyedov, The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol, The Storm by Alexander Ostrovsky, and The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. Now wonder that today the theatre hosts one of Russia’s most important international theatre festivals.
The International Alexandrinsky Theatre Festival was founded in 2006 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Alexandrinsky Theatre. Its main goal is to showcase productions by national theatres from around the world, as well as to put Russian productions into the world theatre context.
The program of the festival includes both classical plays and contemporary drama, providing a balance between tradition and innovation. The International Alexandrinsky Theatre Festival welcomes established theatre directors, as well as up-and-coming artists who are not afraid of creative experiments. Past festivals have featured participants from Russia, Egypt, France, Hungary, Taiwan, Italy, the UK, Israel, Poland, China, the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic, Japan, Denmark, Greece, Canada, Latvia, Finland, Austria, Lithuania, Sweden, and other countries.
Along with performances on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre, the program of the festival includes lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and other events and activities for theatre-goers and professionals.
Photo: alexandrinsky.ru