Theater of Counts Sheremetevs. One of the first and most outstanding was the theater of the Counts Sheremetevs. He began his activity in St. Petersburg in 1765 as an amateur nobleman and finally took shape by the end of the 1770s in Moscow (on Bolshaya Nikolskaya Street). From hundreds of thousands of their serfs, the Sheremetevs carefully selected and trained various masters who took part in the creation of the theater (architects F.S. Argunov, A. Mironov, G. Diushin; artists I.P. and N.I. Argunov, K. Vuntusov, G. Mukhin, S. Kalinin, machinist F. Pryakhin, musicians P. Kalmykov, S. Degtyarev, G. Lomakin and others). They worked under the guidance of and next to renowned European and Russian masters.
In the Moscow estate of the Sheremetevs, Kuskovo, theaters were built: "air" (in the open air), Small and Bolshoi. The troupe included serf actors, musicians, dancers, decorators, etc. (more than two hundred people), among them - an outstanding actress and singer Zhemchugova (P.I. Kovaleva). Artists were supposed to be paid money and food. The serf "His Excellency's librarian" B.G. led the troupe and oversaw its education. Vroblevsky, who was educated at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy and visited together with N.P. Sheremetev in the early 1770s abroad. Wroblewski translated plays while reworking them. The theater's repertoire included more than a hundred plays, mostly comic operas, but also comedies, operas and ballets.
The theater reached its peak in the mid-1780s, when N.P. Sheremetev-son is an enlightened nobleman, a talented musician and a selfless lover of theatrical art, who built a magnificent theater-palace in the village of Ostankino in the early 1790s.
Fortress Theater of Prince Yusupov. By the beginning of the 19th century. (about 1818) is the heyday of the serf theater of Prince N.B. Yusupov. In 1819, a theater building was rebuilt in Moscow, which had a stalls, a semicircular amphitheater, a mezzanine and two galleries. In the summer, the theater functioned in the village of Arkhangelskoye, near Moscow, where a magnificent theater building built in 1818 is still preserved. The scenery for the theater was painted by Pietro Gonzago. Operas and magnificent ballet performances were given at the Yusupov Theater.
"Theatrical Phenomenon" Around 1811, "a theatrical phenomenon worthy of special attention" appeared in Moscow - the serf theater of P.A. Poznyakov, located on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street in Leontievsky Lane. The theater gave mainly lavishly arranged comic operas, the scenery for which was painted by the Italian painter Scotti. The serf actors of this theater, who "played incomparably better than many free artists," were trained by S.N. Sandunov and E.S. Sandunov.
Provincial fortress theaters. By the end of the 18th century serf theaters began to appear in provincial cities and estates, sometimes very remote from the center, including in the Urals and Siberia. Their level was very different: from primitive home-grown performances on hastily knocked together stages with a painted sheet instead of a curtain to perfectly organized performances in specially built theaters with a well-equipped stage.
An example of the first is the theater of Prince G.A. Gruzinsky in the village of Lyskovo; the second - the theater of Prince N.G. Shakhovsky in the village of Yusupovo, and then in Nizhny Novgorod; theater I.I. Esipov in Kazan; CM. Kamensky in Orel; S.G. Zorich in Shklov.
Fortress theater Zorich. In the 1780s, the favorite of Catherine II, S.G. Zorich, in his estate Shklov, Mogilev province, arranged a theater, which, according to contemporaries, was "enormous". The repertoire included dramas, comedies, comic operas and ballets. In addition to the serfs, cadets of the Shklov Cadet Corps (established by Zorich) and amateur nobles, among whom Prince P.V. was famous, took part in dramatic performances. Meshchersky - M.S. highly appreciated his game. Shchepkin. In the ballets, which "were very good," only serf dancers danced. After the death of Zorich, his ballet troupe in 1800 was bought by the treasury for the St. Petersburg imperial stage.
Fortress Theater of Vorontsov. Among the provincial theaters, the serf theater of Count A.R. Vorontsov, who was in the village of Alabukhi, Tambov province, then - in the village of Andreevskoye, Vladimir province. Vorontsov, one of the most educated people of his time, was an ardent opponent of gallomania, which spread among the Russian nobles in the 18th century. Therefore, the repertoire of his serf theater primarily included plays by Russian playwrights: A.P. Sumarokova, D.I. Fonvizina, P.A. Plavilshchikova, M.I. Verevkin, Ya.B. Knyazhnina, O.A. Ablesimova and others. Such plays by Moliere, P.O. Beaumarchais, Voltaire and other European playwrights.
The total composition of the troupe ranged from 50 to 60 people, including musicians, painters, machinists, tailors, hairdressers, etc. The artists were divided into "first-class" (13-15 people) and "second-class" (6-8 people) and depending on from this they received an annual reward in money and things. The Vorontsov Theater did not have a ballet troupe and, when dance scenes were required, "women who dance" were invited.
Public castle theatre. Public fortress theater of Count S.M. Kamensky was opened in 1815 in Orel. It was one of the largest provincial theaters. It lasted almost until 1835. Only in the first year of its activity, about a hundred new performances were staged: comedies, dramas, tragedies, vaudevilles, operas and ballets. The count, who was called by his contemporaries a "magnificent tyrant" (primarily for his attitude towards serf actors), bought talented actors from many landowners for his troupe, and also invited famous "free" artists, for example, M.S. Shchepkin (his oral story formed the basis of the plot of A. Herzen's story "The Thieving Magpie"; the atmosphere of this theater is also described by N. Leskov's story "Dumb Artist").
Fortress theaters - lordly whim or love of art? July 22nd, 2016
Fortress theaters are a primordially Russian invention. Nowhere else in the world have there been such cultural wonders. However, a special question is whether it is worth being proud of.
Let's start with the fact that the key word here is "serfs". This means that the entire theatre, including the actors, was the property of the landowner. The fortress theater arose at the whim of the landowner. The landowner was the sovereign master, both on stage and behind the scenes, and in the auditorium too. The owner chose the repertoire for his theater, assigned roles and even directed performances, although in those days the work of the director was not at all glorious and not honorable.
Thus, the fortress theater was a private theater of the nobility. This determined his purpose. It was done not so much for the purpose of earning money, but for the entertainment of oneself, friends and neighbors. Entertainment here should be understood in a very broad sense, which will be discussed below.
The uniqueness of the phenomenon of the serf theater was determined by the word "serf". In the middle of the 18th century, when such theaters began to emerge, of all European countries, serfdom (that is, speaking frankly, slavery) was only in the Russian Empire. Naturally, it was impossible to start serf theaters anywhere, except in Russia, due to the lack of serfs. Moreover, in some parts of the Russian Empire, where serfdom was abolished “in working order” (the Baltic states and Finland), or where it never existed (Pomorye, Siberia, Cossack regions), such, so to speak, “centers of culture” it was also impossible to start. But in other places there were serfs in sufficient numbers so that serf theaters could appear.
There are 3 types of fortress theaters. In theaters of the first type, the nobles themselves played, as well as their children. The serfs were busy with technical work: raise and lower the curtain, change the scenery. The orchestra, in which the serfs played, could accompany performances. In principle, it was not a serf, but an amateur noble theater. In theaters of the second type, along with amateur nobles, serf actors were released onto the stage, who played secondary roles. Finally, theaters of the third type could be called serf theaters without any discount. All roles, both major and minor, were performed by serf actors.
Usually in winter fortress theaters played in urban manor estates. In the summer, together with the owners, the theater moved to country estates.
Were there many fortress theaters? A fair amount. At the end of the 18th - the beginning of the 19th century, the theaters of S.S. Apraksin, G.I. Bibikov, N. A. and V. A. Vsevolozhsky I. A. Gagarin, P. B. and N P. Sheremetev, N. B. Yusupov in Moscow and many others.
Perhaps the most famous of the fortress theaters is the theater of the Sheremetevs. He began his activity in 1765 in St. Petersburg. At that time it was a noble amateur theater. By the end of the 1770s, the theater settled in the Moscow house of the Sheremetevs on Bolshaya Nikolskaya Street. In this area in the very center of Moscow, not far from the Kremlin, there was later the famous Slavyansky Bazaar restaurant, which burned down in 1993. For the summer, the theater moved to the Sheremetev estate Kuskovo near Moscow, and then moved to a building specially built for it in another estate, in Ostankino.
The Sheremetevs had tens of thousands of serfs. Therefore, it was from whom to choose actors, stage workers and attendants. Famous masters were invited to stage performances. The repertoire of the Sheremetev Theater included more than a hundred plays. These were mainly comic operas, vaudevilles and ballets. In the mid-1780s, under N.P. Sheremetev, the theater reached its peak. This was primarily due to the fact that Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev (1751-1809) turned out to be a nobleman, an enlightened, talented musician and a great lover of theatrical art. The other side of N.P. Sheremetev’s activity, charity, is described in the article “How did the hospitable house on Bolshaya Sukharevskaya Square appear in Moscow?” dated 06/30/2016.
Another fortress theater known at the beginning of the 19th century was located in the estate of N. B. Yusupov "Arkhanglskoe". Lush opera and ballet performances were given here. There were fortress theaters in the provinces: in Nizhny Novgorod, in Kazan, in Orel, and even in the city of Shklov, Mogilev province.
Was it joyful to be a serf actor? The answer here most of all depended on the character of the landowner and ... on the gender of the actor. The fact that many owners of serf theaters entertained themselves not only with spectacles but also with charming serf actresses is not an evil fiction, but a bitter truth. “Notes and Letters” by M. S. Shchepkin (who himself was a serf actor), the stories “Dumb Artist” by N. S. Leskov and “The Thieving Magpie” by A. I. Herzen. The fate of the serf actress Praskovya Zhemchugova, who became the wife of N.P. Sheremetev, is a rare exception.
If the master did not like the serf actor / actress for some reason, the list of punishments for them was as wide as for other serfs. In the best case, removal to some distant estate, in the worst case, corporal punishment and sale to another owner.
N. Leskov's story "Dumb Artist", although not written off from reality, has a very real basis. In Orel there was a fortress theater of Count Kamensky. Kamensky was distinguished by cruelty. Actors who made some mistake were personally punished with a whip. So the cries of the actors punished during the intermission reached the viewer. All the serf actresses formed a kind of harem for the count. But - art above all. The new favorite was always brought to Kamensky in the costume of Saint Cecilia. In general, the life of a serf actor was not honey, not honey at all!
Although Prince Pyotr Andreevich Vyazemsky, an educated and intelligent man, a friend and favorite interlocutor of A.S. Pushkin, found positive aspects even in serf theaters. In his opinion, such theaters instilled in the serfs the beginnings of enlightenment, literacy and familiarity with the arts. In addition, thanks to the theater, courtyard people became widely known, which ultimately contributed to their ransom to freedom. The famous Russian actors M.S. Shchepkin and P.S. Mochalov, having been born serfs, later became free.
According to P.A. Vyazemsky, theatrical and musical performances also had a beneficial effect on the landlords, distracting them from rough amusements: drinking parties, cards and dog hunting.
- Fortress theater on Wikipedia
- Creepy Theater on Wikipedia
- Presentation
FORTRESS THEATER existed in Russia for about a century (from the middle of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century). The fortress theater was of two types manor and city. The first was a well-organized premises with a large repertoire, a large troupe of artists trained from childhood for theatrical activities, an orchestra, ballet, choir and soloists. The so-called "booth theaters" also belong to this type, showing their performances at large fairs in county towns, in settlements at monasteries, etc. The second type includes estate theaters, which were of a closed nature for the amusement of the gentlemen themselves and invited guests. Only at first glance such fortress scenes existed in a closed way: their living connection with the social and cultural life of Russia is obvious.
Forced actors were trained by professional artists, composers, choreographers. Often, serf artists were brought up in state theater and ballet schools, and free artists played next to them on the serf stage. It happened that serfs, rented out by their owners, also appeared on the imperial stage (in such cases, in posters and programs, serfs were not called “master” or “lady”, but simply wrote their names). There are cases when serf artists were redeemed by the treasury for enrollment on the imperial stage, Stolypin serfs, together with yard actors of the landowners P.M. M.S. Shchepkin, S. Mochalov (father of the tragic poet P.S. Mochalov), E. Semenova, according to A.S.
Such serf troupes as the theater of Count S. M. Kamensky in Orel are widely known. A special building had a stalls, mezzanine, boxes, a gallery. The chaplains were dressed in special livery tailcoats with multicolored collars. In the count's box, in front of his chair, there was a special book for recording the mistakes of artists and orchestra during the performance, and whips were hung on the wall behind the chair for punishment. Within six months in 1817, according to the "Friend of the Russians", in the theater of Count Kamensky "to the amusement of the public of the city of Orel, 82 plays were staged, of which there were 18 operas, 15 dramas, 41 comedies, 6 ballets and 2 tragedies." The count's estate has not been preserved, but in the Oryol Drama Theater. I.S. Turgenev, since the late 1980s, there has been a memorial “stage of Count Kamensky” with a reconstructed stage, a small hall, a curtain, a museum and a make-up room. Chamber performances are played here, and a portrait of the count and a rod for punishment hangs above the chair of the last row.
The theater of Prince Shakhovsky belonged to the same type of public fortress theaters, the permanent residence of which was in a specially equipped room in Nizhny Novgorod. Every year in July, the prince brought his theater to the Makariev Fair. The repertoire of the fortress theater included drama, opera and ballet performances. A similar type of theater is depicted in the story of Vl. A. Sologub pupil mores and life of theatrical figures of the early 19th century. conveyed here with the same tragedy as in the story of A.I. Herzen magpie thief. There is enough accurate information about the repertoire of serf theaters in the 1790s, mainly the works of V. Levshin and I. Kartselli: comic operas King on the hunt, Master's wedding Voldyreva, Your burden does not pull, Imaginary widowers and etc.
The theaters attached to the manors' estates were distinguished by a more complex repertoire and arrangement. In his study, V.G. Sakhnovsky notes that they were arranged “more often as fun, as entertainment or the desire to respond to the prevailing fashion, less often, but for a correct assessment of the art of theater in Russia, and for the assessment of artistic culture in Russia in general, it is all the more important how the need for the forms of the theater to express one's sense of life, worldview and, consequently, to quench the passion for the art of the stage. The greatest role in the development of the "instinct of theatricality" in the Russian nobility was played, according to the general opinion of the researchers of the topic, by the county master's theater. The most famous theaters of the nobles of Catherine's and Alexander's time in Moscow and St. Petersburg were the theater of Prince Yusupov on the Moika and in Arkhangelsk near Moscow, the Counts Shuvalovs on the Fontanka, the Potemkin in the Tauride Palace, the Counts Sheremetevs in Kuskovo (later in Ostankino), the Counts Apraksins in Olgov, Counts Zakrevsky in Ivanovsky, Counts Panins in Marfin (N.M. Karamzin, who visited this theater, wrote a play for the serf theater marked “only for Marfin”), Counts Zagryazhsky in Yaropolets Volokolamsky.
By the 1820s, not only the center of Russia, but also the southern and northern outskirts were flooded with manor theaters, both winter and "air", arranged in the summer in estate parks. At the first time of its creation, the serf Russian theater was imitative in many respects, from costume and furniture to language and gesture, it was absolutely alien to nature and domestic life, and, consequently, to the complex of concepts that reigned among the masses, not excluding always widely educated nobility. It was a time of impulse, the desire to create their own Russian theater. But over time, the most educated of the creators of serf theaters (Shepelev, Sheremetev, and others) began to enrich their theaters with the heritage of European artistic culture more and more mythological works were included in the repertoire, and, according to the correct observation of V.G. Sakhnovsky, “the world of fantastically real art scenes ... he embodied the most early mental states of the serf actors, who at first senselessly pronounced the incomprehensible roles of courtyards and girls, and then brought amazing variations and diverse solutions of motives and melodies of world stage and dramatic themes and ideas by serf actors to clear movements, amazing intonations and original acting. The development of alien life went through adaptations and gradually became one's own. This was the dominant feature of the Catherine and Alexander era of the Russian serf theater. By the second quarter of the 19th century. the estate theater began to compete with theaters in the capital at times. Such was the theater of I.D. Shepelev (A.V. Sukhovo-Kobylin's maternal grandfather) on Vyksa (Vladimir province). In terms of its size, it was slightly smaller than the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre, while the internal arrangement (parterre, boxes, benoir, mezzanine, etc.) was exactly the same. The theater was lit with gas, although at that time even the imperial theaters in St. Petersburg were lit with oil lamps. The orchestra consisted of 50 people, there were 40 choristers. Shepelev also invited artists from Moscow and St. Petersburg, who willingly came to Vyksa, since Shepelev offered high fees. Fortress theaters were visited not only by the guests of the owners of the estates, but also by the emperors, about which a lot of evidence has been preserved. Distinguished guests were especially fond of serfs with valuable gifts and money. The repertoire poster became more and more complicated over time. The technical improvement of stage platforms made it possible to turn to works in which there were many magical effects.
The theater of Count N.P. Sheremetev in Kuskovo was especially famous. According to contemporaries, he was considered "the oldest and best of the Russian private theaters, not inferior to the St. Petersburg courtiers and far superior to the structure of the then Moscow, contained by Medox."
see also THEATER.
Fortress theaters of the XVIII-XIX centuries.
Introduction
Interest in the topic Fortress theaters of the 18th-19th centuries. due to the fact that the culture of that time is unique, the period of existence of the fortress theaters in the Russian Empire is only a century, but even this short period of time left a bright imprint in the history of Russian culture, and especially in the theatrical art of Russia.
The purpose of this essay is to systematize, accumulate and consolidate knowledge about the serf theater in Russia.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: 1) consider the history of the serf theater 2) characterize theatrical figures (theater owners and actors) 3) draw a conclusion on the topic under consideration
In the process of writing the essay, I studied textbooks on world artistic culture, essays on the history of Russian culture of the 18th-19th centuries. articles about theatrical figures, as well as articles found on the Internet.
The fortress theater existed in Russia for about a century (from the middle of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century), as well as at about the same time on the territory of Belarus in the Nesvizh estate of the princes Radziwill, and in Ukraine in the village of Kibintsy in the Poltava region in the estate of D Troshchinsky, as well as the theater of the landowner D. Shirai from the village of Spiridonova Buda in the Chernihiv region.
The fortress theater was mainly of two types:
· URBAN · ESTATE The first one was arranged premises with a large repertoire, a large troupe of artists trained from childhood for theatrical activities, an orchestra, ballet, choir and soloists. This type also includes the so-called "booth theatres", which showed their performances at large fairs in county towns, in settlements at monasteries. The second type includes estate theaters, which were closed in nature - for the amusement of the gentlemen themselves and invited guests. Only at first glance such fortress scenes existed in a closed way: their living connection with the social and cultural life of Russia is obvious. The birth of the national professional theater is associated with the name of F.G. Volkov. (1729-1763) and the city of Yaroslavl, where he first staged the dramas of his great countryman D. Rostovsky, and then the first tragedies of A.P. Sumarokov. Since 1756, the public theater has opened its curtain in St. Petersburg. The creator of the repertoire and director of the theater was the playwright Sumarokov. And the brilliant actor and director was Fedor Grigorievich Volkov. The famous actor I.A. began his acting career in the Volkov troupe. Dmitrievsky (1736-1821), who from 1779 directed a private theater in the Tsaritsyn meadow. There was a university theater in Moscow with the Italian troupe D. Locatelli. And in 1780, the Petrovsky Theater opened, the repertoire of which included both dramatic and opera performances. A peculiar phenomenon of the cultural life of the second half of the 18th century. was a fort theater. At the end of the 18th century The role of the theater in public life has grown significantly and has become the subject of public discussion. All of the above require further detailed consideration and study. .The history of the appearance of the fortress theater in Russia Being at first an amusement of the court, the theater at the same time became widespread among the boyars, who stood close to the court. Already under Alexei Mikhailovich, the boyar Matveev arranged a theater similar to the royal one in his house. His example was followed by the boyar Miloslavsky, who, as a result, received the nickname "amusing", Prince. Yak. Odoevsky and the favorite of Princess Sophia, Prince. V.V. Golitsyn. Even one of the close noblewomen of Princess Sophia, T.I. Arsenyeva, arranged theatrical performances in her house, in which her lordly people and lordly ladies were the actors. In St. Petersburg already in the time of Elizabeth there were theaters in the house of Count Yaguzhinsky and Count Pyotr Sheremetev. This custom of wealthy nobles to start permanent home theaters persisted for a very long time. The early years, following the emergence of the very idea of using the artistic forces of serfs on the stage, represent, of course, only timid steps in the field of performing arts. However, these years are significant not only by the very fact of testing this idea, but also, for example, by such an event as one of the first public performances of a Russian woman as an actress. This kind of performance took place already in 1744, when in the court theater, on the occasion of the betrothal of the heir to the throne, Peter Fedorovich, with the Anhalt-Zerbt princess, the future Catherine the Great, the Ballet of Flowers was performed. Drizen, in his essay "The 150th Anniversary of the Imperial Theaters" ("Historical Bulletin" for 1900), all these "Rose" - Aksinya, "Renenkul" - Elizabeth, "Anemone" - Agrafena, daisies and iasins were serf girls, maybe , who studied at the school of Lande, a famous choreographer in the reign of Anna Ioannovna, who also taught dancing to Empress Elizabeth, in whose reign the Russian theater was destined to "found" (1756). Our nobles, who were always fond of the fashionable at court, wanted to cultivate an institution in their homes, in which, in addition to the benefit of education, they also saw elegant fun and luxury, which it was pleasant to boast. Here and there, in rich houses, amateur performances began to be staged from the middle of the 18th century. But being actors themselves, learning roles, smearing the face, worrying about knowing the "place", all this seemed to many too burdensome; and the passion for the theater grew and grew. If earlier this passion was considered reprehensible by some, then already in the reign of Catherine II, the God-fearing people reconciled with it, all the more so when, in the “Decree of the Theater Directorate” (June 12, 1783), it was allowed for everyone to “start decent fun for the public, keeping only state legalizations and regulations in the charter of the police. And for the lazy and shy theater-goers of that time, the only, in its ease, way to satisfy a new passion opened up: to turn the most capable of their serfs into hypocrites. Forced actors were trained by professional artists, composers, choreographers. Often, serf artists were brought up in state theater and ballet schools, and free artists played next to them on the serf stage. It happened that serfs, rented out by their owners, also appeared on the imperial stage (in such cases, in posters and programs, serfs were not called “master” or “lady”, but simply wrote their names). There are cases when serf artists were redeemed by the treasury for enrollment on the imperial stage - Stolypin serfs, together with the courtyard actors of the landowners P.M. Volkonsky and N.I. Demidov were included in the troupe of the state theater, which was formed in 1806, now known as the Maly Theater. From the serf artists came M.S. Shchepkin, S. Mochalov, E. Semenova (according to A.S. Pushkin, “the sovereign queen of the tragic scene”, and many others. In general, we can say that the history of the serf theater is rooted in Ancient Rus', but, acquiring more and more bright colors over the years, in the 18-19th century the serf theater reached the highest level of its development. .Theatrical figures Theater of Counts Sheremetevs One of the first and most outstanding was the theater of the Counts Sheremetevs. He began his activity in St. Petersburg in 1765 as an amateur nobleman and finally took shape by the end of the 1770s in Moscow (on Bolshaya Nikolskaya Street). From hundreds of thousands of their serfs, the Sheremetevs carefully selected and trained various masters who took part in the creation of the theater (architects F.S. Argunov, A. Mironov, G. Diushin; artists I.P. and N.I. Argunovs, K. Vuntusov, G. Mukhin, S. Kalinin, machinist F. Pryakhin, musicians P. Kalmykov, S. Degtyarev, G. Lomakin and others). They worked under the guidance of and next to renowned European and Russian masters. In the Moscow estate of the Sheremetevs, Kuskovo, theaters were built: "air" (in the open air), Small and Bolshoi. The troupe included serf actors, musicians, dancers, decorators, etc. (more than two hundred people), among them - an outstanding actress and singer Zhemchugova (P.I. Kovaleva). Artists were supposed to be paid money and food. The serf “His Excellency’s librarian” B.G. led the troupe and oversaw its education. Vroblevsky, who was educated at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy and visited together with N.P. Sheremetev in the early 1770s abroad. Wroblewski translated plays while reworking them. The theater's repertoire included more than a hundred plays, mostly comic operas, but also comedies, operas and ballets. The theater reached its peak in the mid-1780s, when N.P. Sheremetev-son is an enlightened nobleman, a talented musician and a selfless lover of theatrical art, who built a magnificent theater-palace in the village of Ostankino in the early 1790s. Fortress Theater of Prince Yusupov By the beginning of the 19th century. (about 1818) is the heyday of the serf theater of Prince N.B. Yusupov. In 1819, a theater building was rebuilt in Moscow, which had a stalls, a semicircular amphitheater, a mezzanine and two galleries. In the summer, the theater functioned in the village of Arkhangelskoye, near Moscow, where a magnificent theater building built in 1818 is still preserved. The scenery for the theater was painted by Pietro Gonzago. Operas and magnificent ballet performances were given at the Yusupov Theater. "Theatrical Phenomenon" Around 1811, “a theatrical phenomenon worthy of special attention” appeared in Moscow - the serf theater of P.A. Poznyakov, located on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street in Leontievsky Lane. The theater gave mainly lavishly arranged comic operas, the scenery for which was painted by the Italian painter Scotti. The serf actors of this theater, who "played incomparably better than many free artists," were trained by S.N. Sandunov and E.S. Sandunov. Provincial fortress theaters By the end of the 18th century serf theaters began to appear in provincial cities and estates, sometimes very remote from the center, including in the Urals and Siberia. Their level was very different: from primitive home-grown performances on hastily knocked together stages with a painted sheet instead of a curtain to perfectly organized performances in specially built theaters with a well-equipped stage. An example of the first is the theater of Prince G.A. Gruzinsky in the village of Lyskovo; the second - the theater of Prince N.G. Shakhovsky in the village of Yusupovo, and then in Nizhny Novgorod; theater I.I. Esipov in Kazan; CM. Kamensky in Orel; S.G. Zorich in Shklov. Fortress Theater Zoricha In the 1780s, the favorite of Catherine II, S.G. Zorich, in his estate Shklov, Mogilev province, arranged a theater, which, according to contemporaries, was "enormous". The repertoire included dramas, comedies, comic operas and ballets. In addition to the serfs, cadets of the Shklov Cadet Corps (established by Zorich) and amateur nobles, among whom Prince P.V. was famous, took part in dramatic performances. Meshchersky - M.S. highly appreciated his game. Shchepkin. In the ballets, which "were very good," only serf dancers danced. After the death of Zorich, his ballet troupe in 1800 was bought by the treasury for the St. Petersburg imperial stage. Fortress Theater of Vorontsov Among the provincial theaters, the serf theater of Count A.R. Vorontsov, who was in the village of Alabukhi, Tambov province, then - in the village of Andreevskoye, Vladimir province. Vorontsov, one of the most educated people of his time, was an ardent opponent of gallomania, which spread among the Russian nobles in the 18th century. Therefore, the repertoire of his serf theater primarily included plays by Russian playwrights: A.P. Sumarokova, D.I. Fonvizina, P.A. Plavilshchikova, M.I. Verevkin, Ya.B. Knyazhnina, O.A. Ablesimova and others. Such plays by Moliere, P.O. Beaumarchais, Voltaire and other European playwrights. The total composition of the troupe ranged from 50 to 60 people, including musicians, painters, machinists, tailors, hairdressers, etc. The artists were divided into "first-class" (13-15 people) and "second-class" (6-8 people) and depending on from this they received an annual reward in money and things. There was no ballet troupe in the Vorontsov Theater and, when dance scenes were required, "women who dance" were invited. Public Fortress Theater Public fortress theater of Count S.M. Kamensky was opened in 1815 in Orel. It was one of the largest provincial theaters. It lasted almost until 1835. Only in the first year of its activity, about a hundred new performances were staged: comedies, dramas, tragedies, vaudevilles, operas and ballets. The count, who was called by his contemporaries a “magnificent petty tyrant” (primarily for his attitude towards serf actors), bought talented actors from many landowners for his troupe, and also invited famous “free” artists to play the first roles, for example, M.S. Shchepkin (his oral story formed the basis of the plot of A. Herzen's story "The Thieving Magpie"; the atmosphere of this theater is also described by N. Leskov's story "Dumb Artist"). 2.2Famous fortress actors and actresses Mikhail Semenovich Shchepkin In the history of Russian culture, the name of M.S. Shchepkina (6 (18) November 1788 - 11 (23) August 1863)rightfully belongs the glory of theatrical art. “An actor of powerful capabilities, he exhaustively fulfilled the tasks that were put forward by the general course of Russian theatrical history, and the immutability of his discoveries expressed the patterns that determined the main lines of the further development of the Russian theater,” this is how M.S. Shchepkina, the researcher of his work O.M. Feldman. Genus. in the family of a serf, the manager of the count's estate. Father was able to send Shchepkin to a school in the county town of Sudzha. Here the students staged a comedy by A.P. Sumarokov "Squirrel". The role played by Shchepkin in this performance in Feb. 1800 influenced his whole life (“I had such a good time, so much fun that it’s impossible to say”). In 1801 - 1803 he studied at the Kursk provincial school and played in the count's home theater. Since 1805, he combined the duties of the count's secretary with professional artistic activity. In 1818, together with a group of actors, he founded a "free theater" in Poltava. Having played many roles on the provincial scene, he was bought out of serfdom after a subscription "as a reward for the actor's talent." Shchepkin was able to leave for Moscow, where in 1823 he was enrolled in the troupe of the Moscow. (Small) theatre. According to his contemporaries, Shchepkin was a living encyclopedia of Russian life, in the mastery of transmission, which had no equal. A reformer of acting skills, who sought to transform into a stage image, which had a huge impact on the formation and development of realistic theatrical art, Shchepkin was friends with A.S. Pushkin, N.V. Gogol, V.G. Belinsky, A.I. Herzen and others. At the insistence of A.S. Pushkin, who wrote the title and the first phrase, Shchepkin created interesting memories. A man of his time, he did not accept A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" and dissuaded A.I. Herzen to engage in politics; did not create completed works on the problems of performing arts, but after his death A.I. Herzen wrote: "... he was a great artist, an artist by vocation and work. He created the truth on the Russian stage, he was the first to become non-theatrical in the theater." Semenova Ekaterina Semyonovna (1786-1849). Daughter of a serf. Leading tragic actress of the St. Petersburg scene. She made her debut in 1803 and left the stage in 1826. According to a contemporary, "the most ardent imagination of a painter could not have come up with the most beautiful ideal of female beauty for tragic roles." A.S. himself Pushkin was an ardent admirer of Semyonova. He devoted enthusiastic lines to her game in the article “My remarks about the Russian theater” (1820): “Speaking of Russian tragedy, you are talking about Semenova and, perhaps, only about her. Endowed with talent, beauty, a lively and true feeling, she formed herself ... The game is always free, always clear ... "And in the first chapter of" Eugene Onegin ". Success and fans spoiled Semyonova: she was sometimes lazy, sometimes capricious, which was facilitated by the fact that she became close to the senator, Prince I.A. Gagarin, a very wealthy man who enjoyed a high position, both in the service and in literary circles. The emergence of a new kind of dramatic works, a romantic direction, often written in prose, significantly damaged the last years of Semyonova's stage career. In an effort to remain the first, she took on roles in these plays, and even comic roles, but to no avail. In 1826, Semenova finally said goodbye to the public in Kryukovsky's tragedy Pozharsky. Having moved to Moscow, Semyonova agreed to marry her patron. The Gagarins' house was visited by many former admirers of Semyonova: Pushkin, Aksakov, Nadezhdin, Pogodin. In 1832 Prince Gagarin died; the last years of Semyonova's life were overshadowed by family troubles. Ekaterina Semyonova died on March 1 (13), 1849 in St. Petersburg. She was buried at the Mitrofanevsky cemetery. In connection with the complete destruction of the Mitrofanevsky cemetery, E.S. Semenova was reburied in 1936 at the Necropolis of Masters of Arts of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. Zhemchugova Praskovya Ivanovna Kovaleva (Zhemchugova) Praskovya Ivanovna (1768-1803), actress of the serf theater of Counts Sheremetevs. The daughter of a blacksmith from the village of Kuskovo near Moscow, which belonged to the Sheremetevs. At the age of seven, she was taken to a manor house and brought up there among other children assigned to the theater. Possessing a voice of rare beauty (lyric soprano), dramatic talent, excellent stage performance and skill, Kovaleva (based on the stage of Zhemchugov) from n. 1780s became the first actress of the Sheremetev Theater. She performed with great success at the Gretry opera. Marriages of the Samnites . The attraction to the tragic, heroic repertoire, the struggle of strong feelings and big ideas were reflected in the image she created of a courageous Samnite girl who fought for her right to happiness. The personal fate of the serf actress was not easy. Until 1798 she was a serf. Her marriage to Chief Marshal N.P. Sheremetev (1752 - 1809) was officially issued only two years before her death. Hard work in the theater, difficult personal experiences undermined the health of the actress. She died in 1803, shortly after the birth of her son. In memory of her N.P. Sheremetev built the Hospice House (now in this building - the N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine). Having briefly recounted the fates of the most famous serf actors, I also want to say that the fates of many other people who participated in theatrical life were broken due to the cruelty of the landowners and the hidden side of the life of serf actors and actresses is so terrible, perhaps that is why not many have achieved all-Russian success. Conclusion fortress theater russian The decline of the era of fortress theaters falls on the second quarter of the 19th century. In the early 1920s, several fairly large serf theaters, including the theater of Prince Yusupov, were still well known, but later the picture began to change. The political and cultural situation in the country changed, and, finally, the abolition of serfdom in 1861 put an end to the phenomenon of the serf theater in Russia. Pushkin wrote in 1833: “Horn music does not thunder in the groves of Svirlov and Ostankino; bowls and colored lanterns do not illuminate the English paths, now overgrown with grass, but used to be lined with myrtle and orange trees. The dusty backstage of the home theater is smoldering in the hall. It is difficult for our contemporaries who are fans of blockbusters and TV series to imagine that once the profession of artists was hard, forced and unpaid work. About the age-old burden that fell on the shoulders of the most dependent profession, in the "home" theaters of serf Russia, and will be discussed further. Fortress Theater in Kuskovo It is worth noting separately that the subsidies to such teams were considered a luxury and meant significant expenses, which is why such pampering could only be afforded by owners of very large fortunes.
« Nothing to do, - says one owner of the serf theater at A. I. Herzen, - order in our business is half the success; loosen the reins a little - trouble: artists are restless people. You know, perhaps, what the French say: it is easier to manage an entire army than a troupe of actors.». A special case is the home theater of Count Sheremetev, where the actors were paid from 10 to 60 rubles a year. So much could receive an experienced valet or steward. The count for the whole servant set three levels of salaries: "grassroots", i.e. the subsidy corresponded to the lowest rate, then "cottage against lackeys", i.e. equal to the lackeys, and the "supreme dacha", which determined the privileged status of those involved in the theater. However, punishments in the form of corporal vices were more often applied only to men. Women had a different fate. So, for example, Count Sheremetev had a habit of forgetting a scarf while going around the actresses' bed, which he suddenly remembered at night, unexpectedly visiting girls' bedrooms, which is why he soon acquired a large number of illegitimate offspring. At the same time, he himself severely punished for all sorts of violations of the “decent rules”. So, for example, a student of his home theater, Belyaeva, somehow went to study at the house of the actor Sandunov in the same britzka with his student Travin. The count brought down his passionate anger on the head of both, indignant at the fact that "the girl went with the bachelor", after which they were severely punished. As I. Arseniev describes, Count N. B. Yusupov had a strange habit, entertaining his Moscow guests after the end of the performance by going out in a light blue tailcoat with a powdered wig with a pigtail, and the corps de ballet appeared in its “natural form”. Another example of how often the "home theater" realized the owner's ideas about entertainment, which he lacked. The prima of the Sheremetyevo Theater Praskovya Zhemchugova (Kovalev) after a concert before Paul I in February 1797 was so impressed by the beauty and tenderness of the timbre of the lyric soprano that she received an "imperial gift" as a gift - a ring of a thousand rubles. And in 1801, the actress became the wife of Count Sheremetev. However, the secret marriage became known only in 1803, after the birth of the first-born Dmitry, who got untold wealth and one and a half hundred thousand serf souls. But twenty days later, the great actress suddenly died of consumption. In the 1820s, the serf theater groups were gradually disbanded. The ruin of many noble families allowed the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters to acquire several serf performers, musicians, barbers and seamstresses. But the situation did not change during the transition of the serf from the landowner to the professional collective. The law introduced on December 17, 1817 on the “exclusion of artists and other theatrical employees from the head salary”, thanks to which talents received freedom from “revision” dependence, did not change the position of dependent talents. The new leaders from the directorate also treated them as if they were things. The daily routine of an employee of the imperial theater is traditional for today: morning rehearsals, afternoon classes on “improving oneself in art” and evening going out to the public. At the same time, an incredibly short rehearsal period with a large repertoire and no “hacks” or additional earnings. Why many employees suffered from drunkenness. The case of December 1833 with the oboist Chernikov, who returned naked after a three-day absence, is indicative. In the explanatory note, the perpetrator said that he was drowning in a depraved and riotous life, who turned out to be a debtor in different places, which is why he left with the owners of taverns “a cloak with Karl Ivanovich, who lives near the Blue Bridge as an apprentice, a waistcoat, a shirt-front and a tie in the Tsaritsyno tavern, trousers - in the Ekateringof restaurant, and a state-owned theatrical oboe - in the Hotel du Nord tavern ... The instrument was pledged at Ivan's marker for 30 rubles, and the money was not more than 14 rubles, the rest is all interest. Another musician was put in a prison cell at the Bolshoi Theater for drunkenness and given a punishment with lashes with a warning that if such a case occurs again, he will be fired and sent to the soldiers. “Guests are listening to a gypsy choir” (engraving by L. Serebryakov based on a drawing by V. Schrader, 1871) By the time of the abolition of serfdom in 1861, the serf theater was preserved only in the musical version of festive chants, when lackeys and girls who could sing performed. Their work became the source for the circulation of the "folk song", as well as the then incredibly popular sentimental romances. In the ceremony of walks or festivities on boats or outside the city, choirs were considered an obligatory attribute, as well as a group of choristers in the house churches of the nobility. In the case of a special extreme of prosperity, a “footman” was brought in, capable of managing “with a violin” during parties along a river or forest. Here is one typical advertisement from Vedomosti: “For sale is a man of 25 years old, of great stature, who can write and play the violinist and is fit for a lackey position. To see him and find out about the price at the Galley Yard, in the English tavern near the city of Favel. But this tradition was also put to an end by the Decree of Nicholas I in 1841 on the prohibition of the sale of serfs one by one. The term “serf theater” was also used in the 20th century, and denoted an example of the black humor of Soviet dissidence in relation to a phenomenon common in the Soviet repressive system. The unexpected return of the tradition of "serf artists" was formed in a series of mass arrests of the totalitarian regime of imprisoned professional actors, directors, musicians, dancers and other figures of theatrical professions. From the fruits of their labor, the administration of the zone came up with an incentive system, when for the “Stakhanovite” achievements in camp labor, the prisoner received additional benefits in the form of a club ticket with good seats to watch performances and literary evenings. "Fortified troupes of the Gulag" were also considered elements not only of entertainment, but also of prestige.When did "fortified theaters" exist?
"Fortress", often called "home", the theater existed for almost a hundred and fifty years. The roots of the phenomenon go back to the time of Peter the Great, when new forms of entertainment for the nobility were actively inculcated. So, one of the Russian researchers of the topic, Tatyana Dynnik, calls the date of birth of the phenomenon - the wedding day of Queen Catherine II, when the actor became the "revision soul". And as proof, an excerpt from the memoirs of a contemporary describing the day of November 15, 1722 is given with a mention of the order of the Duchess of Mecklenburg to punish one of the guilty actors with two hundred blows of batags applied to serfs. The end of the era is evidenced by the document of 1844 on the meeting of the Committee for the arrangement of the “estate of courtyard people”, at which Nicholas I expressed the opinion that the serfs “theatrical troupes, orchestras, etc., are now almost withdrawn or withdrawn everywhere. In St. Petersburg, as far as I know, only Yusupov and Sheremetev already have this; the latter, however, does not like it, but because he does not know where to go with these people. What is this phenomenon?
The theater of serfs for eminent families was movable property, which they disposed of on the basis of property rights for the purposes of entertainment and commerce. The poster was filled with operas, ballets, comedies and dramas. And the idea itself turned out to be part of city life, not estate life. By the beginning of the 19th century in Russia, for 155 collectives, only 52 were located in estates, and 103 in city mansions: in Moscow - 53, St. Petersburg - 27, and in other cities - 23. The owners made considerable efforts to make their "homely joys" seem metropolitan". 
The Sheremetev Fortress Theater in the Fountain House The most famous fortress theaters
* Prince G.A. Potemkin in the Tauride Palace (Shpalernaya st., house 47, St. Petersburg),
* in the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, house 94 (St. Petersburg),
* in the Naryshkin-Shuvalov Palace on the Fontanka, house 21 (St. Petersburg),
* heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich (estate in the village of Pavlovskoye),
* Count B.P. Sheremetev in the Fountain House - 34 (St. Petersburg),
* Prince N. B. Yusupov (Arkhangelskoye village near Moscow),
* General S. S. Apraksin (Olgovo),
* Countess D. P. Saltykova (Marfino),
* "Napoleonic Theater" P. A. Poznyakov in the house on Nikitskaya (Moscow), etc. 
Fortress theater Gonzago in the village of Arkhangelskoye Who was selected as an artist?
Acting turned out to be forced labor, cane, often of a temporary nature. The staff of performers was recruited from the serfs according to the main criterion - the applicant must be “prominent”, in the sense, beautifully built, have a stately figure. According to Sheremetev's decree, performers of home theatrical productions were taken from orphans aged 15-16, "they are not corrupted in face and body, and, moreover, they can read and write." However, only the first requirement was often observed, which is why most of the artists were poorly educated. So, in a letter to Sheremetev, one of the recitation teachers in the count's house, the famous actor Ivan Dmitrevsky, noted the students' incredibly low level of Russian language proficiency, without which "it is very difficult to be a good actor." How were the rehearsals?
Given the fact that not everyone could afford literate serfs, the selected performers were tormented by learning roles “from the voice” and meaningless repetitions of rehearsals, even at night. 
Fortress Theater of N. A. Durasov in Lyublino What else was taught?
Acting skills, recitation, singing, music making, spelling, literary history, foreign languages, general course of natural sciences. For this, young people capable of learning were recruited into the troupe. Where did the actors live?
The restless people of artists lived in isolation, in separate wings, somewhere in the backyards, "away from the eyes", but under the close eye of strict control and army discipline. 
Fortress Theater of Count Sheremetev in Ostankino How much did serf artists receive?
Considering that the “receiving” party took upon itself the “full subsidy”, i.e. the cost of accommodation, accommodation and food, the artist did not get his hands on anything. Only wealthy nobles received incentives and gifts, but this was considered a rarity. 
Unknown fortress artist. Palace in Maryino. 1816What penalties were applied?
Severe punishments for all sorts of violations and offenses were maintained by strict rules of discipline. Nikolai Leskov in the short story "The Dumb Artist" described several realistic examples of the count's tyranny of the owner of the serf theater in the Oryol province, Count Sergei Kamensky, who was incredibly cruel to the serfs. The count personally worked as a cashier and sold tickets. In addition to entertainment, guests received treats in the form of marshmallow slices, pickled apples and honey. The count wrote down all the remarks on the game and, right during the intermission, went backstage, where with specially prepared whips he carried out calculations with negligent performers so hard that their screams reached the refined ears of honored guests. 
The serf of the landowner N.N. Demidov, the great Russian actor Stepan Mochalov (1775-1823) What did the actors fear the most?
There were numerous legends about the horrific incidents that accompanied the punishment of artists for misconduct. So, for example, during one scene, a dog attacked an actor playing an imaginary monster, which tore the performer to pieces. The owner of the house forbade everyone to interfere, allowing "to finish the job", after which he ordered the dog to be hanged and the artist to be sent away. 
Fragment of the Last Judgment IconWhat encouraged true talent?
In addition to valuable gifts and cash prizes, a change of surname was considered a special grace. So, for example, after passing the recitation lessons of the famous actor Ivan Dmitrevsky, the young girls changed their last names: Kucheryavinkova became Izumrudova, Kovaleva - Zhemchugova, Buyanova - Granatova, Chechevitsina - Yakhontova. And the roughly named men received the names Kamenev, Mramornov, Serdolikov, etc. 
What additional benefits did the owner receive?
After the performance of the famous fortress theater in the Sheremetev estate near the village of Kuskovo, Catherine II expressed incredible surprise at the magnificent spectacle, “ pleasantly standing out from everything that was arranged for her". This allowed Count Nikolai Sheremetev to spend the last decade of the 18th century in St. Petersburg, in his Fountain House, where artists, orchestra members, artists and ballet dancers came with him. How did "serfs" become "employees"?
How much is the "serf" talent?
In 1828, the Directorate acquired a group of musicians from Prince Chernyshev for 54,000 rubles. Two thousand per soul. But it turned out that the orchestra performers either “did not play” or “played badly”, which is why some were given for retraining, some - to “Turkish music”, and the rest - to copyists of notes. They determined a salary of 250 to 500 rubles a year (despite the fact that the freemen were paid 1000), quartered in an annex to the Anichkov Palace, plus those married with children added half a hundred rubles. This deplorable state forced the serfs to even write a letter to the Minister of the Court Volkonsky with a request to "take under the protection of the unfortunate", but it had no power and did not bring changes in fate. What did the "serf" do in the imperial theaters?
How did the tradition die out?
What is the Gulag Fortress Theatre?
