The plan of the hall of the theater of the Russian army. Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army

The Theater of the Russian Army in Moscow is a unique academic theatrical institution, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense and has no analogues in the world "theatrical space". This refers to the history and organization of the theatre, as well as to the enormous dimensions of the magnificent building and the stage area, which is considered the largest in Europe.

Story

The birth of the theater itself, which was called the Central Theater of the Red Army, dates back to 1929, when the very first performance dedicated to the military conflict in Manchuria on the border with China was staged.

And only in 1934 did they begin to erect a building, the construction of which was completed 6 years later - in 1940. Based on the results of the competition, a project was chosen developed by the chief architect of Moscow, Karo Alabyan, in collaboration with V.N. Simbirtsev.

The majestic, three-tiered, compositionally complex building in the shape of a five-pointed star is considered a monumental architectural masterpiece of the Stalians style - the "Stalinist Empire style", which combines elements of classicism, baroque, Napoleonic Empire and Neo-Gothic. The theater building has ten floors. Six of them are occupied by the Great Hall for 1900 seats and the Small Hall for 400 spectators.

The unique feature of the Theater is the scale of the size of the stage and the power of the stage mechanisms, the projects of which, including the complex lifting and turning structures of twelve platforms, were developed by engineer Ivan Maltsin. Thanks to the commissioning of such serious design developments, the stage area is able to transform into any complex space. There was an opportunity to implement the ideas of theater artists on the scenographic design of performances with the reproduction of mass battles, medieval interiors and mountain landscapes. The unique scene made it possible to create a world of reality with the participation of cars, tanks, military units and cavalry.

The theater was decorated and frescoed by the most talented painters, muralists and graphic artists: Alexander Deineka, Lev Bruni, Alexander Gerasimov, Ilya Feinberg, Vladimir Favorsky with his sons, Sokolov-Skalya. Lamps and interior items were made by special order.

In 1951, the theater venue was renamed the Central Theater of the Soviet Army, which in 1975 received the title of academic. In 1993 the famous theater became the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army.

Performances and staff

The debut repertoire of the theater consisted mainly of patriotic plays by brilliant writers and playwrights - Konstantin Simonov, Viktor Astafiev, Yuri Bondarev, Vasily Bykov, Viktor Grossman, and later - Bulat Okudzhava and Vladimir Motyl.

The most frequently (more than 1200 times) in the entire history of the theater was the play by Alexander Gladkov “A long time ago”, on the basis of which Eldar Ryazanov shot the famous film “The Hussar Ballad”.

Gradually, the repertoire expanded due to the classical creations of world drama. During the work of the theater, numerous performances have been staged that have earned the love of the audience and prestigious awards. Musical concerts, 3-D musicals, performances - dramas, tragedies and comedies, musicals for children and adults, solo concerts, creative evenings, children's festivities are held on two stages.

Among the performances are famous plays by Alexander Ostrovsky, Chekhov, Alexei Tolstoy, European classics - Shakespeare, Goldoni, Lope de Vega, works by Bulgakov, Jean Sarman, Bronislav Nusic, James Goldman, comedies by Eduardo De Filippo, grotesque realism by Yuri Polyakov, dramas by Alexei Arbuzov.

The Army Theater is a team of talented and versatile artists. At first, the stage was the place of military service for the best graduates of theater schools and young actors. Later, the leading actors of the Russian Army Theater were Vladimir Zeldin, Nina Sazonova, Fedor Chenkhankov, Larisa Golubkina, Ludmila Chursina, Evgeny Steblov, Lyudmila Kasatkina, Boris Plotnikov, and other stage and film stars. Alexander Domogarov, Yuri Komissarov, Olga Kabo worked here.

The best muralists took part in the design of the theater: the frescoes of the acoustic ceiling were painted by Lev Bruni, the reinforced concrete curtain-portal was made according to the sketches of Vladimir Favorsky, the plafonds over the sideboards in the amphitheater were created by Alexander Deineka and Ilya Feinberg, the picturesque panels of Pavel Sokolov-Skal and Alexander Gerasimov adorned the front marble stairs. By special orders, furniture, ceiling lamps and chandeliers were made, and the columns around the building have a section in the form of a star.

Moscow was adorned with a new remarkable building: the Central Theater of the Red Army was built. The grandiose, monumental building of the theater rises on the Commune Square, one of the most spacious squares in the capital. It pleases the eye with its wonderful architectural appearance, harmonious harmony of forms, unusual volumes, height. In addition to its main purpose - to be the center of the theatrical culture of the Red Army, the theater should also serve as a great architectural monument of the heroic army of the country of socialism, a monument that will exist for many, many centuries. Therefore, the theater building is given in terms of the shape of a five-pointed Red Army star. This emblem is the main, leading motif in the entire architecture of the building.

But the shape of the building played a cruel joke on him: during the Great Patriotic War, German pilots used the theater of the Soviet Army as a guide, because 4 of its beams pointed to the Moscow railway stations, and the fifth - to. Therefore, the architects were almost accused of betrayal, and the building was disguised: villages, churches, and groves appeared on the site of the theater.

The Theater of the Red (since 1951 - Soviet, since 1993 - Russian) Army has the largest stage in Europe.

The building occupies 10 floors on the surface (of which 6 are the Big Stage for 1,520 seats, 2 floors are the Small Stage for 450 seats) and 10 underground floors. The stage of the theater is adapted for showing massive battle scenes with the participation of real tanks.

The stage mechanics were designed by engineer Ivan Maltsin. It works almost without repair even now: 2 huge circles rotate, 12 lifting platforms can turn the stage from the stadium into a mountain landscape.

TsATRA is a departmental theater of the Russian army, and therefore many famous actors “passed military service” on its stage. And instead of the director of the theater - the boss. There are also military barracks and halls with strange names: "Cabbage", where sauerkraut was kept during the war, "zoo", where all sorts of artificial horses are kept. At the same time, the CATRA troupe is considered one of the best in Moscow. Also, the theater building hosts festive events of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and films are shot. For example, an episode of the film "Kin-Dza-Dza" was filmed here.

They say that...... the building of the Theater of the Russian Army was not completed: they planned to put a statue of a Red Army soldier on the upper tower, a sculpture of October above the central pediment, and five corners of the building were supposed to decorate statues of various branches of the military and fountains. On the roof, it was planned to arrange a summer garden for spectators to walk during the intermission. In such a projected form, the TsATRA building fell on the bas-relief of the Northern River Station.
... Faina Ranevskaya left the theater with the words: “I don’t play at airfields.”
... from the building of the Theater of the Russian Army in

There is a wonderful picture in the magazine "Technique of Youth" (1940. No. 2) - the Central Theater of the Red Army from the inside:

I especially liked the tank entrance.
The text comment explains:
"In the theater, the works of the greatest masters of world drama and the plays of Soviet playwrights will sound in full voice.
The height of the stage box, counting from the floor of the stage to the grate, from which the scenery suspended on cables descends, is 34 meters. In such a box, a large, eight-story building would fit freely.
There are spacious side rooms on both sides of the stage. The area of ​​each of them is 350 square meters. These are called pockets. They serve to prepare voluminous scenery. Here you can prepare "battleship", "armored train", etc. for going on stage. The back stage can also be used for the same purpose. Thus, it is possible to prepare the design for three different actions at once. And in the corner rooms, located between the pockets and the back stage, you can store decorations for 3-4 performances of the current repertoire."
The theater of the Soviet army is one of the characteristic monuments of Stalinist architecture.

Some art critics and historians consider this building a landmark, seeing it as a departure from the "style of the 1930s." and the beginning of the Stalinist empire. In any case, the idea was grandiose, and, moreover, not the last architects in the hierarchy of that time (deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Academician of Architecture K.S. Alabyan, who was assisted by V.N. Simbnrtsev). Traditionally, as happens with iconic buildings, the construction of the theater reflected several aspects at once, characteristic of an essentially imperial Stalinist state.
1. "The army is the eternal love of the empire, it is an instrument of conquest, it is also a model for society" (this is a phrase from an article by Evgeny Anisimov).
Empires were built on overwhelming militarization.
It is no coincidence, writes a Soviet magazine, that "the Red Army and its glorious commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov, were the inspirer of the entire construction. attention of the People's Commissar. Throughout the entire period of construction, he tirelessly made sure that the theater was beautiful, comfortable, simple, that the theater was worthy of the Soviet people and their great Red Army. "

"You involuntarily raise your eyes upwards to see aviation. Above the heads of the audience, in the expanses of a clear, blue sky, proud Stalinist falcons soar. This magnificent artistic painting of the ceiling gives a feeling of freedom, expanse. The most important artistic work - painting the ceiling of the large auditorium and foyer - is professors of painting L. A. Bruni and V. L. Favorsky.

2. Art is a propaganda tool.
The theater of unprecedented size was supposed to show "pictures of the glorious military past of the Russian people. The mass heroic performances will reflect the bright pages of the history, life and life of the Red Army, which won unfading glory in the battles for the motherland, for socialism."
"The revolution put art at the service of the people," is a typical mantra of the Soviet press when it comes to culture.
3. Theatricality is generally a characteristic feature of that time.
Let's recall the construction of the main highways with decoration houses (a magnificent front facade and unfinished others), sports and military parades, etc.
Therefore, the new empire could not but create its own large theater. And having created it, she made sure that he was the very best. From this follows another principle.
4. Gigantomania.
It is no coincidence that the sources of Stalin's time constantly mention the competitive nature of Soviet construction: more than in the rest of the world, more beautiful than before the revolution.
"The theater stage is adapted for a wide variety of performances and productions. Its width reaches almost 40 meters, and its depth, counting from the portal, is 30 meters. But this is only the main stage area. Behind it is an extensive back stage (rear stage), which can also be used for theatrical action. If we add to this the front part of the stage (proscenum), which goes beyond the boundaries of the portal, then the total depth of the entire stage will be 62 meters. It is much larger in area than the auditorium. It can deploy a mass action with the participation of more than a thousand Here you can show on a grand scale the capture of the Winter Palace, the assault on Perekop. An infantry battalion, cavalry, tanks can "act" on such a stage. The theater has a special tank entrance through which these formidable combat vehicles will enter the stage."

“In the theaters that the bourgeoisie built, concern for the audience did not rise above the stalls and boxes. It was concern for the wealthy visitor. Comfortable, soft chairs, chic and luxury of the so-called “expensive places” were intended for him. the galleries were not very disturbed.There were common wooden benches here, almost nothing could be seen from here, the voice of the actor was barely audible.
In the new Soviet theatre, in the Central Theater of the Red Army, all seats are equally comfortable and good. Here, for each spectator, there is twice as much space and air as in other theaters. The auditorium is designed for almost 2 thousand seats. This is a record figure for a drama theater. Despite such a large capacity, the farthest seats on the balcony are only 28 meters from the stage."
5. The city is a sacred place with its own symbols.
In the very center - the mausoleum of the leader, the central squares - places for ceremonies in honor of great events.
The Commune Square, where the theater is located, also played an important role. A whole memorial of the military glory of the Red Army was to be formed here.

"In the near future, Commune Square will be transformed, the compositional center of which is the new theater. Now to the left of it is the vast building of the Central House of the Red Army named after M.V. Frunze. On the other side of the square, to the right of the theater, the same vast building of the Central Museum will grow Red Army. Tram traffic will go to the neighboring streets and lanes. Surrounded by a forest, this area will be an amazing but beautiful corner of Moscow, personifying the formidable power and the greatest culture of the Red Army, its unfading glory, which will live for centuries and reach our distant descendants. "
6. The architecture of the Stalin era, of course, had its own language of symbols, where, without a doubt, the Theater of the Red Army also fit in.
In fact, it has become a true hymn to the Soviet five-pointed star, perhaps the most important symbol.
Probably, everyone knows the legend that the commander Voroshilov circled his marshal's ashtray with a pencil and suggested that Alabyan build a theater in a similar form.

Whether this is true or not, I personally don't know. However, in addition to the fact that several tiers of the building in the plan turned out to be five-pointed stars, the columns framing them also have a section in the form of a star.
Inside, the stars decorate stairs, ceilings, balconies, lamps.

What else can be added?
"The best, qualified forces of the country took part in the construction of the theater. The project of the theater was developed by architects, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Academician of Architecture K.S. Alabyan and V.N. Simbnrtsev.
A wonderful stage device, the only one in the world, was developed by engineer P. E. Maltsin. In his work, a careful study of the richest experience of the work of the stage of the Moscow Art Academic Theater of the USSR. A. M. Gorky. "[Which was built by the damned capitalists, led by the sponsor of the Bolsheviks, industrialist S. T. Morozov]

"It goes without saying that the complex and varied technical equipment of the theatre, as well as the lighting of the auditorium, stage, foyer and other premises, require an enormous amount of electricity. The total installed power throughout the theater exceeds 4 thousand kilowatts. This means that if all stage mechanisms, all lighting devices, then just such a grandiose power would be required, which would be enough to illuminate a large city with a population of several tens of thousands of inhabitants. The theater is equipped with its own electrical substation, the capacity of which is 2400 kilowatts. More than 10 thousand lamps are installed throughout the building. points of light and about 50 kilometers of multi-core cable were laid. If all these cores, all electrical and telephone wires were pulled into one line, then it would stretch from Moscow to Kiev, for a distance of 800 kilometers. "

"Above the large auditorium there is a concert hall designed for almost 500 seats. The Red Banner Red Army Song and Dance Ensemble and the best artistic forces of the capital will perform here. Ordinary theater performances can also go here. In addition, this hall will serve as a rehearsal room for the theater, In this respect it is of great convenience, because here the stage is as wide as below.
Above the concert hall there is a spacious art workshop. Great picturesque scenery is being prepared here."

In addition, the theater was not fully realized as planned - the war probably prevented:
"The architectural design of the theater has not yet been fully completed. A giant figure of a Red Army soldier has yet to be erected on the upper tower of the building. The grandiose sculpture "October" must also be placed above the central pediment of the theater. Five upper corners of the building will be decorated with sculptures that depict various branches of the Red Army, in powerful fountains will be arranged in the lower corners."

The Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army has no analogues not only in Russia, but also in the world. This also applies to the enormous size of the building itself and its stage, and the organization of the theater, which is completely under the control of the Ministry of Defense.

The army has always played a big role in the life of Russian and Soviet society. Suffice it to recall the numerous sports teams of the highest level, under the patronage of the army, forged victories that brought prestige to the state. The attitude towards art at the Ministry of Defense was also very attentive. In 1930, the Central Theater of the Red Army was created, which took its place in a specially built building - a monumental masterpiece of the Stalinist Empire style. Such a building can be the envy of all other theaters in Moscow. The theater building was put into operation in 1940 and includes two halls - Big and Small. The Great Hall, which can accommodate 1900 spectators, is the largest theater hall in Europe.

The dimensions of the stage of the Great Hall are also grandiose. Previously, massive, large-scale productions with battle scenes were very popular. If necessary, entire military units could enter the theater stage, as well as riders or cars!

Strictly speaking, by the time of the official opening, the theater had already existed for two years. It was an organized system of propaganda teams that acted in military camps in the Far East. After moving to Moscow, the theater immediately began to gain popularity. At first, the theater's repertoire consisted mainly of patriotic plays. Posters were full of the following names: "First Cavalry", "Commander Suvorov", "Front", "Stalingraders". The most famous performance of the theater in its history is "A long time ago" by Alexander Gladkov, which served as the basis for the film "The Hussar's Ballad". This performance is over 1200 times higher!

The theater of the Russian (until 1993 - Soviet) army has always been famous for its troupe. In Soviet times, the issue of staffing was solved simply - the best young actors served in the military as theater employees. The actresses also willingly went to work in the theater of the Soviet army - the conditions for remuneration in it were very good. At various times, the actors of the theater were Vladimir Soshalsky, Boris Plotnikov, Evgeny Steblov, Alexander Domogarov. The leading actors of the modern theater of the Russian army are Vladimir Zeldin, Fedor Chenkhankov, Lyudmila Chursina, Lyudmila Kasatkina.

The modern repertoire of the theater includes 19 performances, among which there are Russian classics (works by A. Ostrovsky), European classics (Lope de Vega, Goldoni) and more modern plays. If you want to enjoy the game of the masters and feel the grandeur of the theaters of the "Soviet temper" - get tickets to the theater of the Russian army!

"Moscow has been adorned with a new remarkable building: the Central Theater of the Red Army has been built. The grandiose, monumental building of the theater rises on Commune Square, one of the most spacious squares in the capital. It pleases the eye with its wonderful architectural appearance, harmonious harmony of forms, unusual volumes, height. In addition to its main purpose - to be the center of the theatrical culture of the Red Army, the theater should also serve as a great architectural monument of the heroic army of the country of socialism, a monument that will exist for many, many centuries. Therefore, the theater building is given the shape of a five-pointed Red Army star in plan. This emblem is the main, leading motif in throughout the architecture of the building. - magazine "Technique of Youth" 1940

We could not pass by the building, which, according to some historians, is a landmark in Soviet architecture (the beginning of the Stalinist Empire style). And one summer night they tried to get inside unnoticed. Knowing that the theater belongs to the Ministry of Defense and conscripts are being served in it, we assumed that a few hours after the lights out everyone would be in the arms of Morpheus.

Our guess turned out to be correct.

01. The theater of the Red Army begins its history in 1929. This year, at the initiative of the Political Directorate of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (PU RKKA), a theater was formed from several propaganda teams to serve the Red Army troops and their commanders. On February 6, 1930, the first review performance "K.V.Zh.D." (director - V. Fedorov, script S. Alimov) dedicated to Armed conflict between China and the Soviet Union in 1929 over the southern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Initially, this section of the road was built by agreement with China, even under the Russian Empire, but after the October Revolution (1917), it was nationalized by the Harbin Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. Two weeks later, the Chinese troops explained that it was not necessary to do so and dispersed the Harbin Soviet. In 1924, the government of the USSR agreed with China and the road was taken over by the Soviet side. But in 1929, China seized the CER. Now the Red Army has to clearly explain to the Chinese that it is not necessary to do this, and in two and a half months it arranges a complete defeat of the Chinese troops and restores control over the road. In 1932, Japanese troops captured Harbin and annexed it to the puppet state of Manchukuo formed in the same year. In the light of these events, the Soviet government, after many months of negotiations, sells the CER to the government of Manchukuo. After 13 years, the Red Army erased the puppet state of Manchukuo from history and took the road back, and in 1952, as a sign of goodwill, the USSR gives it to China free of charge. This date is considered the birthday of the theatre. Before the appearance of a separate building, the theater played its performances in the Red Banner Hall of the House of the Red Army (Now - the Cultural Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) and often toured the Red Army units and garrisons.

02. In the 1930s, the uncontrolled demolition of architectural monuments began in the USSR, which, according to the party, were symbolized with tsarist power. Instead of the old symbols, new ones were required - demonstrating the values ​​of a young and ambitious state. For the architects of that time, the search for a new, special "proletarian" style was characteristic. The emphasis was on continuity from classicism of clarity and simplicity of forms, but without abstract abstraction, from baroque - an organic sense of the materiality of the world, but without exaltation and hypertrophy. In 1932, the new style received the approval of the party and for the first time the term socialist realism was voiced.

03. Under the influence of a new trend in architecture, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, academician of architecture Alabyan Karo Semenovich (1897 - 1959). Soviet architect. Chief Architect of Moscow. In 1929 he was among the founders of the All-Russian Society of Proletarian Architects (VOPRA), which considered its goal to promote the "new proletarian architecture". In addition to the theater of the Red Army, K.S. Alabyan is also known for other works: the pavilion of the Armenian SSR at the All-Russian Exhibition Center, the ground lobby of the Krasnopresnenskaya metro station, the Sochi sea station, the building of the railway station in Voronezh, the planning of the Khimki-Khovrino residential area, participated in the development of the Master Plan for the reconstruction of Moscow. He was a laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1941), a laureate of the Lenin Prize (1951), was awarded two orders (the Order of the Badge of Honor, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor), received the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Arts and Technology in Paris. January 5, 1959 Karo Semenovich dies of lung cancer. A street in Moscow (Alabyan st.) and a street in Yerevan (Alabyan st.) are named after him and architect Vasily Nikolaevich Simbirtsev (1901-1982). Soviet architect. Chief architect of Stalingrad (now - Volgograd). One of the organizers of the All-Russian Society of Proletarian Architects (VOPRA). In addition to his work on the Central Theater of the Red Army, he is also famous for other projects: the pavilion of the Byelorussian SSR, residential buildings on Krasnoselskaya Street and Leningradskoye Highway, Prombank on Tverskaya Street. He was engaged in the restoration of Stalingrad after the war. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and the Stalin Prize of the 2nd degree. October 19, 1982 Vasily Nikolayevich dies in Moscow. A street in Volgograd (Simbirtsev Street) is named after him. developed a project for the Central Theater of the Red Army.

04. The architects were given the task of creating a building-monument embodying the power of the Red Army. Taking into account the fact that the specifics of theater buildings with a deep stage already had a spatial composition developed over the centuries, unfolding along the longitudinal axis of symmetry (entrance, lobby, foyer with couloirs, auditorium, stage box). It was very difficult to create a new volume-spatial form that the viewer would associate with the Red Army.

05. Since socialist realism required simplicity and clarity of forms and no abstract perception, the figure of a five-pointed star was chosen as the basis, so that even the birds understood that this was not just some kind of theater, but the theater of the Red Army. There are a huge number of stars in the theater, even the columns have a section in the form of a star.

06. It was impossible to solve the assigned tasks without losses. In the Central Theater of the Red Army, the acoustics are worse, the foyer and halls are oversized, a number of rooms not provided for by the program, and several extra stairs. All this led to a significant increase in the cubic capacity of the building.

07. The whole country was engaged in the construction of the theater, without exaggeration "About 40 different factories of the Soviet Union fulfilled orders for this grandiose structure. The Kramatorsk Stalin Factory manufactured heavy truss structures of the stage; the Leningrad Electrosila factory gave motors to the theater; the Kharkov Electromechanical Factory - complex electrical equipment; the Moscow Metro factory made external fittings, metal hangers, marble works; the Malo-Vishera glass factory made colored glass and all artistic glass fittings.- magazine "Technique of Youth".

08. Probably the most spectacular place in the theater is the large hall, designed for 1520 seats. This is the largest theater hall in the world. When it was designed, special care was taken to ensure that all seats were equally comfortable, emphasizing equality between classes. “In the theaters that the bourgeoisie built, concern for the audience did not rise above the stalls and boxes. It was concern for the wealthy visitor. Comfortable, soft chairs, chic and luxury of the so-called “expensive places” were intended for him. the galleries were not very worried. There were common wooden benches here, almost nothing could be seen from here, the voice of the actor was barely audible. The revolution put art at the service of the people. And in the new Soviet theater of the Red Army, all seats are equally comfortable and good. " Even the problem of slamming seats was solved by fixing them with hinges so that they turn silently.

09. The stage of the big hall is also not small, it is considered the largest not only in the Russian Federation, but also in Europe. Size is not the only thing the theater can be proud of. Technical devices and its mechanisms designed by engineer I.E. Maltsin, could change the smooth floor of the stage, making it possible to create any relief on it. The stage consists of three main parts: a large rotating drum with a diameter of 26 meters, inside it there is a half-sized snare drum and a stationary part. Both drums can rotate around their axis independently of each other. In addition to rotating discs, the stage is equipped with so-called tables that can rise to a height of 2.5 meters and descend to a depth of two meters. There are 19 tables in total, 10 on the large disk, 3 on the small disk, and 3 on each side in the fixed part. With these tables, it was possible to create a giant amphitheater for large conventions. For such cases, special shields were provided to close the orchestra pit, thereby uniting the auditorium with the stage, which increased the capacity of the room to almost 4 thousand people.

10. In the diagram above, behind the scene, it is striking that an unusual point for theaters is a tank entrance. As conceived by the architects, it was planned that real military equipment could be used in theatrical productions. I don’t know if this is true or fiction, but I was told that once a tank drove into the theater. The floor of the stage could not stand him, and he failed. By the way, the tank had a place to fall, there were three technical floors under the stage.

The photo shows a small rotating drum with a diameter of 13 meters.

11. Going down under the stage, you can see the design of a large rotating drum. Its height is 9.5 meters. The bottom of the drum consists of two powerful, mutually intersecting beams, on which running wheels are mounted. With these wheels, it rests in a circle on a circular rail track, along which the drum rotates.

Metal snare drum truss under the stage.

12. In order for the device to work at the lowest level, there is an engine room with electric motors. Energy is supplied to the electric motors from the outside, which caused certain difficulties during construction. It was impossible to simply put wires and cables to the drums, because during rotation, they would simply break. The solution to the problem was to use ring pantographs. But the factories, to which the engineers turned, did not dare to take on such a complex and urgent order - only two months remained before the opening. The Komsomol of the Dzerzhinsky district came to the rescue, on the territory of which the theater was built. Having contacted the Komsomol members of the Kirov Dynamo Moscow plant (now this plant is in an abandoned state), they asked them to fulfill the order. Together with the chief engineer of the plant, within a month, drawings were prepared and two pantographs were made, for the bass and snare drums. The enthusiasm and professionalism of Soviet engineers is admirable, because before that, no one had made such pantographs and they were completely unique in terms of design. The necessary products were manufactured before the contract between the plant and the construction organization was concluded.

One of the snare drum motors.

13. Electric motors, lighting (over 10,000 light points were located throughout the theater in the 40s) and various equipment needed a large amount of electricity. Therefore, the theater has its own electrical substation. About 50 kilometers of multi-core cable were stretched through the entire theater at the time of the opening. "If all these veins, all electrical and telephone wires were pulled into one line, then it would stretch from Moscow to Kyiv, for a distance of 800 kilometers." In the 21st century, the theater underwent a large-scale reconstruction to upgrade electrical equipment. For 6 months of work, more than 300 kilometers of cable were laid to connect stage lighting, electro-acoustics and video projection equipment.

14. Not the last role in the creation of the theater was played by Marshal of the Soviet Union K. E. Voroshilov. With his direct participation, the main issues arising in the construction were resolved. He also reviewed and amended the sketches of artistic painting, followed the choice of furniture and interior items. There is a legend that the marshal had something to do with the appearance of the theater. At a meeting with the architect K.S. With Alabyan, he circled his star-shaped ashtray with a pencil and suggested building it that way.

15. Being in a large hall, it is impossible not to pay attention to the ceiling painting. It was made by professors of painting L. A. Bruni and V. L. Favorsky. Here is how they wrote about it in the Technique of Youth magazine of 1940: “You involuntarily raise your eyes up to see aviation. Above the heads of the audience, in the expanses of a clear, blue sky, proud Stalinist falcons soar. This magnificent artistic painting of the ceiling gives a feeling of freedom, expanse. "

16. A few words about the theater repertoire.

17. During its history, the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army (the last name, the theater was renamed several times) has created more than 300 performances.

18. The productions were not only of a military-patriotic orientation ("Front" by A.E. Korneichuk, "Stalingraders" by Y.P. Chepurin, "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" by B.L. Vasiliev, etc.). There were also classical performances by William Shakespeare ("A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Taming of the Shrew", "Macbeth", "Much Ado About Nothing", "Hamlet", "Othello") and performances by Russian classics ("Petty Bourgeois", "At the Bottom of "- M. Gorky, "Inspector" - N. Gogol, "Heart is not a stone" - A. Ostrovsky, "Uncle Vanya", "The Seagull" - A. Chekhov and others). In the large hall of the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army (CATRA) games of the major league of KVN are also held.

19. Among the productions there are also long-lived performances: "The Dance Teacher" by Lope de Vega, staged in 1946, was held more than 1900 times, the premiere of 1942 "A long time ago" by Alexander Gladkov - about 1200 times. They can be seen in TSATRA even now.

20. In addition to performances, all festive events of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are held on the basis of the theater, anniversaries of the types and branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Main and Central Directorates of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation are celebrated. The good tradition of military-patriotic education of youth has not been forgotten either.

21. Since the founding of the theater, in Soviet times, the troupe has constantly toured military units and garrisons. Now TsATRA artists also do not sit in their building, but annually (more than 20 trips) they give concerts and perform performances in various military districts .

22. "The CATRA staff consists of more than three hundred people, including more than 130 creative people, including: People's Artists of the USSR V.M. Zeldin, L.A. Chursina, 13 People's Artists of the Russian Federation, 22 Honored Artists of the Russian Federation and 6 Honored Workers culture of the Russian Federation. A number of artists were awarded State Prizes, orders and medals of our state. The theater employs about 30 veterans of the Great Patriotic War."- from the official website of CATRA.

23. For creative youth of draft age, there is an opportunity to serve in the theater.

24. For a short summer night, we did not manage to get around the entire theater. But we managed to visit, in addition to the large hall, also an art workshop, which is located above the large and small halls.

25. Large picturesque scenery is being prepared in it. Special markings were applied on the floor to facilitate work with canvases, and walkways were installed under the ceiling so that you could watch the process of preparing the scenery from above and make changes. When the decoration is ready, it is rolled up and passed through the hatch under the grate flooring, where it is lowered down with the help of blocks.

26. There is one more purpose of the premises: construction and drill training for the serving "theatrical troops" take place here.

27. Despite the fact that the building seems to be completed, a number of architectural elements were not built for the opening of the theater in 1940.

28. The figure of a giant Red Army soldier was not erected on the upper tower of the building - which cannot but rejoice. The sculptural composition "October" was not installed above the central pediment of the theatre. And on the top five corners of the building, there are not enough sculptures depicting various types of troops.

29. But the biggest loss, in my opinion, is the unfulfilled idea of ​​\u200b\u200busing the roof. According to the plan, it was supposed to have a garden with flower beds and lawns, as well as a restaurant, a dance floor and a cinema. In winter, there was an opportunity to arrange a skating rink. For visitors to the theater, on the roof, an excellent panorama would open, because in 1940, it was the tallest building in Moscow.

Machines for lifting and lowering scenery. They have been standing since the founding of the theater.

31. By the way, the idea of ​​using rooftops for leisure is not new. In autumn, I had a chance to visit the roof of the first skyscraper in Moscow, where a restaurant was opened in 1916, and after the revolution, a square, a playground and much more, but more on that another time.

32. In conclusion, a few words about the small hall, which we did not manage to get into due to lack of time. It is located above the large hall and is designed for 450 seats. The Red Banner Red Army Song and Dance Ensemble and other artists of the capital performed there. Rehearsals are also held in the small hall. I will also get here soon, but already as a spectator.

That's all. A curtain.

The following materials were used to write this post.