"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 performances 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 staff of CATRA 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.
In the history of theaters in our capital, the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army occupies one of the leading places. The building that occupies the theater is a masterpiece of architecture, which is nowhere to be found. This is the largest stage venue in Europe. The theater has a large and small hall with a total capacity of almost 2,000 seats. The history of the theater itself began in 1930 with the Red Army Theatre. In 1951 the theater was renamed into the Theater of the Soviet Army, and only in 1993 into the Theater of the Russian Army.
From the very first years of its activity and today, the theater is famous for its stellar troupe. Previously, L. Fetisova, L. Dobzhanskaya, F. Ranevskaya, M. Mayorov, M. Pertsovsky, V. Pestovsky shone here. Today, well-known Moscow actors L. Golubkina, F. Chekhankov, E. Anisimova, G. Kozhakina, V. Zeldin, A. Rudenko, L. Kasatkina, M. Shmaevich and many other beloved and talented actors work in the theater troupe.
The theater of the Russian army was also distinguished by its special approach to stage performances - its high artistic level. The theater was also directed by A.D. Popov, and A.A. Popov. On the stage of the theater you can see performances of military themes and modern plays, performances based on Russian and European classics.
The most memorable productions in the theater were A. Dumas' Lady of the Camellias, A. Cason's Trees Die Standing, Lope de Vega's Inventive Lover, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, A.N. Ostrovsky, "At the Bottom" by M. Gorky, "Heart on a Stone" by A.N. Ostrovsky, "The Miser" by Molière.
The Theater of the Russian Army was awarded the significant Crystal Turandot Prize, and also took part in the World Theater Olympiad and the Czech Theater Festival. The theater showed its productions in many army units and garrisons. Today the theatre's repertoire includes 19 performances. KVN games are also held on the stage of the theater
For more than ten years, the theater has been operating a children's studio, which prepares young artists for performances on the big stage and for film projects.
Buy tickets to theater of the Russian army it was quite difficult in Soviet times, due to the fact that many guests of the capital and Muscovites sought to get to the performances. The theater of the Russian army is a harmonious interweaving of classics with dramaturgy, a magnificent play of actors. Allowing yourself to buy tickets to the theater of the Russian army, you can feel all the grace and skill of the actors!
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!
A beautiful building in the Stalinist Empire style at the Dostoevskaya metro station, with massive columns, wide staircases, built in the shape of a five-pointed star, belongs to the Theater of the Russian Army. One of the most famous stages of the capital was built in the 30s of the XX century according to the project of K.S. Alabyan and V.N. Simbirtsev. The architects also managed to create the most capacious drama theater hall in the world for 1520 seats. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that from any point the guests can perfectly see and hear the artists. The technical capabilities of this stage are extremely wide, the mechanisms and devices make it possible to embody the most daring artistic ideas on it. The interior of the theater is impressive: panels, mosaics, stained-glass windows are beautiful and original.
During its existence, the repertoire of this famous troupe has featured more than 300 performances based on the works of Russian and foreign classics, outstanding contemporary playwrights. For more than twenty years - from 1935 to 1958, Aleksey Dmitrievich Popov directed the theater, it was he who staged the performances here that have become classics, "The Wide Steppe", "A long time ago", "Commander Suvorov". Actors beloved by generations of theatergoers shone on the CATRA stage: Pyotr Konstantinov, Lyubov Dobzhanskaya, Alexander Khokhlov, Andrey Popov, Nina Sazonova, Lyudmila Kasatkina. The main directors of the theatre, Y. Zavadsky, R. Goryaev, A. Dunaev, Y. Eremin, L. Kheifets staged outstanding performances.
Today, in the repertoire of the famous stage, there are many productions of different genres, which invariably go to a full house. The chief director of the theater, Boris Morozov, managed to gather the strongest creative team. The audience admires the roles of Vladimir Zeldin, Nikolai Pastukhov, Lyudmila Chursina, Larisa Golubkina, Alina Pokrovskaya, Yuri Komissarov and many, many other talented actors, becoming a guest of this wonderful theater again and again.
In the history of theaters in our capital, the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army occupies one of the leading places. The building that occupies the theater is a masterpiece of architecture, which is nowhere to be found. This is the largest stage venue in Europe. The theater has a large and small hall with a total capacity of almost 2,000 seats. The history of the theater itself began in 1930 with the Red Army Theatre. In 1951 the theater was renamed into the Theater of the Soviet Army, and only in 1993 into the Theater of the Russian Army.
From the very first years of its activity and today, the theater is famous for its stellar troupe. Previously, L. Fetisova, L. Dobzhanskaya, F. Ranevskaya, M. Mayorov, M. Pertsovsky, V. Pestovsky shone here. Today, well-known Moscow actors L. Golubkina, F. Chekhankov, E. Anisimova, G. Kozhakina, V. Zeldin, A. Rudenko, L. Kasatkina, M. Shmaevich and many other beloved and talented actors work in the theater troupe.
The theater of the Russian army was also distinguished by its special approach to stage performances - its high artistic level. The theater was also directed by A.D. Popov, and A.A. Popov. On the stage of the theater you can see performances of military themes and modern plays, performances based on Russian and European classics.
The most memorable productions in the theater were A. Dumas' Lady of the Camellias, A. Cason's Trees Die Standing, Lope de Vega's Inventive Lover, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, A.N. Ostrovsky, "At the Bottom" by M. Gorky, "Heart on a Stone" by A.N. Ostrovsky, "The Miser" by Molière.
The Theater of the Russian Army was awarded the significant Crystal Turandot Prize, and also took part in the World Theater Olympiad and the Czech Theater Festival. The theater showed its productions in many army units and garrisons. Today the theatre's repertoire includes 19 performances. KVN games are also held on the stage of the theater
For more than ten years, the theater has been operating a children's studio, which prepares young artists for performances on the big stage and for film projects.
Buy tickets to theater of the Russian army it was quite difficult in Soviet times, due to the fact that many guests of the capital and Muscovites sought to get to the performances. The theater of the Russian army is a harmonious interweaving of classics with dramaturgy, a magnificent play of actors. Allowing yourself to buy tickets to the theater of the Russian army, you can feel all the grace and skill of the actors!
