Theatrical and musical museums
- St. Petersburg museum of theatre and music arts
- Shaliapin apartment museum
- Samoilov actors memorial museum
- Rimsky-Korsakov apartment museum
- Russian drama museum
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St. Petersburg museum of theatre and music arts
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The Museum of Theatrical and Musical Arts was founded in Petrograd in 1918 and its first exhibition opened in 1922. The museum is housed in the building of the Board of the Imperial Theatres and the Theatre School which forms part of the magnificent Ostrovsky Square ensemble, dominated by the Alexandrinsky Theatre.
The exhibition gives a detailed account of the history of Russian theatrical art. The original museum reserves consisted of works of art collected by Ivan Gorbunov, an actor of the Alexandrinsky Theatre. In the 1920s, the archives of the Board of the Imperial Theatres were transferred here along with private collections belonging to actors and theatrical figures. The museum contains the personal archives of Vera Komissarzhevskaya, Marius Petipa, Maria Savina, Olga Spesivtseva and many other luminaries. It also boasts a striking collection of portraits of theatrical figures and actors, designs and models of 18th-20th century stage sets created by such artists as Giuseppe Valeriani, Alexander Benois, Leon Bakst, Nikolai Sapunov, Kasimir Malevich, Nathan Altman and Nikolai Akimov. One can explore a unique collection of authentic theatrical costumes and an extensive selection of audio-recordings.
Location: Ploshchad’ Ostrovskogo, 6
Open: 11.00 – 18.00, Wednesday 13.00 – 19.00
Closed: Tuesdays
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
Shaliapin apartment museum
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F.I. Shaliapin Memorial Apartment is the last address of the great F.I. Shaliapin in Russia and the first Shaliapin's museum in Russia (opened April 11, 1975). Here the great singer lived from 1912 to 1922, and from here he left Russia in September 1922. After Shaliapin's departure his friend and secretary I.G. Dvoryshchin had taken care of the apartment and the property till his death during the Siege of Leningrad in winter 1942. An accidental phone call to Leningrad Theatre Museum saved the singer's unique archive and private belongings.
Location: Graftio str., 2
Open: 11.00 – 18.00
Closed: Mondays, Tuesdays and the last Friday of each month
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
Samoilov actors memorial museum
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The memorial apartment was open in 1994 and now welcomes visitors to get acquainted with the brilliant life of the celebrated actors’ family that has been popular on Russian stage for one and a half-century. Founder of the actor’s family V.V.Samoilov bought the house in the very centre of St. Petersburg in 1869. So the house became one of the most popular centres of cultural life in Russia. For many years permanent guests at the house were actors, composers and painters. The memorial apartment represents various theatre relics of the 19-20th centuries. Just like hundred years ago the Samoilov’s house remains one of the most attractive places in St. Petersburg where one can meet talented actors, singers and musicians.
Location: Stremyannaya str., 8
Open: 12.00-18.00
Closed: Mondays, Tuesdays and the last Friday of each month
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
Rimsky-Korsakov apartment museum
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The museum devoted to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was opened in 1971. It is housed in the apartment where the composer spent the last 15 years of his life and wrote eleven of his fifteen operas, including Sadko, Le Coq d'Or and The Tale of TsarSaltan. The memorial part of the apartment is made up of four rooms: Rimsky-Korsakov's study, the living room, the dining room and the hall. The rest of the apartment has been reconstructed: here there is an exhibition hall where lots of materials about the composer's life and work are displayed, and a concert hall. In the study there is his desk, his favorite armchair, an old writing desk made by Tikhvin cabinet-makers, a memorial address designed by Vrubel towards the thirty-fifth anniversary of the composer's work. The main attraction of the living room is a Becker grand piano, which was played by S.Rakhmaninov, A.Skryabin. A.Glazunov, I. Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov himself. The walls of the dining room are hung with painted portraits of the composer's ancestors. He belonged to an Old Russian family, renowned since late fourteenth century. On the dining table there is family silver and such memorial pieces as a silver saltcellar and biscuit-dish.
Location: Zagorodny prospect, 38
Open: 11-00 – 18-00
Closed: Monday, Tuesday
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
Russian drama museum
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The museum is housed I the Russa’s oldest theatres, the Alexandriinsky, and is subtitled “Actors oh the Alexandriinsky act out history”. The first hall, situated on the third circle of the theater, is dedicated to the period of the boyar-dominated Kievan Rus. Here visitors can see a costume donated by the Empress Elizabeth from her personal wardrobe, sketches by the theatrical artists Vladimir Dmitriev and Nathan Altman and costumes from the 1942 performance of” The Great Sovereign”. The imperial Hall contains noble dresses and uniforms, a gold table from the royal box and a portrait of the Empress Alexandrina, in whose honour the theater is named. In the Turgenev Hall is a collection of original possessions that belonged to the actress Maria Savina, who was justifiable known as St. Petersburg’s Sarah Berner. In the Masquerade Hall are exhibits from performances of “Don Juan” and “Masquerade”, oriental costumes, masks, fans and handbags. Altogether around 280.000 costumes are kept in the museum’s collections. Each room is equipped with electronic guide.
Location: Ostrovskogo square, 2
Open: Daily 12 am – 7 pm
Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
426-955-717
© 2000-2011
