By the special order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, The Russian Drama and Comedy Theatre is founded in Saint Petersburg, which turns out to be the beginning of the Alexandrinsky Theatre Company. Playwright Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov is appointed as Director. The actors’ company is headed by Fyodor Grigoryevich Volokov. The company starts giving regular performances as the first State public theatre in Russia in the former Golovkinsky Home in the Vasilyevsky Island. The venue is to be later reconstructed to house the Academy of Arts.

By a special court order, the theatre is ascribed to Court Administration management.

After F. Volkov’s Death, the company is led by a famous Russian actor, Ivan Afanasievich Dmitrevsky.

The theatre’s company becomes part of the newly created Emperor’s Theatre Management Office

The Russian Drama theatre Company performs in the newly built Bolshoy stone theatre in Saint Petersburg, later to be reconstructed as Saint Petersburg music hall.

First complete Griboedov’s Woe from Wit Premiere takes place with V. Karatygin playing Chatsky.

Saint Petersburg Russian Drama company performs in the heart of Saint Petersburg, in a new building designed by Carlo Rossi. The theatre is christened The Alexandrinsky Theatre in honour of Alexandra Fyodorovna, wife of Emperor Nikolai I. The Carlo Rossi building is later to become the masterpiece of world architecture, protected by UNESCO.

The Alexandrinsky Theatre building is officially given to the Saint Petersburg Russian Drama company. The company also simultaneously performs on other Russian capital stages, also governed by the Direktsia (Management Department) of Imperial Theatres.

Gogol’s The Inspector General Premiere takes place on the Alexandrinsky Theatre Stage with Nikolai Gogol himself taking active part in the staging of the performance. Khlestakov is played by N.O. Dur.

Krechinsky Marriage - a comedy by A.V. Sukhovo-Kobylin - is staged with V. Samoilov in the lead role.

The first Alexandrinsky Theatre performance of Nikolai Ostrovsky ‘s Thunderstorm.

The first performance of The Death of Ivan the Terrible by A.K. Tolstoy takes place. Ivan the Terrible is played by P. Vasiliev.

The first on-stage premiere of Alexander Puhskin’s Boris Godunov, who is played by L. Leonidov.

Ivan Turgenev’s A Month in the Village comedy is given the first theatre premiere with M. Savina as Verochka.

Anton Chekhov’s play Ivanov is first staged in the Emperor’s Theatre with V. Davydov in the lead role.

The first on-stage premiere of Anton Chekhov’s comedy Seagull with V. Komissarzhevskaya in the leading role. The performance is to be later remembered in the world theatre history as the Seagull failure.

The theatre stages Euripides’ tragedy Hippolytus (translated by D. Merezhkovsky). The performance is directed by Y. Ozarovsky, with scenic design by L. Bakst.

Vs. Meyerhold stages the performance of Molliere’s Don Juan, with A. Golovin as scenic designer starring Y. Yuriev in the lead role.

First night of Vs. Meyerhold and A. Golovin’s legendary Masquerade performance based on the drama by Mikhail Lermontov takes place. Music is composed by A. Glazunov. Masquerade is destined to become the last Emperor’s Stage performance and one of the most balanced performances in the world theatre history with Yury Yuriev in the lead role. The performance is to remain part of the theatre’s repertoire up to July 1941.

The theatre is made part of the State Theatres Management Department.

Sabotaging the Bolshevik regime, the Theatre stops working and boycotts the new power.

‘Autonomization’ of former imperial theatres is taking place. The word Alexandrinsky (with the word former included) now applies to Petrograd State Drama Company.

The word Academic is added to the theatre’s status. The theatre’s name now sounds as Petrograd State Academic Drama Theatre (former Alexandrinsky).

The theatre joins the Academic theatres association.

The theatre is named State Academic Drama Theatre (Gosdrama).

Outstanding Russian actor and theatre figure Yury Yuriev heads the theatre.

The Fear by A. Afinogenov is directed by N. Petrov. Professor Borodin is played by I. Pevtsov.

The 100th anniversary of the Alexandrinsky Theatre (called at the time Leningrad State Drama theatre) building is widely celebrated as an important date in the country’s socio-political and cultural life. At the same time, following the current ideology, seventy-six years are subtracted from the history of the Russian first drama company.

The theatre is led by the artistic director and outstanding actor, director and tutor Boris Mikhailovich Sushkevich.

Famous Soviet director Sergei Ernestovich Radlov is the Artistic Director

In the year of the 100th anniversary of the death of Alexandre Pushkin, the name of the poet is added to the title of Lenigrad Gosdrama Theatre.

The artistic director of the theatre is the outstanding actor, director and tutor Leonid Sergeevich Vivien.

Performance of Pushkin’s Boris Godunov is directed by B. Sushkevich starring N. K. Simonov in the lead role.

The Forest by N. Ostrovsky is directed by V. Kozhich with Neschastlivtsev played by Y. Yuriev.

Performance of A Nest of Gentlefolk by I.S. Turgenev is directed by A. Muzil’. Lavretsky is played by N.K. Simonov.

Theatre is evacuated. The company continues working in Novosibirsk, on the Krasny Fakel Theatre stage. During the blockade, the Alexandrinsky Stage is used by the Leningrad musical comedy theatre.

The Live Corpse by Leo Tolstoy is staged by V. Kozhich and A. Dauson, starring N. Simonov as Fedya Protasov.

Tovstonogov stages Optimistic Tragedy by Vs. Vishnevsky featuring Y. Tolubeev as the Leader and O. Lebzak as the Commissar.

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky is staged by L. Vivien and A.N. Dauson with V. Chestnyukov as Alexei Ivanovich

Running by M. Bulgakov is directed by L. Vivien. N. Cherkasov plays Khludov.

Little Tragedies by Alexander Pushkin is directed by L. Vivien, featuring N. Cherkasov as the Baron and N. Simonov as Salieri.

Outstanding actor and tutor I.O. Gorbachev is the artistic director of the theatre.

Chichikov’s Adventures, or Dead Souls by N. Gogol is directed by N. Sheiko starring I. Gorbachev as Chichikov.

Elegy by P. Pavlovsky is directed by I. Olschwanger, featuring B. Freundlich as Ivan Turgenev.

Anton Chekhov’s play Ivanov is directed by A. Sagalchik with the title role played by I. Gorbachev.

Wide celebrations of the Russian-Alexandrinsky-Pushkin Theatre’s 225th birthday.

The name ‘Alexandrinsky’ is restored. The theatre’s official name is now Russian State Academic A.S. Pushkin Drama Theatre (Alexandrinsky).

Messieur George. Russian Drama by M.Y. Lermontov is performed with A. Praudin as director.

The Tale of Peter the Tzar and his Murdered Son Alexei is directed by A. Galibin.

P.S. by Kappelmeister Johannes Kreisler, his author and their beloved Julia: cadences based on the works of Hoffman and Mozart. The play is directed by G. Kozlov and becomes Awardee of Russian State Prize.

The Theatre enters into a cooperation agreement with the Meyerhold Centre about a joint creative programme of The Tradition’s New Life.
Valery Fokin, outstanding Russian director and head of the Meyerhold Centre, becomes the Artistic Director of the programme.

Valery Fokin’s first Alexandrinsky Theatre performance – the original version of Nikolai Gogol’s comedy The Inspector General – is created, which opens The Tradition’s New Life programme. Khlestakov is played by A. Devotchenko. The performance becomes the Russian State Prize Awardee.

Valery Fokin becomes the Artistic Director of the Alexandrinsky Theatre.

The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky directed by Valery Fokin comes out starring V. Gvozditsky as Golyadkin Sr.

The Alexandrinsky Theatre’s 250th anniversary is celebrated as the jubilee of Russian first state theatre and the beginning of the state’s support of Russian theatre. A large-scale reconstruction of the historical building is carried out. A historical exhibition The Museum of Russian Drama is opened. The International Alexandrinsky Theatre Festival takes place for the first time.

As part of The Tradition’s New Life programme, Greek director Theodoros Terzopoulos creates the performance of Sophocles’ tragedy King Oedipus. The show opens the First International Alexandrinsky Theatre Festival.

The Live Corpse by Leo Tolstoy is directed by Valery Fokin starring S. Parshin as Fedya Protasov.

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov comes out directed by K. Lyupa (Poland) starring Y. Marchenko as Nina Zarechnaya.

The Two Ivans play based on The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich and other works by Nikolai Gogol is performed. The show is directed by A. Moguchy starring N. Marton as Ivan Ivanovich and V. Smirnov as Ivan Nikiforovich.

The Marriage by Nikolai Gogol is directed by V. Fokin starring I. Volkov as Podkolyosin.

Xenia. The Story of Love. by V. Levanov is directed by Valery Fokin starring Y. Lakoba as Xenia.

W. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is directed by V. Fokin featuring D. Lysenkov as Hamlet.

Your Gogol based on Nikolai Gogol’s works is performed featuring I. Volkov as Nikolai Gogol.

Zero Liturgy based on the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky with A. Shagin playing Alexei Ivanovich comes out.

The New Alexandrinsky Theatre Stage opens.

The Alexandrinsky Theatre is awarded the National Treasure status.

Masquerade by M. Lermontov and Vs. Meyerhold is directed by Valery Fokin. P. Semak and D. Lysenkov both star in the role of Arbenin.

Today. 2016 by K. Fokin. (New Stage) starring P. Semak in the leading role.

Russian State Academic Pushkin drama Theatre (Alexandrinsky) is entered into the State Roster of the Most Valued Russian Federation Peoples’ Heritage.