Imperial Theatres of Russian Empire (Императорские театры Российской империи) was a theatrical organization financed by the Imperial exchequer and managed by a single directorate headed with a director; was pertain to the Ministry of the Imperial Court from 1742. The system operated in Russian Empire before the October Revolution along with numerous private particular and public theatres. It has integrated opera, ballet and drama companies in Saint Petersburg (the capital of the country at that time) and Moscow, two theatrical schools for raising of artistes and numerous buildings and opera houses in these cities.

History

In 1803 the system included Italian Opera of impresario Antonio Casassi and its Maly Theatre building (1801, replaced by Alexandrinsky Theatre in 1832). In 1806 by a decree of Emperor Alexander I was established a division of Imperial Theatres in Moscow. In 1809 under the Direction of Imperial Theatres there were seven different theatre companies (ballet, 2 of a Russian theatre, 3 of a French theatre and 1 of a German drama theatre) and at least 10 theatre buildings in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and its surroundings. In 1905 there were six public Imperial Theatres in Russia (Alexandrinsky, Mariinsky, Mikhailovsky and Maly in Saint Petersburg, Maly and Bolshoi in Moscow) plus court Hermitage Theatre and used during the summer.

Theatre buildings

In Saint Petersburg

In Moscow

Imperial Theatres in Moscow were organized in 1806 by a decree of Emperor Alexander I.

Theatre schools

All children accepted to the Imperial Theatre schools were taken for full state maintenance, lived at the boarding school and could not be excluded from institution until the end of the studies. They were trained firstly for a career in ballet (as most difficult to achieve), then in drama and music. The least gifted were switched to training as props makers, theatrical operators etc. After the October Revolution both of the schools were divided according to the type of training. Now these are Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet and Russian State Institute of Performing Arts in Saint Petersburg and Moscow State Academy of Choreography and Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School in Moscow.

In Saint Petersburg

In Moscow

Moscow theatre school was organized in Moscow Orphanage in 1773 by decree of Empress Catherine II. From 1784 it was managed by private Petrovsky Theatre which in 1789 became the property of the Moscow Orphanage's Guardianship Council. The school became part of the state imperial system in 1806, when Moscow division of Imperial Theatres was organized. In the 1820s Moscow theatre school was situated at Bludov's house (Povarskaya Street 13, now Supreme Court of Russia). After 1830 the school along with Moscow Direction of Imperial theatres moved into the (Kuznetsky Most 1, now ). In 1863 school moved into the 1822 building by architect Joseph Bové situated next to the Maly Theatre (Neglinnaya Street 6/2, now Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School; Bolshoi Ballet School has stayed at the same building till 1968).