The building of the Alexandrinsky theater. Theater buildings are monuments of architecture. Architecture and interior

One of the oldest in Russia, the first state theater Alexandrinka always arouses special interest among the public and close attention of critics. There is a special account for him: he must correspond to the high rank of the imperial theater, and he has been honorably maintaining this mark for more than 250 years.

Origin

The reign of the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth, was marked by a surge cultural life in Russia. In particular, under it, the spectacle industry demonstrates rapid growth, many private theaters are created, touring troupes of foreign artists gather, playwrights write the first plays in Russian. There is also a need to create state theater following the example of other European capitals. And on August 30, 1756, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issues a decree establishing the first imperial theater in Russia. So the future Alexandrinka acquires its official status.

At first, the theater is called Russian, it serves to present comedies and tragedies. The basis of the troupe is made up of people from Yaroslavl: who became the director of the troupe, and the actors Dmitrievsky, Volkov and Popov. Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov, who is considered the progenitor of Russian drama, becomes the playwright and director of the theater. The repertoire is based on French plays by Racine, Beaumarchais, Voltaire, Moliere, as well as works by Russian authors: Fonvizin, Sumarokov, Lukin, Knyaznin. The main emphasis was on staging comedies.

building construction

The theater enjoyed incredible popularity in St. Petersburg, but it did not have its own premises, it wandered around different venues, and a special building was vital for it. But only 76 years after its founding, the Alexandrinsky Theater appeared, the address of which is known to any theater-goer today. In that place, a wooden building originally stood, which was occupied by the Italian troupe Casassi. But later the theater collapsed, the premises were bought by the treasury, and after it was badly damaged in a fire in 1811, the war with Napoleon distracted from its problems.

But, despite the lack of funding, in 1810, Karl Rossi created a project for the restructuring of the square. And only in the 30s, under Nicholas I, the question of building a theater seriously arises. Carl Rossi becomes the head of this process, he took the architects Tkachev and Galberg to his team. A lot of money was invested in the construction, and work began to boil: 5,000 piles were driven into the ground for the foundation of the building, but they decided to save money on decorations. Instead of copper and bronze, painting and woodcarving were used.

The building was erected in just 4 years, and on August 31, 1832, the Alexandrinsky Theater, whose address is Ostrovsky Square, 6, acquired a building built by the greatest architect of our time. Karl Rossi supervised not only the construction, but under his leadership the project of the square and the interior decoration of the hall was brought to life. The Alexandrinsky Theatre, a photo of which is today in the album of every tourist who has visited St. Petersburg, is a monument to the great architect.

Architecture and interior

The Alexandrinsky Theater has become part of a large-scale urban development project in Russia. The front facade, facing Nevsky Prospekt, is made in the form of a deep loggia of 10 columns, on the attic of which the famous quadriga of Apollo is located. Along the frieze that borders the building, there are laurel garlands and theatrical masks. The side facades are decorated with porticoes of 8 columns. The building in the Empire style is a real gem of St. Petersburg. The side street leading to the theater, now bearing the name of Rossi, was planned by the architect according to strict ancient laws. Its width is equal to the height of buildings, and its length is increased exactly 10 times. The street is designed in such a way as to emphasize the splendor and grandeur of the architectural image of the building.

The emperor saw the interior only in red, but there was not enough fabric, and her order could greatly delay the opening. The architect managed to convince the ruler - so the theater got its now famous blue upholstery. The hall accommodated about 1770 people, had 107 boxes, stalls, galleries and a balcony, ingenious design gives it amazing acoustics.

Imperial period

In honor of the wife of Nicholas I, the theater was named Alexandrinsky. It becomes the center of stage life in Russia. Here the Russian theatrical tradition was born, which would later become the glory of the country. After the opening, the Alexandrinsky Theater maintained its usual repertoire policy: mainly comedies and musical plays were staged here. But later the repertoire becomes more serious, it is here that the premieres of Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit", "The Inspector General" by N.V. Gogol, "Thunderstorms" by Ostrovsky take place. Davydov, Savina, Komissarzhevskaya, Svobodin, Strepetova and many others worked in the theater during this period.

By the end of the 19th century, the Alexandrinsky Theater was on the same level with the best drama theaters in Europe in terms of the power of its troupe and performances.

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a crisis that could not bypass the Alexandrinsky Theatre. In 1908, V. Meyerhold headed the group, who strived to create a new repertoire, but at the same time carefully preserved the existing traditions. He puts on unique performances: Don Juan, Masquerade, Thunderstorm, which become masterpieces of the new theater school.

After the October Revolution in 1917, the theater is accused of glorifying the imperial power, and difficult times come. In 1920, it was renamed the Petrograd Academic Drama Theater, and it began to actively stage new dramaturgy: “At the Bottom” and “Petty Bourgeois” by M. Gorky, plays by Merezhkovsky, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Alexei Tolstoy and even Lunacharsky (People's Commissar of Education).

In the troupe, thanks to the efforts of the chief director Yuri Yuryev, a galaxy of old masters has been preserved, to which the actors join new school: Yakov Malyutin, Leonid Vivien, Elena Karyakina. During the Second World War, the theater was evacuated to Novosibirsk, where the actors continued to play performances. In 1944 the troupe returned to Leningrad.

The post-war and subsequent years were not easy for culture in general, and for Alexandrinka as well. But well-known performances still appear here, such as “Life in Bloom” based on the play by Dovzhenko, “Winners” based on B. Chirskov.

In the Soviet period, outstanding actors work: V. Merkuriev, A. Freindlikh, N. Marton, N. Cherkasov, I. Gorbachev and brilliant directors: L. Vivienne, G. Kozintsev, N. Akimov, G. Tovstonogov. The theater does not lose its significance, despite the ideological difficulties.

Back to the roots

In 1990, the original name returns, and the Alexandrinsky Theater reappears in the world. The years of perestroika are not easy for him, but the theater manages not only to survive, but also to keep the troupe and unique collections of scenery and props. Thanks to the efforts of Academician D.S. Likhachev, the Alexandrinsky Theater became a recognized national treasure. St. Petersburg is impossible to imagine without this cultural institution. It is a symbol of the Russian theater, along with the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky.

Present day

The Alexandrinsky Theatre, reviews of which are almost always written in enthusiastic tones, is trying to maintain its reputation even today. Since 2003, the eponymous theater festival. Under the leadership of Fokin, a grandiose reconstruction of the theater took place. He ensured that the theater had a second stage, on which experimental performances are staged. The best actors and directors work here. The theater sees its mission in preserving the traditions of the Russian theater school, in supporting new trends and helping talents.

Famous theater productions

The Alexandrinka's repertoire always included the best plays, all the classics were staged here: Chekhov, Gorky, Ostrovsky, Griboyedov. Today, the performances of the Alexandrinsky Theater are created according to the best works playwrights: “Nora” by G. Ibsen, “The Living Corpse” by L. Tolstoy, “Marriage” by N. Gogol, “Double” by F. Dostoevsky. Each performance becomes a global event. V. Fokin is very sensitive to repertoire policy, he says that there can be no random productions here. The mission of the theater is to promote the classics, and the latter takes leading place in the Alexandrinsky poster.

Troupe of the Alexandrinsky Theater

The Alexandrinsky Theater (St. Petersburg) is known all over the world. Today, such veterans of the stage as N. Urgant, N. Marton, V. Smirnov, E. Ziganshina, as well as talented youth work in the troupe: S. Balakshin, D. Belov, A. Bolshakova,

For the needs of the entrepreneur Kazassi. The institution was named the Kazassi Theatre. After the fire at the Bolshoi Theater in 1811, the architect Thomas de Thomon proposed to rebuild this theater by expanding its stage and hall. But this was interrupted by the War of 1812.

Talk about rebuilding the theater continued after the war, when Emperor Alexander I returned to St. Petersburg. For the new owner of the Anichkov Palace, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, the space of the estate was put in order, but there was not enough money to rebuild the Kazassi establishment. At this time, the funds went to the construction of the General Staff building. Despite the refusal to build a theater, the design of the square with a new building in the 1810s was made by Karl Rossi, who was engaged in altering the interiors of the Anichkov Palace.

Rossi's project began to be implemented with the coming to power of Nicholas I. The emperor wished to rebuild the square in front of the Grand Duke's palace, which was entrusted to the architect. On April 5, 1828, the project was approved, and the next day a Commission was created "to build stone theater and behind it two buildings. "N. Selyavin, vice-president of the Cabinet, stood at the head of the commission. Architects N. Tkachev and I. Galberg became Rossi's assistants at the construction site.

By the spring of 1828, 950,000 rubles were paid from the treasury to the owners of the plots necessary for the construction. Those who were in no hurry to make room were forcibly evicted in one week.

For the foundation of the theater, about 5,000 piles were driven into the ground. The walls of the building were erected in the same year. In 1829, they began to install ceilings, which the architect planned to make from metal. This decision was opposed by General Engineer P. Bazin, who headed the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works. He expressed his doubts about the reliability of metal ceilings in a report to the emperor. Nicholas I created a commission in order to examine the project "for the installation of metal rafters and the roof of the newly built theater on Nevsky Prospekt, whether the walls and rafters will withstand the weight of the machines and whether this device will be dangerous." Work at the Alexandrovsky iron foundry of M. Clark, which manufactured these structures, was suspended. Carl Rossi and M. Clark were asked to provide a model and explanations. In connection with these events, the architect Rossi wrote the following letter to the Emperor:

"Excellent prince, gracious sovereign!
I had the honor to receive an order from Your Excellency, dated September 2, with the announcement that the Sovereign Emperor, having considered the opinion of General Bazin and other papers ... regarding the installation of metal roofs on the newly built theater ... deigned to stop all work on this device until the command.
In this case, I take the liberty of conveying to Your Excellency that when His Imperial Majesty deigned to approve my project for a new theater and chose me to build it, then I was clothed with fullness and perfect power of attorney, which I had the happiness to justify by experience by others already made by me. buildings that are not among the ordinary ones, such as: the device of a metal archive in the General Staff building and the conical vault of a large arch connecting the General Staff Building with the new building from Malaya Millionnaya Street. Now, to the greatest regret, I see that I am completely deprived of this power of attorney, and envy and intrigues triumph.
As a result of this, and in order not to darken my reputation, I most humbly ask ... to apply for permission to complete the work begun on the installation of a metal roof, personally for me, together with Mr. Clark, according to our system. Both I and Mr. Clark answer with honor and head that not the slightest misfortune will occur from the mentioned roof and that the whole device will have the proper strength ...
In conclusion, I will inform Your Excellency that in the event that any misfortune should occur in the said building from the installation of a metal roof, then, as an example for others, let me immediately be hanged on one of the rafters ... "[Quoted from: 2, 528]

After inspecting the finished metal structures at the Clark factory on September 19, 1829, Nicholas I announced the decision: "... continue the stone construction of walls for the metal roof and immediately put several iron rafters for the roof for testing, and also put cast-iron rafters over the stage after making over them experience in advance at the factory ... "The test consisted in checking the strength of the rafters by hanging a load weighing 40 tons on each of them. Thus, Rossi's project was nevertheless accepted for execution.

The project for the decoration of the hall was not fully implemented. The architect conceived it more elegant than it was executed. Bronze and copper were replaced by wood carvings and artistic painting. This decision was made due to the lack of funds that at that time went to the needs of the army. The design of the auditorium based on Rossi's sketches was created by Okhta carvers, stucco masters N. Sipyagin and M. Sokolov, artists the Dodonov brothers.

Nicholas I wanted to see the upholstery of the auditorium with red fabric. Rossi announced to the emperor that this was not available, and if you wait for its purchase, then it will not be possible to open the theater on time. Thus, Rossi achieved the realization of his plan - to decorate the auditorium with upholstery blue color.

The grand opening of the theater took place on August 31, 1832. The next day the papers wrote:

"This huge, elegant, majestic building was built by the architect Rossi. The hall contains five tiers of boxes, except for the benoirs. There are 242 chairs located in nine tiers. ), numbered benches, very comfortable for spectators and listeners... The performance opened with the tragedy "Pozharsky, or the Liberation of Moscow" and a Spanish divertissement, that is, various Spanish dances" [Cit. according to: 2, p. 530].

The theater was named after the wife of Emperor Nicholas I Alexandra Feodorovna. Since then, it has been called "Alexandrinka". The building was included in a single architectural ensemble of Ostrovsky Square. Above the colonnade, the facade of the theater is decorated with a quadriga, ruled by the god of arts Apollo. The author of the sculpture is S. S. Pimenov. The Apollo Quadriga was made by the masters of the Alexander Plant. For this work, craftsmen Pyotr Katerinin and Pyotr Odintsov, as well as apprentice Rogozin, received silver medals on Anninsky ribbons, and master Andrey Malikov received a gold medal.

The Alexandrinsky Theater was originally under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Imperial Court. Its Rossi walls were painted light grey.

In the year of the opening of the Alexandrinsky Theater, on the basis of an imperial decree, the directorate provided Karl Rossi with a free and perpetual use of a ticket to box No. 14 of the second tier. On January 14, 1837, the director of the imperial theaters Gideons reported to the Minister of the Court:

".... Mr. Rossi suggested to the directorate if she would like to take away this box from him, and pay him money for it.
Due to the uncertainty whether Mr. Rossi still has the right to make such transfers of lodges without special permission ... I did not dare to accept his proposals.
But this box is occupied at almost all performances by various persons from the public, and as an entrance to it ... it is always done according to a special ticket issued to it by Mr. Rossi, it was discovered that a person was sent to the theater with this ticket, who sells in the corridor I tell this lodge in places about a loner of various kinds to people ... This sent one was not only confirmed many times not to do this again, but even ... he was detained in the theater for that with an announcement that if he continued such actions in the future, then .. will be escorted to the police.
Despite this, however, it turned out that during the performance of the former January 10, they were let into the box in the same way ... seven people of various kinds, of which there was a quarrel and a fight between the two, during the investigation of which it turned out that the police there were nobles or officials, as well as serfs..." [Quoted from: 2, 548]

After this incident, Rossi was announced that the next such incident would end for him with a deprivation of a ticket.

Once upon a time, on the days of theatrical premieres and benefit performances, a long queue of carriages and carriages lined up at the entrance to Alexandrinka. Among the "golden youth" of that time, it was indecent to go to the theater on foot, so enterprising cabbies specially put their carriages near the theater, on Nevsky Prospekt. From there, young people drove to their destination.

On the eve of 1849, Nicholas I wanted to update the decoration of the auditorium of the Alexandrinsky Theatre. He ordered the four boxes near the stage to be enlarged and the upholstery of the hall to be replaced with red, which was entrusted to Carl Rossi, who created two projects for alterations. This work was the last for the 72-year-old architect.

In Soviet times, the theater received the name "Academic Drama Theater named after A. S. Pushkin." With the acquisition of this name, he also began to be called "Pushkin".

The building of the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Historical building in the style of classicism, which is part of the architectural ensemble of Ostrovsky Square. It was built according to the project of K. I. Rossi in 1828-1832. It houses one of the oldest theaters in the country - the Russian State Academic Drama Theater. A. S. Pushkin.

At the site of the current Alexandrinsky Theater, there was originally a vast garden of the Anichkov Palace, on the territory of which, among other things, a wooden theater pavilion was located - an Italian opera group performed in it. In 1801, the pavilion was rebuilt, creating the Maly Theater on its basis. Over time, the growing cultural needs of St. Petersburg required the construction of a new, larger and more comfortable stone theater building. Therefore, in 1818, the territory cut off from the park of the Anichkov Palace was transferred to the jurisdiction of the theater directorate.

The Alexandrinsky Theater was named after the wife of Emperor Nicholas I, Alexandra, who patronized this art form. The design of the theater building was directly linked to the layout of the architectural ensemble of the modern Ostrovsky Square (after the opening of the theater, it also became known as Aleksandrinskaya Square). K. I. Rossi made the theater the main element of the entire square. The massive building in the classical Empire style had its main façade facing Nevsky Prospekt, and the back side facing Architect Rossi Street.

The front of the Alexandrinsky Theater was decorated with a multi-columned loggia of the Corinthian order, the side facades were decorated in the form of eight-column porticos. The entire perimeter of the upper part of the building is occupied by a sculptural frieze with antique theatrical masks and laurel garlands. At the ends of the theater in special niches there are statues of muses - Terpsichore, Melpomene, Clio and Thalia, and the attic of the main facade is crowned by the famous quadriga of Apollo (a cart drawn by four horses) - the work of S. S. Pimenov.

The interior decoration of the theater building is also striking in its splendor. The auditorium was made according to a modern multi-tiered system with boxes, an amphitheater and a stalls. The capacity of the hall was designed for 1700 people. The interiors were decorated with velvet, gilded carvings and wall paintings.

The roof of the Alexandrinsky Theater presented an interesting design - the innovative idea of ​​using metal arched trusses with cast-iron stops was first applied in the construction business. Moreover, the author of such a roof device was K. I. Rossi himself. Another technological innovation of the building was the installation of steam heating in the theater.

As a sign of gratitude to the architect for creating such a masterpiece, after the opening of the theater, K. I. Rossi received a box at the Alexandrinsky Theater for life use, tickets for which he then often sold to moneyed citizens.

The building of the Alexandrinsky Theater is included in the Unified State Register of Objects cultural heritage(monuments of history and culture) of Russia.

Note to tourists:

Inspection of the building will be of interest to theater lovers who wish to attend a performance, to all other tourists interested in the architecture of the first half of XIX century, and can also become one of the points of the excursion program while exploring neighboring attractions -

In the cultural capital of Russia there is one of the oldest theaters in our country (from among those that have survived to this day), founded in the 50s of the 18th century by the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, is the Alexandrinsky Theatre, also known as the Pushkin Theatre.

The troupe of this famous drama theater went on tour in all corners of the world, and everywhere its productions enjoyed constant success.

The theater building was designed by Carl Rossi. It is built in accordance with the canons of the Empire style. In the 21st century, the second building of the theater was built - the New Stage. It is a unique multifunctional center that has no analogues in the world.

theater building

For quite a long time, the theater troupe did not have its own premises, using the buildings of other theaters. Only seventy-six years after the foundation of the troupe, she finally got her own building.

The theater was built in early 1930s. The territory on which it was erected previously belonged to the Anichkov family and was occupied by a huge garden. To be more precise, the owner of the territory in the 18th century was the same colonel, under whose leadership the famous Anichkov bridge. Later, the land was bought from him by the treasury, and the construction of the theater began.

At first, the building was made of wood and was intended not at all for the "homeless" troupe of Russian actors, but for Italian opera. Later, a small wooden building no longer met the needs of the city, it was decided to build a new building, this time made of stone. The implementation of this plan was delayed by a military conflict with Turkey, then a war broke out with France ... The construction of the theater was postponed indefinitely.

AT early XIX century Carl Rossi several new building projects were created. He worked on these projects for about ten years. In the late 1920s, construction work finally began. Approximately four years later, the new magnificent building of the theater was completed. Currently, it is one of the main architectural sights of the city.

Gives special majesty to the main facade of the building deep loggia with many columns. The main decoration of the side facades is also columns(eight on each side). A street leads to the building, which forms a single ensemble with it. This was the idea of ​​the architect, who designed not only the theater, but also this street, connecting them into a single composition. A fairly short street is closed by the theater building, or rather, its rear facade, which is almost flat, but is distinguished by the richness of the decor.

Separately, a few words must be said about the sculptures that adorn the walls of the theater. They were created Vasily Demut-Malinovsky. These are an ancient chariot, ancient Greek muses, theatrical masks, laurel wreaths... Together with columns, an attic and other elements of the building, these sculptures are, as it were, parts of an architectural symphony created in the 19th century by two authors - a famous architect and a famous sculptor.

Speaking about the theater building, it is necessary to say a few words about the original design of its vault. In the 19th century, this design was an innovation. The architect had to defend this unusual engineering solution, to defend it from the attacks of many contemporaries. He was firmly convinced of the reliability of the design he proposed (and, as time has shown, this confidence was quite justified). The architect even offered to immediately hang it right in the theater - in the event that the engineering solution he proposed would cause any misfortune.

Building interiors

The interiors of the theater are also worthy of a separate description. The hall is five-tiered. It was created according to the most progressive system for the 19th century. The acoustics of the hall is beyond praise. The elegant interiors of the theater are now almost the same as they were in the 19th century.

However, it should be noted that initially blue upholstery was used in the hall, but in the late 40s of the 19th century it was replaced by crimson. The reason for this change was the most banal: at that time, oil lamps were used in the theater, which were heavily smoked, so that the original upholstery was seriously damaged. The soot also spoiled the wall paintings, so they had to be refurbished. The same thing happened with plafond painting. Speaking about the changes that took place at that time in theatrical interiors, one should also mention the stage: for a number of reasons, it was greatly altered.

When visiting the theater, pay attention to luxurious carving, which adorns the boxes: her drawings were made by the author of the building project. The ornament with which the barriers of the tiers are decorated was created later - in the second half of the 19th century.

Theater in the XIX-XX centuries

The theater got its name in honor of Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. Throughout the 19th century, this theater was one of the main centers of culture not only of the northern Russian capital but throughout the country. At first, the troupe focused on the traditions of European productions, but gradually, year after year, its original style began to take shape, own school.

by the most popular genres in the first half of the 19th century, comedy performances appeared, and the audience also willingly bought tickets for vaudeville. Perhaps the reason was that the difficult war with Napoleon was left behind, after the horrors of which people wanted positive emotions, lightness and fun. By the way, it was then that early comedies by Alexander Griboyedov.

Since the audience preferred vaudeville, St. Petersburg actors had to improve their plasticity, be able to combine movement and singing. It was then that critics began to contrast the theater schools of Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was believed that in the northern capital more emphasis was placed on external craftsmanship than on genuine acting talent. However, both schools were highly rated.

The theater enjoyed special attention Russian emperors especially in the first half of the 19th century.

In that part of the history of the theater that covers the 20th century, several main periods and key events can be distinguished.

Immediately after the 1917 revolution the theater was closed: this was done as a protest against the new government. However, this "sabotage", which lasted about four or five months, did not have any large-scale consequences. After some time, performances in the theater resumed.

In the 20s of the XX century, the theater began to be called the "mecca of directors." By that time Vsevolod Meyerhold already staged several performances on its stage. "Don Giovanni" by Moliere and "Masquerade" based on the drama by Mikhail Lermontov made an indelible impression on the audience.

In the early 1930s, a solemn celebrating the centenary of the theater building. It became important event cultural life not only of the city, but of the whole country. However, this anniversary, as it were, erased from the history of the troupe those seventy-six years when it did not have its own building. This was done for ideological reasons, otherwise one would have to remember that the theater was founded by the Russian Empress, and its troupe was originally a court troupe.

In the late 30s, the theater was awarded name of Alexander Pushkin. By the way, in the first decades of the 20th century, the theater was sometimes called “Ak-drama” (the word “ak” is an abbreviation for the adjective “academic”).

In wartime, the troupe was evacuated along Lake Ladoga (covered with ice). The theater continued to work in Novosibirsk.

In the early 90s, the famous St. Petersburg theater was returned to its historical name.

Present time

One of the brightest moments in the history of the theater in the current century was the proposal of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation to merge Alexandrinka with Yaroslavl drama theater(Volkovsky). What was to be the result of the merger was planned to be called First national theater Russia. But this initiative was not implemented, as the public assessed the association of theaters negatively. However, the project has not been completely rejected by the Russian authorities; its implementation has only been suspended. By the way, some artists assess the possible merger of the two theaters as the right step that will help the development Russian culture, will give new opportunities to directors and actors.

Building Alexandrinsky Theater, created K.I. Rossi is one of the most characteristic and outstanding architectural monuments Russian classicism. It plays a dominant role in the ensemble of Ostrovsky Square.

As a result of the redevelopment of the Anichkov Palace estate in 1818, a vast city square arose between the Public Library and the garden of the Anichkov Palace. For more than 10 years, from 1816 to 1827, Rossi developed a number of projects for the reconstruction and development of this area, which included the construction of city ​​theater. The final version of the project was approved on April 5, 1828. The construction of the theater began in the same year. On August 31, 1832, its grand opening took place.

The theater is turned towards the square (Teatralnaya) deep multi-column loggia, the space of which is, as it were, part of the current Ostrovsky Square. At the same time, the side facades are underlined eight-column porticoes), the through galleries of which allow you to go around the building and enter the Theater (now the street of the architect of Russia) street, the perspective of which closes the entire width of the rear, almost flat, but richly decorated facade) of the theater. The main decorative decoration of the theater building is an expressive sculptural frieze with antique theatrical masks and garlands of laurel branches at the level of Corinthian capitals), statues of muses in niches on the end facades and a magnificent Apollo quadriga on the attic) of the main facade (sculptors IN AND. Demut-Malinovsky, S.S. Pimenov, A. Triscorni, I. Leppe).

The Alexandrinsky Theater was built according to the most perfect for its time tiered stock system with an amphitheater) and a spacious parterre) (capacity - over a thousand people. The interiors of the theater have largely retained their original decoration. The five-tiered auditorium for 1700 seats is distinguished by good proportions and excellent acoustics. Its decoration is solemn and elegant. The original blue upholstery was replaced in 1849 with The gilded carving of the central ("Royal") box and boxes near the stage was made according to Rossi's drawings, the ornament on the barriers of the tiers was later (2nd half of the 19th century). A.K. vigi), later replaced.

K.I. Rossi in collaboration with an engineer M.E. Clark for the first time in the history of construction equipment created original systems metal structures. The roof rests on 27 arched iron trusses with cast-iron parts with a span of 29.8 m. The tiers of stocks are supported by cast-iron brackets. The ceiling above the stage is a system of triangular trusses with a span of 10.76 m, supported by cast-iron consoles and struts. K.I. Rossi, contrary to inert official circles, was completely confident in the strength of the metal structure he proposed, and therefore in one of the reports he wrote: "... in the event that ... some kind of misfortune occurred from the construction of metal roofs, then for example for others, let them hang me on one of the rafters of the theatre.

The building of the Alexandrinsky Theater K.I. Russia, is one of the best in the beauty of the interiors and the majesty of the exterior.