The Vakhtangov Theater. Scheme of the hall and its history

In the heart of Moscow, on Old Arbat, stands a building designed in the spirit of Soviet classicism, with pilasters from the base to the roof. Every Muscovite knows this majestic mansion, in which since 1921 there is a theater. It bears the name of Eugene Bagrationovich Vakhtangov.

Vakhtangov Theater: History

The owners of the stone mansion on the site where the theater is located today were the brothers Sabashnikovs. The building carried out a serious publishing activity, which bibliophiles valued for responsible preparation of published works. The revolution that took place at the beginning of the 20th century stopped the publishing house's half-century activity, the building was seized from the owners and handed over to the young theatrical figures under the leadership of Eugene Vakhtangov. Having reconstructed the premises for the needs of the theater, the chief architect of the project L. Mashkov created an auditorium with a capacity of 150 people. Today the Vakhtangov Theater, whose hall layout demonstrates the number of seats, can simultaneously accommodate 1,055 guests.

The building survived the bomb that hit it in 1941, several rearrangements, including political, and finally gained its present appearance.

Vakhtangov Theater: Hall layout

After the war, the reconstruction of the premises was entrusted to the architect Abrosimov P. V., who executed the facade of the building in the style of Soviet classicism, and the auditorium - in the spirit of the old-regime theaters.

How is the theater room arranged?

• The zone closest to the stage and located just below it is the ground floor. This is the most "dainty" place, here seek to get to the theater, and tickets to them are appropriate.
• Further on popularity and the price - amphitheater (literal translation - "around the theater"). Sometimes the performance looks much more interesting from these places. Amphitheater wins from the ground in the possibility of reviewing the whole scene.
• Above the amphitheater is the mezzanine (that is, the "beautiful floor" in French). One should have good eyesight or rent binoculars, since from these places one can not see the details of the costume and the expressions of actors' faces, and, accordingly, the tickets are not so expensive.
• The balcony is liked by students and pensioners for the opportunity to visit the sold-out performance at a reasonable price. Perception of images is difficult because of the distance of the stage, but everything is perfectly fine, as the theater of Vakhtangov, whose layout is presented in the article, scrupulously applies to each viewer.
• Lodges are the lateral parts of a balcony, a mezzanine and an amphitheater. The upper two tiers are not the most advantageous, but the seats located on the sides of the amphitheater, called "boxes of the benoir," are quite expensive, which is fair, since they provide the best overview in the whole theater.

New scene

The new stage accommodates 250 spectators and is located on the first floor of the house at 24 Arbat Street, close to the main theater building. The opening of the site is timed to coincide with the 95th anniversary of the theater, which took place in 2015. Used in the construction of the building, new building technologies allowed to design a space that provides an excellent view of the scene from anywhere in the auditorium. With the help of an additional room, the Vakhtangov Theater, the layout of which is useful to every potential viewer, has increased the total area to 17.5 thousand square meters.

Historical fact

For the entire history of the theater's existence, the most outstanding performance is the play "Princess Turandot". This action was first brought to the public court in the distant 1922. The Vakhtangov Theater, whose circuit layout, after experiencing all the transformations, increased almost 10-fold, and today it successfully places a bright, sparkling, musical pamphlet called "The Princess Turandot". The play takes a special place in the repertoire of the theater and through decades remains the most famous and popular spectacle of the country.

The Vakhtangov Theater, whose photo is familiar to all Muscovites, thanks to almost 100-year history, is today one of the most leading, most visited and modern theaters in Moscow.