The Hermitage Theatre
A court theatre, or an Opera House, was arranged in the south-western part of the Winter Palace after the design of Rastrelli. The first theatrical performance took place in 1763, in a year after Catherine II had ascended the throne. During 20 years this theatre that could seat 500 spectators was the centre of theatrical and musical life of St Petersburg. All foreign actors on tour gave there performances, as well as a Russian company of actors which had a versatile repertoire.

In May 1783 Catherine II ordered to make living quarters on the site of the Opera House and on 23 September she signed an edict calling for the construction of a new theatre "under the guidance of the architect Quarenghi" at the corner of the Winter Canal and the Neva embankment, where the Winter Palace of Peter I used to be located. This commission to construct a new court theatre utterly pleased Quarenghi. He was already familiar with the palaces of the outstanding architect of the Renaissance, Andrea Palladio, and he knew the designs of the ancient theatres of Rome and Pompei. It had long been his ambition to build a theatre in the antique style and now this idea could be implemented.

The construction of the Hermitage Theatre, a superb example of late 18th-century Russian Classicism, was completed in 1789 and it is one of Giacomo Quarenghi's best works. It was connected with the palace by a gallery built over the Winter Canal in 1783 by Yury Velten. The façade overlooking the Neva is notable for refined simplicity and clearness of architectural forms. It was divided into two levels: a massive base or socle with roughly finished stone facing and a well-proportioned colonnade above it, flanked by projections with statues of ancient Greek playwrights and poets in niches.

Like the façade, the auditorium is lavishly decorated with sculpture. Its walls are covered with artificial marble and decorated with columns. The capitals of the columns have stage masks in their ornamentation similar to those that the architect found at the excavations of Pompei. The architect himself wrote about his creation: "I strived to give the theatre an antique appearance while at the same time satisfying modern requirements... It is spacious enough for the most magnificent performances to be presented there... The semi-circular form of the amphitheatre was chosen for two reasons. In the first place, it is the most convenient form for the spectators. In the second place, when seated, every spectator can see all the others and this looks very nice when the house is full".

On either side of the stage there were two small boxes; one of these was offered to Quarenghi for life as a token of gratitude.

In Catherine's time the hall could house 250 spectators (remember the crinolines). It was usually half-full, except for the days of "large Hermitages assemblies", when fancy-dress parties were organized in the palace with different games and dances and, of course, theatrical performances. It was also the venue for so-called theatre dinners for special invitees. On those occasions a big oval table was laid down in the amphitheatre and, during the meal, one or sometimes two plays were performed on the stage.

The repertoire of almost all European theatres was performed on the stage of the Hermitage Theatre. For some plays and musical performances - comic operas and comedies - the Empress wrote libretti herself, as well as plays which the author named "historical performances". In her efforts to facilitate the development of the performing arts in Russia, Catherine invited to the court the most famous composers, musicians, actors and stage decorators of Europe. With the foundation of the Hermitage Theatre, the "small Hermitage assemblies" developed into a professional theatre and the idea of creating Russian theatrical arts came to fruition.

Hermitage Theatre
Architect Giacomo Quarenghi
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The auditorium of the Hermitage Theatre
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The sketch of the curtain for the Hermitage Theatre
Gabriel Francois Doyen
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The cross-section of the hall
Drawing by Giacomo Quarenghi
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