Alexandrinsky Theatre
Also known as Russian State Pushkin Academy Drama Theater, the Alexandrinsky Theater opened in 1832 and is the home of the oldest theater company in Russia. It is one of the most famous theaters in St. Petersburg, second only to the historic Mariinsky Theater. The theater building is also considered to be one of the finest works of architect Carlo Rossi. However, inside the theater, only carvings on the Tsar’s Box and a few other boxes remain from Rossi’s original design.
Named after Empress consort Alexandra Feodorovna, the theater was one of the largest in Europe when it opened, with space for an audience of nearly 1400. It has been the site of the premieres of many of the top Russian dramas, including the works of Alexander Griboedov, Alexander Ostrovsky and Anton Chekhov.
Practical Info
The Alexandrinsky Theater is located on Nevsky Prospekt between the National Library of Russia and Anichkov Palace. The nearest Metro station is at Gostiny Dvor. To reach to theater from the Metro, turn right from the main exit along Nevsky Prospekt and cross Sadovaya Ulitsa using the pedestrian underpass. Turn right on Ostrovsky Square and the theater is at the end of the square.
Trip ideas
- Monument to Catherine II (Pamyatnik Ekaterina II)
- Nevsky Prospekt
- Anichkov Palace
- Fabergé Museum
- Russian Museum of Ethnography
- Yusupov Palace (Yusupovsky Dvorets)
- Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (Kazansky Sobor)
- The Anna Akhmatova Museum
- State Russian Museum (Russkiy Muzey)
- Dostoevsky Museum
- Mikhailovsky Castle (St. Michael's Castle)
- Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines
- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
- Stroganov Palace (Stroganovsky Dvorets)
- The General Staff Building