Hermitage Theater
(Hermitage Theatre, Hermitage Theatre, Ermitage, Ermitage'ny Teater, Ýðìèòàæíûé òåàòð, in St. Petersburg, St.Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Saint-Petersbourg, Sankt-Petersburg, Sankt-Petersurg, Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðã) . Russian words and phrases are in Cyrillic Windows encoding.
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Commissioned by Catherine
II (Catherine the Great) as the “home theater” for herself and her descendants,
neoclassical Hermitage Theater is an impressive building. It must be one of
the most magnificent chamber theaters in existence anywhere. Construction work
commenced in 1781 and the building was completed in 1787. Giacomo Quarenghi
designed the theater and he has long been considered the author of the gracious
arch over Zimniaia (Zimna) Kanavka (or little Winter Canal) that links the theater
building with the Old Hermitage, although in realty Juri Velten, the architect
of the Old Hermitage, was also the creator of the famous Hermitage arch. The
arch itself is a covered bridge that links two buildings over the water of the
canal. The canal with the arch over it is one of the most romantic and much
photographed spots in St. Petersburg. The first Hermitage Theater performance
took place in 1785. Unusually for the time, the interior of Quarenghi’s theater
is modeled after an ancient amphitheater: unobstructed circular space with rising
tiers or circles of seats. Corinth columns line the walls of the theater halls:
statues of Apollo and nine muses occupy niches between columns. Busts of Greek
authors of the antiquity are placed in niches of the second or upper tier of
the columns. Walls of the theater are made of rose and yellow-toned marble.
With seating for 400 people this compact and exclusive theater is a popular
place for chamber music concerts and quality drama performances.
Address: Dvortsovaia Ploshchad,
34 (34 Palace Square).
Subway/Metro: Nevsky Prospekt, then walk north or take one of trolley-buses
or regular buses running along Nevsky. Part of the State Hermitage Museum.
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