Tbilisi Griboedov Theater, Russian-language drama theater on Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia

The Griboedov Theater is a Russian-language drama theater on Rustaveli Avenue, the main cultural boulevard of Tbilisi. The building has a large main hall with classical stage design and smaller spaces used for chamber productions.

A permanent Russian theater was created by decree in September 1932, opening on 3 November 1932 with Gorky's "The Lower Depths" staged by Kote Marjanishvili. The company took the name of Alexander Griboedov in October 1934 and answered on 12 December 1935 with a production of his "Woe from Wit". Russian theatrical activity in Tbilisi goes back to amateur performances of the 1830s and a first professional season in 1845.

The theater is the main Russian-language stage in Tbilisi and draws audiences who grew up with Russian theater or speak Russian at home. The program mixes works by Russian and Georgian playwrights, and the lobby fills with conversations in both languages before each show.

The theater stands directly on Rustaveli Avenue, one of the city's main roads and well served by buses, so it is easy to reach from most parts of Tbilisi. The entrance is at street level, making the building straightforward to enter.

Alexander Griboedov, for whom the theater is named, was killed in Tehran in 1829 during a diplomatic mission, shortly after completing his best-known play. This means the theater carries the name of a writer whose life ended before he could develop fully as a playwright.