Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater

Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater is a playhouse at 65 Fontanka Embankment that contains several halls and exhibition rooms inside a classical building. The interior offers space for performances of different formats and also houses rehearsal rooms and administrative areas.

The stage opened in 1919 under Maria Andreeva with Schiller's Don Carlos at the Petrograd Conservatory. After Stalin's death in 1956, the house under Tovstonogov brought back works by Dostoyevsky that had been avoided for decades.

The stage carries the name of director Georgy Tovstonogov and remains a venue for premieres and classics from Russian literature. Visitors today see ensemble work in a playhouse known for long evening performances and full houses.

The theater sits in central Saint Petersburg along the Fontanka Embankment and offers regular evening performances. Visitors find current repertoire and information through the stage's online channels.

During his 33 years at the house, Tovstonogov directed over 50 productions and made the theater one of the leading stages in the Soviet Union. His grave lies at Volkovo Cemetery on the Literatorskie Mostki pathway, where many Russian artists are buried.

Location: Saint Petersburg

Inception: 1919

Founders: Maxim Gorky

Industry: creative industries

Website: https://bdt.spb.ru

GPS coordinates: 59.92730,30.33100

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:12