"U Nikitskikh vorot", IPO, Theatre near Nikitsky Gates in Moscow, Russia
"U Nikitskikh vorot", also known by the initials IPO, is a theatre in central Moscow, situated at the corner of Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street and Nikitsky Boulevard. It operates across several indoor stages within a single building, hosting spoken drama, music theatre, and mixed programmes throughout the year.
The theatre was founded in the 1980s by Mark Rozovsky, who has led it ever since and shaped its artistic direction from the start. It opened at a time when smaller, independent stages were appearing across Moscow as an alternative to large state-run companies.
The theatre takes its name from the Nikitskie Vorota, an old city gate that once stood nearby and no longer exists but remains part of Moscow's urban memory. Audiences here tend to encounter Russian authors alongside writers from other countries, treated with equal weight on the same stage.
The theatre sits in a central part of Moscow with several metro stations nearby, making it easy to reach on foot from different directions. Arriving a little early is worth it, as the surrounding streets and boulevard are pleasant to walk through before a show.
Mark Rozovsky, the founder, is also a writer and screenwriter, and some of the productions on the programme are based on texts he wrote himself. This makes it one of the few theatres in Moscow where the director is also the author of part of the repertoire.
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