Theatre Square, square in Moscow

Theatre Square is a stone-paved public square in the Tverskoy District of central Moscow, framed on three sides by the Bolshoi Theatre, the Maly Theatre, and the Russian Academic Youth Theatre. The open space has benches and trees along its edges, with the theatre facades forming a near-continuous line of historic architecture around the central area.

The square was laid out during Moscow's reconstruction after the fire of 1812, which destroyed a large part of the city. From 1919 to 1991 it was renamed Sverdlov Square, and it reverted to its current name after the Soviet Union ended.

The square is named after the three theatres on it: the Bolshoi, the Maly and the Russian Academic Youth Theatre. Its earlier name, Petrovskaya, came from the Petrovsky Theatre, predecessor of the Bolshoi, which in turn took its name from Petrovka Street. From 1919 to 1990 it was Sverdlov Square, after Yakov Sverdlov, who worked in the Metropol Hotel building.

The square is within walking distance of several metro stations, making it easy to reach from most parts of the city center. The paved surface is open at all times, though evenings before theatre performances tend to be notably busier than daytime hours.

Beneath the square flows the Neglinnaya River, channeled underground during the 19th century and invisible from the surface. Its hidden path under this part of the city helps explain why the square and the streets around it were built in this particular layout.