What was the Lenkom theater called before? About the Lenkom Theater, history of Lenkom

A theater that once bore the very proud title of the State Theater named after Lenin Komsomol. In the building where the theater is now located, a merchant club, a political club “House of Anarchy”, the Central School of Party and Soviet Work, the Sverdlov Communist University, and, of course, a cinema have lived. The Lenkom Theater will talk about the history todaywebsite.

Here merchants used to have fun cleverly

It all started in 1927. It was then that the first Theater of Working Youth was organized in Moscow. Before the theater, the building housed, for example, the Communist University, about which Mayakovsky wrote: “Here merchants used to have fun cleverly. Now the university for working people is Sverdlovka.” Soon such theaters began to appear all over the country literally like mushrooms after rain - the example was contagious. In 1933, the theater moved to its modern location, and in 1938 it was renamed the Lenin Komsomol Theater, which became the starting point for the emergence of that same Lenkom troupe. The first and most famous artistic director was Ivan Bersenev, who headed the theater until his death in 1951.

Theater named after Lenin Komsomol

Bulgakov, Dunaevsky and Kukryniksy under one roof

The times of Bersenev's leadership were truly golden for the theater. Just think, the literary part of the theater was then headed by Mikhail Bulgakov himself!

There were times when Bulgakov himself was in charge of the literary part of Lenkom

He even tried himself as a director: he staged Knorre’s tragedy “Anxiety.” A couple of decades later, Bulgakov’s “Molière” would be directed by Anatoly Efros. The no less famous Isaac Dunaevsky was responsible for the musical accompaniment of the productions at that time! The fundamentals of Meyerhold's biomechanics were taught by his own daughter Irina Hold. And the Kukryniksy themselves had a hand in the set design! There were, of course, other famous people in the Lenkom family, artists, actors and choreographers.

Ivan Bersenev

Talented and untalented

At first, the theater was truly Komsomol: the actors worked full shifts in factories and bureaus during the day, and came to perform in the evenings. But it soon became clear that it would be difficult to achieve professionalism in such conditions, so the actors went “full-time.” And this was done, as it turned out, not in vain: the theater quickly won the love of the public. Contemporaries recalled that success was achieved primarily thanks to Bersenev.

The success of the Lenkom Theater was achieved primarily thanks to Bersenev

The actors appreciated his ability to unite the team and noted his steady hand. In addition, he had an excellent directorial style and extraordinary acting talent. But the situation in the troupe was nevertheless difficult. Bersenev recalled: “ There were undoubtedly talented, and there were also mediocre, but very talkative young people prone to demagoguery. “I’m from production, you should only give me leading roles!” - demanded one. But another declared: “I won’t play anything at all for two or three years, I still need to learn.” The third demanded that we promise never to stage any classical plays."

The play “Spanish Follies” on the stage of Lenkom

Wait for me and I will come back

The theater did not limit itself to the classics, although, of course, the names of Ibsen, Rostand, Dickens, and later Pushkin and Ostrovsky appeared on the poster. First of all, the theater was aimed at friendship with modern authors. The most fruitful was the collaboration with Konstantin Simonov, who had not yet become the author of the famous lines “Wait for me, and I will return...” Two months before the start of the Great Patriotic War, “The Guy from Our Yard” appeared on the stage. It was a foreboding play, and the play was staged twice in the theater after the war. And in 1944, the play “So It Will Be” was staged at Lenkom, where the main role was played by Simonov’s wife, the famous actress Valentina Serova. The audience took their breath away when she read the poet’s heartfelt lines from the stage.

Efros era

After Bersenev's death, the era of Anatoly Efros began. He brought with him Olga Yakovleva, Valentin Gaft, Lev Durov and Alexander Shirvindt. Now the atmosphere in the theater was different: Efros’s performances were particularly intimate and psychological, he raised moral issues in them.

Efros’s performances were distinguished by their special intimacy and psychologism

His “The Seagull” based on Chekhov and “Molière” based on Bulgakov became truly classic. But the party leadership did not like Efros’s calm and thoughtful style; there was not enough pathos and heroism in him. In 1963 he was fired with the wording “as not providing the right direction in the formation of the repertoire.”

Anatoly Efros

The birth of rock opera

The third pillar on which Lenkom’s glory rests is Mark Zakharov. Before coming to the theater, he was already famous throughout Moscow for his shocking productions, which barely made it through censorship restrictions. Brave performances "Avtograd" XXI " and "Til" showed that new times had come for Lenkom, after the quiet Efros - the screaming Zakharov.

It was under Mark Zakharov that rock operas appeared on the stage of Soviet theaters

It was under him that rock operas first appeared on the stage of Soviet theaters: “The Star and Death of Joaquin Murrieta” and the immortal “Juno and Avos”. True, the word “rock” on the poster could cause problems in those days, so theatergoers were cunning and strictly called the productions “modern operas.” Alexander Abdulov, Nikolai Karachentsev, Elena Shanina - it was a real theatrical bomb that exploded in the capital itself.

Mark Zakharov

Performance "Juno and Avos"

Recently, many famous actors have passed away: Tatyana Peltzer, Evgeny Leonov, Alexander Abdulov, Oleg Yankovsky. Elena Shanina said that now there is a “whole cemetery of irreplaceable people” in the theater. But the troupe does not lose heart and continues to work, and the halls in the theater are still never empty.

Ekaterina Astafieva

In the early 1970s, Svyatoslav Richter and Nina Dorliak settled on the sixteenth floor of building 2/6 on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, not far from the Conservatory. This house is a typical brick tower. But when you go upstairs and enter the apartment, you find yourself in a special world. No luxury, no fuss of things. The character and lifestyle of the owner, the special energy of a person whom Yuri Bashmet calls “a safe-conduct of truth in art” are felt in everything.

In a large room, called the hall in the old days, Richter practiced alone or rehearsed with other musicians. There are two Steinway&sons pianos, two antique Italian floor lamps donated by the mayor of Florence, a tapestry, and paintings. Auditions of operas or viewings of favorite films took place in the hall.

In the office, or, as Richter himself called this room, “the closet,” there are cabinets with books, records, and cassettes. The most valuable thing here is a cabinet with sheet music, on which the maestro’s notes have been preserved. There is also a wooden figurine of the Infant John the Baptist, this is a memory of the Musical Festivals organized by Richter in Touraine in France. On the wall there is a plaster counter-relief with the profile of Boris Pasternak from the monument in Peredelkino - like an imprint, a trace left by a person on the earth, an image wonderfully found by Sarah Lebedeva.

Nearby hangs a small landscape of Saryan, a gift from Elena Sergeevna Bulgakova. The secretary contains the manuscript of Sergei Prokofiev's Ninth Sonata, dedicated to Richter, a photograph of Heinrich Neuhaus, a drawing by Picasso, and Solzhenitsyn's "Little Girls". Such was Richter's social circle.

The “Green Room” is a relaxation room; on concert days it turned into an artistic room. On the wall hangs a portrait of his father, Teofil Danilovich, an elegant, reserved man. He graduated from the Vienna Conservatory as a pianist and composer. Teofil Danilovich and Anna Pavlovna (Svyatoslav’s mother) were unable to leave Odessa in 1941, when Nazi troops were approaching the city. Teofil Danilovich was arrested and executed on the night of November 6–7 as a “German spy.” Anna Pavlovna went to Romania, and then to Germany, forever leaving Russia and her only son, who at that time was in Moscow and was also awaiting arrest. They met only 20 years later.

Svyatoslav Richter's artistic interests and passions were varied; he not only loved painting, but was also an artist himself. His pastels are displayed in a small room. In them, Robert Falk noted the “amazing sensation of light.” In Nina Lvovna’s former kitchen there are photographs telling about the musician’s life.

Each temple of art has its own milestones in development, which few viewers know about. After all, we are all accustomed to visiting theaters in a long-established appearance and viewing the modern repertoire. How did the Lenkom Theater appear, develop and become as its contemporaries know it?

Back in 1926, active and creative young people united in a very original way for that time: it was then that the first TRAM, the theater of working youth, was organized at Malaya Dmitrovka, house 6. It was headed by V.I. Bersenev, who brought behind him a huge number of talented actors from the Moscow Art Theater. During the time of this leader, the theater received recognition throughout the country and became one of the most famous stage groups. This was facilitated by Bersenev’s tough leadership style, organization, and ability to unite the troupe and lead it to achieve its goals.
In 1938, the theater received a new name and became known as the Moscow Lenin Komsomol Theater. But, as often happens, regular visitors gave him a shorter name - Lenkom. That's what it's called today.
In 1963, the “golden time” began in the history of the theater. Even though it was short-lived, it was very bright, giving a start in life to many talented actors. And the culprit of everything that happened was none other than A.V. Efros. The so-called "Efros galaxy", under his strict leadership, staged and performed on stage more than a dozen magnificent performances. But local authorities saw in the young director a danger to the newly laid foundations of socialism and Efros was removed from work. Lenkom began to fall into disrepair, and the audience abandoned it.
The situation became a little livelier only with the arrival of R.G. Ekimyan in 1973. Later, in addition to the director, his own composer, artist, and playwright appeared. And Nikolai Karachentsev played Til Wilenspiegel and the next day the whole country knew about him and Lenkom. Inna Churikova also glorified the theater. They began to stage performances about which foreign and domestic critics constantly argued. The new era of the Lenin Komsomol Theater has begun!

Lenkom Theater today

The Moscow Lenkom Theater is now holding its 90th season under the strict leadership of Mark Zakharov, who has headed the team since 1973 until now. Thanks to his talent and ability to control even the smallest details, the hall at Malaya Dmitrovka was always full.

Spectators visit this temple of art because even the most famous performances are always staged here in a special way, based on works they have read many times. Every time you feel and realize something new, you are constantly in a pleasant excitement from the anticipation of an unusual reading of a long-familiar plot. Lenkom is one of the most popular among fans of theatrical art. When you come under its arches, it seems that you have come to visit a good friend!

Actors and performances

Today the theater troupe is represented by a huge number of talented actors and actresses, including:

Inna Churikova;
Leonid Bronevoy;
Alexander Zbruev;
Dmitry Pevtsov;
Victor Verzhbitsky;
Elena Shanina.

Most of these artists not only perform roles on the stage of Lenkom, but also constantly act in films. And this is one of the reasons why spectators come to performances, because it is something unusual - to see their favorite hero from the screen a few meters away, on the stage of Lenkom.

The repertoire is also rich in various works, from classics to modern productions, the most popular of which are:

"The Cherry Orchard";
"Flying over Cuckoo's Nest";
"Boris Godunov";
"The Marriage of Figaro".

In 1927, on the initiative of the Moscow Komsomol, the first professional theater for working youth, abbreviated as TRAM, was created on Malaya Dmitrovka, 6. On February 20, 1938, an inscription appeared on its building: “Moscow Theater named after Lenin Komsomol.” Since 1990, the theater has been called Lenkom.

The future stellar career of N. Kryuchkov began at TRAM (Theater of Working Youth). The theater's first calls for actors were talented amateurs who were ready to learn from high professionals. TRAM had to realize that there was only one way for amateurs. In order to become not just a theater, but to become one of the best, one had to master a profession. And when the head of the theater in January 1938 became a member of the Moscow Art Theater, the former head of the 2nd Moscow Art Theater (the theater was closed in 1936) Ivan Bersenev, who brought with him his colleagues: S. Giatsintova, S. Birman, R. Plyatt, A. Vovsi, B.Yu. Olenina, - then theater Moscow soon started talking about the Lenin Komsomol Theater. During the Bersenev period, and he directed the theater until 1951, the talents of E. Fadeeva, T. Kunevskaya, N. Kutasina, K. Kruchinina, O. Frelikh, A. Shatov, N. Parkalab, I. Murzaeva, A. Kozlova were discovered , V. Maruta, A. Petrochenko, S. Kiligin, T. Altseva, G. Karnovich, G. Valois, A. Sheshko, G. Matveeva and many others. The literary part of the theater was headed by Mikhail Bulgakov (and even directed F. Knorre’s play “Anxiety”), the musical part was headed by I. Dunaevsky, dances were choreographed by N. Glan, biomechanics was taught to young Tram members by V. Meyerhold’s daughter I. Hold, acting was taught by the Moscow Art Theater luminaries N. Batalov, N. Khmelev, A. Gribov, V. Stanitsyn, I. Sudakov, set design was done by E. Kibrik, Yu. Pimenov, Kukryniksy. TRAM produced such actors as P. Shprignfeld, Z. Shchennikova, V. Solovyov, V. Vsevolodov, A. Pelevin.

I. Bereseneve’s personality combined the talents of an actor, director, and theater director. The strength of his natural temperament was clearly demonstrated in such roles as Don Juan (“The Stone Guest” by A. S. Pushkin, 1937), Fyodor Protasov (“The Living Corpse,” 1942), Cyrano (“Cyrano de Bergerac” by E. Rostand, 1943 ), - all three staged by S. Birman, with whom (as well as with his wife S. Giatsintova) Bersenev has constantly collaborated since the First Studio of the Moscow Art Theater. Since 1925 he has been directing, among the productions: “The Eccentric” by A. Afinogenov (together with A. Cheban, 1929; Bersenev as Gorsky), “A Plea for Life” by J. Deval (together with B. Nord, 1935; Bersenev as Pierre Massubra), “Nora” by G. Ibsen (1939, together with Giatsintova; Bersenev in the role of Helmer. Bersenev was the first to appreciate the talent of K. Simonov. First, the play “The Story of One Love” (1940) will be staged at the Lenin Komsomol Theater, and then A few days before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the premiere of the young author’s play “A Guy from Our City” took place. The hero of the play, Sergei Lukonin, knew that there would be a war, and was ready to go to war. This play was revived twice - the last time in 1977, directed by Mark Zakharov. and Yuri Makhaev.

In 1944, the theater staged a play based on Simonov’s play “So It Will Be”, in which the famous Valentina Serova played - the wife of K. Simonov, his muse, the one to whom the poems “wait for me” and “I will return” were dedicated, which replaced prayer for the military generation .

As often happens, after the departure of a leader (Bersenev died in 1951), a period of timelessness begins in the theater. Leaders changed, but creative life did not come. During the short period of the Khrushchev thaw, the authorities made personnel cuts. After the success of the performances of A.V. Efros at the Central Children's Theater, a talented young director was appointed in 1963 to the Theater. Lenin Komsomol. Efros will direct the theater for only three years: it will be removed at the beginning of 1967. However, the director’s contribution to the history of theater as such will be significant.

For three seasons, the director brought the public back to the theater, he managed to form a unique troupe, which included V. Gaft, L. Durov, A. Dmitrieva, A. Zbruev, M. Derzhavin, Yu. Kolychev, V. Larionov, A. Shirvindt, O. Yakovleva. A. Efros revealed the talent of such actors as L. Krugly, M. Strunova, L. Chikurova, V. Koretsky and others.

In a short time, the director managed to revive the theater. As before at the Central Children's, he gave preference to modern drama: he staged V. Rozov, A. Arbuzov, E. Radzinsky. Here Efros first came into contact with the classics, staging “The Seagull” by A. Chekhov in 1966. It was this performance that the unreliable director was not forgiven for. “The Seagull” by A. Efros challenged the Moscow Art Theater tradition, which prompted some to “stand up for Chekhov,” others to take advantage of ambiguous critical judgments and fan the conflict within the theater. Efros's last performance at Lenkom was M. Bulgakov's Molière, staged at the end of 1966.

Over the next seven years, the theater lost audiences rather than gained them, until in 1973 Mark Zakharov was appointed chief director. The experience of the Moscow State University Student Theater and his work at the Satire Theater did their job. The director came not only to stage performances, but to carry out the construction of his theater.

M. Zakharov began by staging a musical performance, which would later develop into a stable tradition of the repertoire. In 1974, Till Eulenspiegel was staged, in which the talent of the then little-known N. Karachentsov and the famous I. Churikova was appreciated. Later, this line of the repertoire will be supported by such performances as “The Star and Death of Joaquin Murrieta” by A. Rybnikov and P. Grushko, “Juno and Avos” by A. Voznesensky and A. Rybnikov.

Zakharov will group his team, which will include composer Alexey Rybnikov, poets Yuliy Kim and Yuriy Entin, playwright G. Gorin. Of course, the director will begin to form a troupe that will become unique and distinctive on the map of Moscow. O. Yankovsky, A. Abdulov, E. Shanina, outstanding actor E. Leonov, who moved from the Theater. Vl. Mayakovsky, T. Peltzer, who moved from the Satire Theater, L. Bronevoy, who left Malaya Bronnaya - all of them helped M. Zakharov become a theater of powerful and unique individuals, just as the director managed to subjugate famous authorities who became part of the ensemble.

Since 1974, the theater has produced socially significant premieres every season, such as: “Not on the Lists” by B. Vasilyev, “Ivanov” by A. Chekhov, “The Thief” by V. Myslivsky, “Cruel Intentions” by A. Arbuzov, “Optimistic tragedy" by V. Vishnevsky, "Three Girls in Blue" by L. Petrushevskaya, "Dictatorship of Conscience" by M. Shatrov, "The Sage" by A. Ostrovsky, "Funeral Prayer" by G. Gorin, "Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro" by P. Beaumarchais , “The Seagull” by A. Chekhov, “Royal Games” by G. Gorin and S. Kallosh, “Peer Gynt” by Ibsen, “Spanish Follies”, “White Lies” and others. The following actors organically entered the troupe and formed the so-called second generation of Lenkom: D. Pevtsov, A. Zakharova, T. Kravchenko, A. Lazarev, V. Rakov, N. Shchukina, S. Stepanchenko, I. Agapov, A. Sokolov , A. Leonov, A. Sirin, I. Fokin and others. New forces also joined the troupe, showing themselves in the theater’s repertoire: among them - M. Mironova, A. Bolshova, O. Zheleznyak, A. Shagin, A. Yuganova and others, which indicates a well-thought-out strategy and program entrusted to M. Zakharov theater.

The historical roots of the Moscow State Theater "Lenkom" go back to 1907, when the Merchant Club was founded in the building located in house No. 6 on Malaya Dmitrovka. A beautiful building in the fashionable Art Nouveau style, erected by the architect Ivanov-Shitz, hosted industrialists and philanthropists, aristocrats and famous cultural and artistic figures of that time. Vocal and musical reprises and dramatic performances were staged at the Merchant Club.

Mark Anatolyevich Zakharov, now the head of the theater, admits that this house, which carries a special energy, truly fascinates him. The bohemian atmosphere was destroyed by the revolution and civil war: first the building was occupied by the “house of anarchy”, and later by the communist committee bearing the name of Sverdlov. It was here that V. Lenin spoke at the Third Komsomol Congress in 1920.

Thus, on these theatrical stages, the memory of the high culture of Russian pre-revolutionary society was combined with the enthusiasm and energy of the first builders of the “new world”, on whose initiative TRAM (Working Youth Theater) was founded, which in 1929 showed the play “Call the Factory”, which began the countdown history of Lenkom. Young actors, contrary to the Prolet-Kult ideology, carefully and respectfully supported the traditions of the classical theater. The famous Moscow Art Theater students V. Stanitsyn, N. Khmelev, A. Gribov taught acting skills to the Tramov Theater students; the head of the literary department was M. Bulgakov; scenography was handled by Yu. Pimenov, Kukryniksy and E. Kibrik. The music for the performances was written by I. Dunaevsky, and N. Glan was responsible for the dancing. Along with ideological productions on the TRAM stage, spectators saw performances staged based on the works of A. Pushkin, A. Ostrovsky, M. Gorky. The theater has trained a whole galaxy of wonderful actors. In particular, the career of the famous film actor N. Kryuchkov began here.

In 1938, a landmark year for the history of the theater, it became known as the Moscow Theater of the Lenin Komsomol. At the same time, a new artistic director, Ivan Bersenev, came to it from the disbanded Moscow Art Theater, taking with him a brilliant team - S. Birman, R. Plyatt, S. Giatsintova. According to I. Bersenev, at first it was not easy for him and the former Moscow Art Theater members, since the Tram troupe imagined the essence of the theater somewhat differently. But the bulk of the team consisted of energetic and talented artists who strived to create genuine theater. I. Bersenev managed to work well with them, and the mediocrities were gradually eliminated.

Under Bersenev, Lenkom rose to a new level in its development, gaining fame as the best stage group in the entire vast country. Then the famous plays The Guy from Our Town, Nora, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Living Corpse, So It Will Be, A Month in the Village, Our Mutual Friend appeared in the repertoire of the theater, which did not stop working even during the harsh times of World War II. I. Bersenev, who had an extraordinary talent as a director, guiding the close-knit team with a confident and strong hand, even appeared on the stage of his beloved Lenkom as an actor.

Despite the wary attitude towards the classic works of Charles Dickens, G. Ibsen, E. Rostand, L. Tolstoy, the theater continued to stage performances based on them. I. Bersenev believed that only such productions could influence the consciousness of young people, instilling in them the concepts of honor, duty, justice, morality, love of freedom, purity and spirituality. The theater stage became a kind of source from which the new generation could draw knowledge about undying values. After the death of I. Bersenev in 1951, for many years there were no memorable performances in the theater that could become a significant, landmark event. Various artistic directors came and went without leaving any significant traces behind. This continued until 1963, when the famous theater director A. Efros began to direct Lenkom, who directed 104 pages about love, On the wedding day, My poor Marat, The Seagull, A movie is being made, Molière.

After his departure to the Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, Lenkom found a new chief director - Mark Zakharov, whose name is inseparable from an entire theatrical era. To this day, M. Zakharov talentedly, courageously and confidently leads the brilliant acting team of Lenkom. In order to see magnificent performances on the stage of one of the most beautiful Russian theaters, you just need to dial the phone number listed on our website. By purchasing tickets to Lenkom, you give yourself a unique date with beauty, enriching your spiritual and cultural life. A unique, magical spectacle awaits everyone here. Tickets to the Lenkom Theater will open the doors to a wonderful world for you. And you can buy them on our website - quickly, profitably and easily.

Lenkom repertoire
The repertoire of the Lenkom Theater has always been a great success, and recently it has become even more in demand. Some performances did not leave the stage for over twelve years. On this page you can get comprehensive information about Lenkom's performances and familiarize yourself with its full repertoire. In the Lenkom poster section you can find out about performances taking place this month and scheduled for the next, and also place an order for tickets. Our managers, who know almost everything about Lenkom productions, will be happy to help you choose the best ones.

Currently, Lenkom's repertoire includes 14 performances, the newest of which are Peer Gynt and The Lioness of Aquitaine, shown for the first time the year before last. The “oldest” production is Juno and Avos, which has not lost its appeal over the years and the sympathy of the audience, who are still enthusiastically experiencing the love story of the Russian Count Rezanov, who went on a journey, and the beautiful Conchita. Another legend is Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro. In addition - City of Millionaires, Tout paye, or Everything is Paid, All-In, Marriage, The Cherry Orchard, Royal Games, Balakirev the Jester, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Tartuffe, A Lady's Visit.