The Literary and Theatrical World of Alexander Ostrovsky in 19th-Century Russian Caricature

10 April – 5 July 2026

The exhibition invites visitors to explore the era of the playwright Alexander Ostrovsky through the eyes of his contemporaries — caricaturists. Visitors will learn about the development of Russian satirical graphics, the first satirical magazines, and the theatrical life of Moscow and St. Petersburg in the second half of the 19th century. The exhibition also reveals how Alexander Ostrovsky was seen by his contemporaries: from biting caricatures to the image of a “great connoisseur of the human heart”. Special attention is given to the actors of Alexander Ostrovsky’s theatre and to the way their stage images were interpreted in caricature. The online collection of the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum features some of the works presented in the exhibition, including caricatures and grotesque figurines.