Playbill

March 28, 1902

Paper, printing

113х64

The playbill of the Kaluga Municipal Theatre dated 28 March 1902 announces a charity performance in aid of the residents of Shamakhi, who had suffered from one of the most destructive earthquakes in the history of the Caucasus. On 31 January (13 February) 1902, a powerful earthquake almost completely destroyed the city: thousands of houses collapsed, around two thousand people were killed, and many residents were left homeless. The disaster prompted a broad public response far beyond the Caucasus. Less than two months after the earthquake, a charity evening was held in Kaluga, nearly 1,800 kilometres from Shamakhi. The performance, which included musical, vocal, and literary numbers, demonstrates how theatre became part of a wider system of public relief that connected distant cities across the Russian Empire.

КП 310370/737/1152