Yakov Yuzhny (born Yakov Reiter) was a stage and variety artist, and the founder of "The Blue Bird" theatre. Born in 1883 in Kerch, he began his artistic career in the south of Russia. After moving to Moscow, he performed at the Korsh Theatre (1913–1914). He was well known as a storyteller of Jewish tales and worked as a compere. In 1921, Yakov Yuzhny founded his own theatre, "The Blue Bird". Later, he emigrated to Germany and toured with his troupe in the USA and countries of the East. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's online collection features letters from Yakov Yuzhny, as well as photographs of him with Feodor Chaliapin.