Ivan Sosnitsky was an outstanding Russian stage actor and theatre pedagogue, a prominent artist of the Alexandrinsky Theatre, and the first performer of the Mayor in Nikolai Gogol's comedy "The Government Inspector". Born in 1794 in Saint Petersburg into the family of a theatre attendant, he began his education at the Saint Petersburg Theatre School at the age of six, where his mentors were Ivan Dmitrevsky and Charles Didelot. He made his debut on the grand stage of the Imperial Theatre when he was 13 years old. Throughout his stage career, the actor performed approximately 560 roles, becoming one of the founders of realism on the Russian stage. His acting was distinguished by lightness, elegance, and virtuosic mastery of transformation. A special place in his repertoire was occupied by the works of Alexander Griboyedov and Nikolai Gogol. In 1831, he brilliantly played Repetilov in "Woe from Wit", and in 1836, he created the now-classic image of the Mayor in the premiere of "The Government Inspector". In addition to his acting career, Ivan Sosnitsky made a significant contribution to theatrical education, mentoring talented students, including actresses Vera Asenkova, Vera Samoilova and Nadezhda Samoilova. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's online collection features photographs of Ivan Sosnitsky (including a photo of the actor as the Mayor), letters, and other materials.