Moscow

Moscow Academic Art Theatre II

1924-1936

Moscow Academic Art Theatre II was established in 1924 on the basis of the First Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre, originally founded by young artists in 1912 as a “Society of Believers in Stanislavsky’s System.” The company moved into the former Novy (“Shelaputinsky”) Theatre building on Theatre Square. The first artistic director of the theatre was Mikhail Chekhov. After his departure from the USSR in 1928, leadership passed to actor and director Ivan Bersenev. The theatre’s creative life involved such prominent figures as Boris Sushkevich, Alexei Dikiy, Serafima Birman, Alexander Cheban, and Igor Ilyinsky. Productions displayed remarkable stylistic diversity — from symbolism and grotesque to psychological realism. Notable premieres included "Hamlet" (1924), "Petersburg" (1925), "The Man Who Laughs" (1929), "The Eccentric" (1929). After the theatre closed in 1936, its building was transferred to the Moscow Children's Theatre under the direction of Natalia Sats. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's online collection features costume and set designs for the Moscow Academic Art Theatre II performances (including those by Boris Kustodiev, Aristarkh Lentulov, and Nikolai Akimov), photographs of actors in their roles, playbills, programs, and other materials.