T. S. Bainova

Price: 50 руб.

 1766 became an important milestone in the history of theatre in Russia. The 1766 reform was a result of reforming the Russian Empire state apparatus by Catherine the Great. That year Catherine assigned Ivan Yelagin, a cabinet minister and member of the Senior Court Chancellery, a task of reforming theatrical business by introducing structural and other changes into it. Being one of the most educated noblemen of the time, he fulfilled the task brilliantly. Yelagin reorganised the system of court theatrical activities in line with all the other state changes that were carried out according to the imperial will. The document drawn up by him was titled “The Stat for All Those Who Belong to Theatres, Chamber and Ballroom Music, as well as What Amounts can be Spent on Performances throughout a Year and on What in Particular”. In the “Stat” Yelagin rested on the strong experience of the court theatrical business. He determined the size of theatre companies, orchestras and their allowance based on the level existing at the time. It is important to note that among others an independent ballet company emerged out of the Italian company. Thus, 1766 became an important milestone in the development of Russian ballet showing the considerable creative potential it had gained; the year also became a starting point for the Petersburg ballet company. Meeting the needs of the age, the introduced changes definitively established ballet as an independent scenic genre and put it on equal footing with opera. By the Empress’ decree theatres were exempted from the authority of the Court Office and put under subordination of the Director. Thus, starting from 1766 theatrical management began to acquire a more definite and statutory form.