This is the oldest theater in Russia, which will open its 265th season in the fall of 2014. More than two and a half centuries have passed since the young Fyodor Volkov, together with his brothers and friends, began staging the first «Yaroslavl comedies» in his father's barn. In time, a separate building for the theater appeared in the city.
By the way, the current building is already the third one. It was built in 1911 according to the design of architect N.A. Spirin. It is not tall, but very beautiful, executed in the neoclassical style and decorated with columns and bas-reliefs. On the facade portico rises a snow-white composition of three sculptures: Apollo with two muses – Melpomene and Thalia.
The classical theme continues inside the theater as well. For example, near the staircase leading from the first floor to the second, two sculptures in the ancient Greek style have been installed, and in the auditorium you can see a beautiful frieze on the theme of «The Triumph of Dionysus».
The theater's playbills today feature the names of leading Russian and European directors. Two major festivals are held here every year: the International Volkov Festival, which is among the five largest in Russia, and the Youth Festival «The Future of Theatrical Russia».
