Teatralnaya Ploschad in Moscow

Teatralnaya Ploschad (Theater Square, 1820s – Petrovskaya Square, in 1824 already Teatralnaya, in 1919-1990 – Sverdlov Square) – a square in the center of Moscow. It is located northwest of Revolution Square, between Teatralny Proyezd, Petrovka and Kopyevskiy Lane.

There are Bolshoi, Maly theatres and the Russian Academic Youth Theater on the square.

Modern Theater Square is located directly to the west of the ancient bed of the Neglinnaya River, which is tunneled today.

At the end of the 15th century, the Cannon Yard was built on the left, eastern, bank of the Neglinnaya, and next to it, a bridge across the Neglinnaya. In 1516, the Neglinnaya was blocked by a dam, having arranged a large pond below the Cannon Yard, and in 1534-1538 the wall of Kitay-gorod was built.

The “water gates” of Kitay-gorod allowed, in the event of a siege, to take water directly from the river; they were founded in the 17th century. On the site of the modern Maly Theater there was a Cannon Bridge across the Neglinka. At that time, the route of Petrovka Street repeated the bend of Neglinnaya – Petrovka went out onto Bolshaya Dmitrovka – and there were shopping arcades on it, and to the north – the Church of the Savior on the Spear, which gave the name to Kopevsky Lane.

In 1934, the first stage of the metro was laid through the square: the Dzerzhinskaya – Okhotny Ryad section.

In 1929, a monument to A. N. Ostrovsky was erected in front of the building of the Maly Theater (sculptor N. A. Andreev, architect I. P. Mashkov, designed by F. O. Shekhtel). In 1961, a monument to Karl Marx by L. Kerbel was erected on the square.

In the 1970s, the building of the Senate Printing House was demolished, and the second phase of the Moskva Hotel was built in its place. In 1978, a monument to Y. M. Sverdlov was erected on the square (sculptor R. E. Ambartsumyan, architect B. I. Tkhor); in 1991, the monument was dismantled and later moved to the Muzeon park.

The lobby of Okhotny Ryad and Teatralnaya metro. The building, which now houses the combined lobby of the Okhotny Ryad and Teatralnaya stations, was originally a mirror image of the Maly Theatre building. The house was reconstructed in 1935 according to the project of D.N. Chechulin, in connection with the construction of the lobby of the Okhotny Ryad metro station on the first floor. The first floor was decorated in the form of a basement, the entrance to the metro was located there. The windows of the upper floors are separated by pilasters, and there is a balustrade on the entablature. On the upper floors of the building there was a museum of the Bolshoi Theatre, as well as a hostel for the theatre workers.

Nearest metro: Teatralnaya, Ohotny Ryad, Ploschad Revolyutsii.

Attractions around:  Manezhnaya SquarePloschad Revolyutsii (square)State Duma buildingHouse of the UnionsTeatralnaya PloschadTSUM,  Tretyakovskiy proezdCentral Children’s StoreLubyanka BuildingMetropol Hotel, Red SquareTverskaya streetKremlin.

See more streets and squares in Moscowmonuments of Moscowarchitecture of Moscow.

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