The Animal Theater, named after Vladimir Durov (until 1982 – “Grandfather Durov’s Corner”), is a Moscow children’s animal theater founded on January 8, 1912, by a trainer, circus performer Vladimir Durov.
Vladimir Leonidovich Durov (1863 – 1934) – Russian and Soviet circus performer, animal trainer, Honored Artist of the Republic (1927).
In his youth, Vladimir Durov was fond of training. He made his debut in 1879 as a solo clown and trainer. In 1883, he continued to work as a magician and a coupletist. From 1887, he performed at the Salamonsky Circus as a clown, trainer and satirist. Vladimir Durov has developed a soft training system based on the humane treatment of animals.
In 1894, on Staraya Bozhedomka Street (now Durov Street), the Austrian architect August Weber built a small mansion with a garden and a stable. In 1908, Vladimir Durov bought it and converted it into a house for animals, creating the most suitable conditions for them. In 1911-1912, the building was redesigned according to the project of the architect Nikolai Polikarpov: a menagerie and pools were additionally erected. The facility opened in January 1912. It included the Kroshka Theater, designed for 90 spectators, a natural science museum and a scientific laboratory in which observations were made of animals, lectures were given on animal psychology, and new training methods were developed.
The new building was built on Durova Street and opened in November 2022. According to the plan, there is a wardrobe, an auditorium in the form of an amphitheater designed for 450 people, a medical office and technical rooms on the ground floor. On the second floor are boxes with places for people with limited mobility, a rehearsal room and rooms for keeping animal artists.
Working days: Wed-Sun 10:30–18:30
Address: Durova street, 4, building 4, Moscow.
Metro: Dostoevskaya, Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Prospekt Mira.
