The Oldest Theatres of Russia

The festival “The Oldest Theatres of Russia” takes place in the old Russian town of Kaluga, first mentioned in 1371. Kaluga stands on the bank of the Oka River, 180 km from Moscow. Kaluga is famous mainly for K.E. Tsiolkovsky, the father of cosmonautics and rocket dynamics, who lived and worked here.

The history of the Kaluga Drama Theatre starts in 1777. It was founded by the order of the empress Catherine II.

It was the idea of the current theater Director – Alexander Krivovichev –  to start a festival which would gather theatres with over 100-year history. Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the RF and financial grants of the local authorities, in 2016 the Festival opens its sixth season.

All Russian theaters’ festival “The Oldest Theaters of Russia” in Kaluga is held once in three years: the first season was in 2002, the next one in 2005, then in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2016.

Throughout its impressive history, Kaluga Drama Theatre has developed solid creative relationship with the oldest theater in Russia – the Maly Theater of Moscow.

The festival’s main aim is to preserve the best traditions of Russian psychological theater.