Count Sheremetyev’s theaters in Kuskovo: To the problem of forming a visual and artistic structure

Abstract

The article analyzes the history of the creation of the theater in the estate of the famous noble family of Sheremetev’s in Kuskovo as a phenomenon common in the 18th century of the organization of palace theatrical events, but not studied from the standpoint of the formation of their visual and artistic structure. The architecture of theaters is considered both in the system of a landscape park and the internal structure of the stage space. Attention is drawn to the compositional and figurative characteristics in the implementation of the theatrical plan, the artistic and scenic embodiment is analyzed. The methodological basis of this study is based on the principles of comparative historical and system analysis, which allow us to trace the evolution of theatrical structures within the boundaries of one estate, as well as the spatial relationships of architecture, theater art and the natural landscape as a single visual and artistic structure. In conclusion, the author comes to the conclusion about the important role of various constituent elements of the subject-spatial environment as a necessary communication not only in the architecture and structure of the theaters themselves that existed on the territory of the Sheremetyevo estate, but also a capacious expression of the theatrical meaning of the era, which influenced the entire compositional, figurative, ideological organization of the park ensemble. The architecture of the Sheremetyevo theaters, which has now been lost, has preserved the spirit of a bygone time, and influenced the subsequent development of stage art, and the Kuskovo Historical and Art Museum-Reserve, located in the south-east of Moscow, today belongs to the unique objects of cultural heritage, becomes a platform for creative interaction between the museum and the theater.