2025 № 2 (53)
The Allegorical Theatre of the First Decade of the 18th Century
UDC 7.091
LBC 85.33
DOI: 10.51678/2226-0072-2025-2-46-67
For cit.: Tchernaya L.A. The Allegorical Theater of the First Decade of the 18th Century. Hudozhestvennaya kul’tura [Art & Culture Studies], 2025, no. 2, pp. 46–67. https://doi.org/10.51678/2226-0072-2025-2-46-67. (In Russian)
Tchernaya Lyudmila A.
D.Sc. (in History), Professor of the of Art Theory and History Department, V.I. Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute at the Russian Academy of Arts, 30 Tovarishchesky Lane, Moscow, 109004, Russia
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0347-436X
The Allegorical Theater of the First Decade of the 18th Century
Abstract. The article traces the evolution of the Russian allegorical school theatre of the Slavic Greek Latin Academy in Moscow during the first decade of the 18th century. At the request of the tsar, the school Baroque theatre began to transform, to be rebuilt from a purely religious morality play to a secular political performance reflecting the current events of Russian reality, the Northern War, and designed for public performances in the squares of the city. The author of the article highlights the characteristic features of the allegorical theatre in the plays The Terrible Betrayal of a Voluptuous Life, The Terrible Image of the Second Coming, The Kingdom of Peace, The Triumph of Peace, Jealousy of Justice, God’s Humiliation of Proud Humiliators and others: static character, lack of dynamic action, and uniformity of scene construction of the debate and struggle between the allegories of good and the allegories of evil. The article reveals the connection of the allegorical theatre with the paintings and inscriptions on the triumphal gate which were created by the teachers of the Slavic Greek Latin Academy to celebrate Russia’s victories in the Northern War. It emphasizes the special role of the teacher and prefect of the Academy, Joseph Turoboysky, in creating texts of plays for the school theatre, and proves his role as a director of productions. The author reveals personal interest of the absolute monarch Peter the Great in the development of the allegorical Baroque theatre and in the promotion of allegories, symbols and emblems in order to educate and develop a new, secular culture.
Keywords: allegories, Baroque school theater, the influence of secular culture of Peter the Great’s time, 18th century
Sources:
Programma p’esy “Revnost’ pravoslaviya” [Program of the Play The Zeal of the Orthodoxy]. Rossiiskii gosudarstvennyi arkhiv drevnikh aktov [Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts], f. 381, no. 980, l. 16. (In Russian)
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Received 03.12.2024
Accepted 20.03.2025
