State-of-the-art stage machinery, the governor’s horse and a three-storey skeleton: secrets of the Saint Petersburg Theatre for Young Audiences at the exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The A. A. Bryantsev Theatre for Young Audiences in Saint Petersburg has secrets of its own: fabrics are dyed by hand, costumes are sewn using unique techniques and props are created that are indistinguishable from the originals. Svetlana Lavretsova, an Honoured Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences and Director of the Theatre for Young Audiences for more than 30 years, shared the stories behind the unique exhibits presented by the theatre at the "Legacy. Theatre. The Greats" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA and discussed the technical facilities of one of the country’s oldest children’s theatres.

According to Svetlana Lavretsova, the scale of the exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA, where the Saint Petersburg Theatre for Young Audiences is represented alongside the country’s leading theatres, exceeded all her expectations.

"I did not expect it to be on such a scale. I really like the spaces here, where we can tell visitors about our stage machinery, fly bars and new lighting equipment. Our unique props are also on display, including the governor’s horse from the 1960s — a structure that allows an actor to ride a horse simply by putting a caftan over his shoulders. It is wonderful that both children and adults will see at this exposition what theatres were like in the past and how they have since transformed and modernised," Svetlana Lavretsova shared.

She explained that the building of the A. A. Bryantsev Theatre for Young Audiences in Saint Petersburg, which will begin its landmark 105th season this September, was constructed in 1962 to a design by architect Alexander Zhuk. It has retained its original stage machinery and complete in-house production cycle to this day, from the costume-making workshop to the props workshop. The theatre takes particular pride in its stage, which features a revolving platform, lifts and a plunger lift.

"No one else had stage machinery like this in 1962 — we were the only theatre with it. Of course, there are other venues with similar equipment today, but ours remains a special theatre. We also had to adapt the entire project, which was implemented by a Finnish company, to our northern frosts and wet weather. For example, we moved pipes outside because they would burst indoors. Most importantly, however, we have preserved the 'from seven to seventy' concept: our theatre’s repertoire is devised with age psychology in mind," Svetlana Lavretsova emphasised.

The exposition also features scenery from the production "Little Tragedies" — an enormous papier-mâché skeleton that comes to life and rises to a height of three storeys.

"This spectacle is now controlled by stage machinery, whereas it was previously operated by stagehands using winches. The skull was made from papier-mache by our prop makers, and it is not merely scenery but a functional element of the production: as conceived by the designer and director, Anna dives into its eye socket and disappears," Svetlana Lavretsova said, revealing the details of the creative concept.

The "Legacy. Theatre. The Greats" exposition, held under the motto "A Union of Happy People", is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Theatre Union of the Russian Federation and is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives. The exposition opened at the National Centre RUSSIA on 28 July and brought together more than 600 exhibits provided by 117 theatre organisations from 29 Russian regions.

The exposition can be visited free of charge with advance registration on the russia.ru website.