Fyodor Volkov creation of the first public theater. Volkov Fedor Grigorievich: short biography

Fedor Grigorievich Volkov

VOLKOV Fedor Grigorievich (1729-1763) - actor, creator of the Russian dramatic professional theater. From a merchant family. He organized an amateur troupe in Yaroslavl, on the basis of which in 1756 the first public professional drama theater was created in St. Petersburg. He played in the tragedies of L. P. Sumarokov. In 1763, he directed a street masquerade in Moscow in honor of the coronation of Catherine II - "Triumphant Minerva".

Orlov A.S., Georgiev N.G., Georgiev V.A. Historical dictionary. 2nd ed. M., 2012, p. 91.

Volkov Fedor Grigorievich (02/09/1729-04/04/1763), founder of a permanent professional Russian theater, actor, writer, translator. Born in Kostroma in a merchant family. From 1735 he lived in Yaroslavl. He studied with an exiled German pastor, then in Moscow, where he met the so-called. school theater and performances of the Italian troupe. In 1748, having returned to Yaroslavl, he organized at first a home theater, and from 1750 a public theater. In 1752 Volkov's theater was summoned to St. Petersburg. In 1754-56 Volkov continued his education in the gentry cadet corps. Volkov's activities were of great importance for the development of professional theater. Volkov's literary work is connected with the theater. He translated the libretto of Metastasio's opera "Tito's Mercy" (posted in Yaroslavl). He is also credited with 15 original and translated plays that have not come down to us (except for the translations of Moliere, stored in the Paris Library). Volkov’s famous poems “You are passing, dear, past the cell ...”, “Let's, brothers, sing an old song”, which became widespread and included in the songbooks of the 18th century. Volkov's epigram "The horseman is praised ..." was published in N. I. Novikov's "Experience of a Historical Dictionary of Russian Writers" (St. Petersburg, 1772). Volkov owns the central part of the libretto of the masquerade performance "Triumphant Minerva", organized in Moscow in 1763 after the coronation of the imp. Catherine II. The libretto, which also contains satirical motifs, along with images borrowed from ancient mythology and history (Diogenes), includes images reflecting Russian reality (Krivosud, Vyatkolyub). Volkov also introduced elements of folk buffoon games into the allegorical representation characteristic of classicism. Volkov died of a cold during a masquerade procession that took place outside in the winter.

Used materials from the site Great Encyclopedia of the Russian people - http://www.rusinst.ru

VOLKOV Fedor Grigoryevich (1728 or 1729, Kostroma - 1763, Moscow) - the founder of the Russian theater. V. - the eldest son of a merchant family, where there were five sons. In 1735, V.'s father died. Mother soon married a Yaroslavl merchant, owner of the sulfur and vitriol plants Polushkin, and the family moved to Yaroslavl. Stepfather sent V. to study in Moscow. Where V. studied is not established, but his biographers indicate that during his stay "in the sciences" (1741 - 1748), he "adorned his natural mind and talent with a long and diligent study." Polushkin trained his stepchildren to continue his work, but V., returning to Yaroslavl in 1748 after the death of his stepfather, soon retired, transferring the plants to his brother. In 1750 V. founded a public theatre, the performances of which were originally held in the barn. After a decree that legalized private theaters, with the support of noble circles, V. in 1751 built a special building with a good stage, where the famous actors I.A. Dmitrevsky, Ya.D. Shumsky and others. V. himself was an architect and director, machinist and decorator, author and composer, and also the first actor. Rumors about this theater reached St. Petersburg, and the Yaroslavl people were summoned by the imp. Elizabeth Petrovna. I liked the first performances played, V. was presented with a ring from the hand of the imp. V. and part of the troupe were sent to the cadet corps, where the artists studied the sciences, foreign languages, gymnastics and recitation. V. in addition to this, he was also engaged in music and drawing, and "used all his efforts to come out ... the most enlightened, in which he succeeded completely." In 1756, a decree was issued on the establishment of a "Russian public theater for the presentation of tragedies and comedies", the leadership of the troupe to-rogo, which consisted of 12 people, was entrusted to the playwright A.P. Sumarokov. V. received the title of "first court actor", and in 1761 took the place of Sumarokov. The "father of the Russian theater" (V. G. Belinsky) lived by art, and the stage occupied all his thoughts and feelings. According to N.I. Novikov, V. never fell in love. In 1762, the brothers Fyodor and Grigory V. were elevated to the nobility and awarded with estates and peasants (300 souls) for their participation in the palace coup that elevated Catherine II to the throne. At the direction of the new imp. V. prepared in Moscow for the coronation celebrations street masquerade "Triumphant Minerva", where V. was the writer of the libretto, director and chief manager. Having severely caught a cold during the preparation and holding of the celebrations, V. died. Many works of V. various kinds of art have not been preserved.

Used materials of the book: Shikman A.P. Figures of national history. Biographical guide. Moscow, 1997

Volkov Fedor Grigoryevich - the founder of the Russian theater, was born on February 9, 1729 in Kostroma. His father, a merchant from Kostroma, died during his childhood, and his mother remarried to the Yaroslavl merchant Polushkin. V.'s stepfather was a wealthy and kind man. The boy received his first literacy lessons from a pastor who was under Duke Biron, who was exiled to Yaroslavl; then he was sent to Moscow to the Zaikonospassky Academy, where he stayed for about three years, and in 1743 was taken from there by his stepfather. The latter made V. and his brothers comrades of their industrial and commercial enterprises. In 1746, the young merchant arrived in St. Petersburg on business, and here, according to legend, a visit to the court theater made a tremendous impression on him. He devoted himself entirely to a new passion and during the two years of his stay in St. Petersburg he was engaged in the arts and the study of theatrical art. In 1747, Polushkin died, and Volkov had to return to Yaroslavl. Here he organized a troupe and began to give performances in a stone barn. The first performance took place on June 29, 1750; the drama "Esther" and the pastoral "Evmon and Bertha" were given. The closest accomplices were the two brothers V. Grigory and Gavrilo, Dyakonov (later Dmitrevsky), Chulkov, Popov and others. The performances were successful, and a real wooden theater was soon built on donations. The rumor about him reached the Empress, and in 1752 V. with his troupe was summoned to St. Petersburg. Young Yaroslavl residents made their debut in Tsarskoe Selo in the tragedy "Khorev". Then they were all assigned to the cadet corps and all were assigned state content. August 30, 1756 was followed by a decree on the establishment of the Russian theater, and V. awarded the title of the first "court actor". Since that time, the glory of V. has been growing; his talent is also attested by foreigners. In 1759 he was sent to Moscow to streamline the theater there. In the coup during the accession to the throne of Catherine II, V. took an active part, for which he received the nobility and 700 souls of peasants. For the coronation in 1763, he composed the masquerade "The Triumphant Minerva". Died 4 Apr. 1763 As an actor, V. strove for reality; his recitation, according to Novikov, was "just natural and unadorned with art." It is this lack of affectation that has passed on to Russian artists. In general, however, V. did not create a school. He performed more than 60 roles; his best roles were tragic. V.'s main merit is in the creation of the theater itself, which was facilitated by his many talents: he was an actor, playwright, poet, musician, painter and sculptor. V.'s literary activity consisted of writing everyday plays and translating French tragedies and comedies; they all perished, with the exception of Molière's translations, kept in the Parisian library. Wed "F. G. Volkov", A. A. Yartseva (St. Petersburg, 1891, in the Biographical Library, published by F. Pavlenkov).

F.A. Brockhaus, I.A. Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary.

VOLKOV Fedor Grigorievich(02/09/1729-04/04/1763), actor, founder of the Russian professional drama theater. From a merchant family. He spent his childhood and youth in Yaroslavl, in 1741-49 he studied "factory and merchant business" in Moscow, where he became interested in theater. Upon his return to Yaroslavl, he was engaged in managing factories and at the same time organizing a home theater, which then became public.

In 1752, by decree Elizabeth Petrovna Volkov's troupe was summoned to Petersburg. By her own order, Volkov, his brother Grigory and theater comrades I. A. Dmitrevsky, Ya. D. Shuisky were left to study theater and other sciences in the Land Gentry Corps.

By decree of August 30, 1756, on the basis of the Yaroslavl troupe in St. Petersburg, the “Russian Theater for the Presentation of Tragedies and Comedies” was established. Volkov was the director of the theater (since 1761), its actor, as well as director, bandmaster, decorator.

Volkov perfectly mastered the performing style of theatrical classicism, filling it with naturalness and bright temperament. Volkov acted as director, director and designer of the grandiose mass spectacle-masquerade “Triumphant Minerva”, staged on the occasion of the coronation Catherine II January 30 - February 1, 1763 in Moscow. According to legend, Volkov caught a cold while directing this performance, which was the cause of his premature death.

L. N. Vdovina

Literature:

Kulikova K.F. Russian theater The first actors. L., 1991.

He is called the "father of the Russian theater".

Fedor Volkov was born on February 9 (20), 1729 in Kostroma. His father died when Fedor was still small. Mother in 1735 married the merchant Fyodor Polushkin and moved to Yaroslavl with his children.

The boy studied literacy with a pastor who was under Duke E. I. Biron, who was exiled to Yaroslavl. Even then, the boy showed a variety of abilities and talents. Polushkin, seeing this, read the eldest stepson as the heirs and successors of his work.

Fyodor was first sent to Moscow to the Zaikonospassky Academy to study the Law of God, the German language and mathematics. Fedor Volkov learned the German language perfectly, spoke "like a natural German." At the academy, young Volkov constantly took part in stage performances. According to A. A. Shakhovsky, Volkov “excelled at Christmas time in presenting spiritual dramas and translated comedies, for which Zaikonospassky students have long been famous.” He stood out from his peers with intelligence, diligence and knowledge.

From the academy, Polushkin sent his stepson "for skill in accounting and trade" to one of the St. Petersburg German offices. In addition to his studies, Volkov visited the court theater and attended the Italian opera. The opera made a deep impression on the young man, he was even more impressed when he got behind the scenes of the theater, arranged by the pupils of the gentry corps, who acted out the dramas of A.P. Sumarokov. There he made plans and drawings of the entire arrangement of the stage, machines and scenery.

Returning to Yaroslavl, Fyodor Volkov began to teach his brothers, as well as acquaintances, painting, music, and dramatic art. Finally, in one of the barns of his stepfather, Fedor Grigorievich set up a theater. The first performance of the theater took place on the day of the stepfather's name day on June 20, 1750. The first Russian theater began to attract spectators, news of it reached St. Petersburg. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna ordered "immediately bring the troupe, by post, to the court."

Here they played several plays, then she left the actors she liked the most in St. Petersburg, and after awarding the rest, she sent them back to Yaroslavl.

On August 30, 1756, Empress Elizabeth issued an order establishing a "Russian theater for the presentation of tragedy and comedy." The first director of the theater was A.P. Sumarokov, and Fedor Volkov "was the first actor in it", and later replaced Sumarokov as director. The theater's repertoire consisted of Russian dramatic works, mainly plays by Sumarokov. The core of the troupe was made up of actors from among Yaroslavl comedians: F.G. Volkov, I.A. Dmitrevsky, Ya.D. Shumsky and others.

“Then Volkov showed his talents in full radiance, and then they saw him as a great Actor, and his fame was also confirmed by foreigners,” writes N.I. Novikov. Volkov's acting was simple and passionate, based on feeling rather than effect.

He can rightfully be called the founder of the Russian acting school. Actors such as Dmitrevsky, Shchepkin, Chaliapin, Stanislavsky considered themselves his students.

In the days of the coronation of Empress Ekaterina, Volkov was entrusted with the organization of a masquerade in Moscow, which bore the name: "Triumphant Minerva". This walk cost him not only a lot of work, but also his life: during the masquerade, he caught a cold and soon died. Fedor

Volkov was buried in Moscow, at the cemetery of the Androniev Monastery. There are no traces of his grave. There is a memorial plaque at the cemetery.

The main business of his short but bright life was the Russian professional theater, the public theater. Here are the words from his diary: “The general benefit of the Russian theater will be felt when the theater leaves the framework of a court undertaking. It should be public and popular, in it enlightened and important gentlemen should be welcome, but not the only spectators and connoisseurs. All the living, all the enlightened forces of the country must be attracted to such a theater and attracted not by force, not by orders or decrees, but by their good will and awareness of the benefit of the fatherland.

The famous contemporary Novikov characterizes Fyodor Volkov as follows: “This husband was of a great, imaginative and insightful mind, thorough, sound reasoning and rare talents, adorned with many teachings and reading the best books. He knew the theatrical art to the highest degree, and at the same time he was a fair poet, a good painter, a rather skillful musician on many instruments, a mediocre sculptor, and, in a word, a man of many knowledge to a sufficient degree. At first glance he seemed somewhat stern and gloomy; but this disappeared when he was with his good friends, with whom he knew how to get along and delight the conversation with reasonable and sharp jokes. The life was of sober and strict virtue; he had few friends, but the best, and he himself was a perfect friend, generous, disinterested and a lover of assistance.

Fonvizin speaks of Volkov as follows: "Volkov was a man of deep intelligence, full of virtues, he had great knowledge and could have been a statesman."

He was called "the mover of social life", "the father of the Russian theater", and his name was put on a par with M. V. Lomonosov.

Biography of Fedor Volkov

Born in a small town in the Kostroma region. He came from a merchant family. The father of the future actor died when he was still a child. After his death, his mother (Matryona Yakovlevna) soon met her future husband and remarried, after which the whole family settled in Yaroslavl. Fedor Polushkin (Fedya's stepfather) was a merchant and owned several factories.

Education

The boy studied reading and writing with a local pastor and already in these classes he showed his abilities in various areas. Volkov at an early age began to help his stepfather in business. In this regard, the boy gets acquainted with St. Petersburg early. Here, for the first time, he sees Italian opera, German productions and Russian performances. Noticing the boy's liveliness of mind and ability to learn, Polushkin even decided to make Fedor the heir and continuer of his life's work. Relations in the family developed well, and Fedor Polushkin perfectly accepted not only his youngest son, but also his other brothers.

To continue his studies, Volkov was sent to Moscow, to the academy. Here he studied the Law of God, the German language, and mathematics. The boy had a great inclination to learn languages, and mastered German perfectly. Already at that time, Fedor participated with great pleasure in theatrical productions held at the academy. He played at Christmas time in dramas, comedies and tragedies. The boy differed from his peers not only in his talents, but also in his quickness of mind and imagination, the ability to easily transform.

When Fyodor Volkov turned 17, Polushkin decides to send the boy to study accounting and trade. Fedor Volkov goes to St. Petersburg and gets a job there in a German office. It is here that the young man falls in love with the theater and he even has a desire to open a theater in his homeland - in Yaroslavl, where he could stage productions of Russian classical works. Petersburg with its architecture contributed to the formation of taste and sense of beauty. Here Volkov makes drawings, models and drawings, which later will form the basis of the theater he built. Actor Fyodor Volkov, whose photo can be seen in this material, even then could not imagine his future without creativity. And so it happened.

First productions

Actor Fyodor Volkov (whose date of birth is February 20, 1729) at the age of 19 is left without paternal support - his stepfather dies. As a legacy, Polushkin leaves his factories to the boy. After registering the property and obtaining financial independence, Fedor Volkov is even more interested in theater. He and his friends begin to put on performances, holding performances in a barn where goods were previously stored. In June 1950, two plays were published, the music for which was composed by Volkov himself (“Esther” and “Evmon and Berfa”). Local residents appreciated the creativity of young talents, and soon Fedor manages to find patrons in high society. Governor Musin-Pushkin and landowner Maikov offer members of the high society to provide material assistance to novice actors and support them in their desire to build a theater where all residents of the city could comfortably spend time enjoying performances.

Fyodor Volkov: theater as a dream come true

At the beginning of 1751, the theater was opened, which presented the opera "Tito's Mercy", translated by Volkov from Italian. A huge number of plays were played in the theater, and subsequently many eminent actors worked under the direction of Fyodor Volkov.

Fame

The fame of the theater of the city of Yaroslavl grew day by day, and soon the fame of it reached the Empress herself. By this time, the need to create a state theater increased, which was associated with the possibility of increasing the prestige of the country and the formation of a modern European state. wished to see everything with my own eyes. In early 1952, the actor Fyodor Volkov was already giving performances in St. Petersburg. The comedy "On the Repentance of a Sinful Man", the tragedies "Khorev", "Sinav and Truvor", "Hamlet" and others were played at the court. The empress no longer wanted to let go of the theater, she quickly became a court artist and already played on the professional stage. Fedor's comrades on the stage (the most gifted ones) were sent to study in the cadet corps, and the rest - back to their homeland with a reward. The Volkov brothers were also not ignored, they were soon enrolled for training in the cadet corps in the city of St. Petersburg.

Education in the corps was carried out according to an enhanced program, the actors were taught not only standard disciplines: they also studied foreign languages, science and gymnastics, stage declamation techniques. The cadets were paid for their education.

Russian public theater

In August 1756, the Empress issues a decree establishing the Russian Public Theatre. The created Russian theater was very different from the previously existing court theater. All residents of the city were allowed into it, and viewing the performance was paid. A.P. Sumarokov is appointed director of the theater. Fedor Volkov becomes the main actor and assistant director. And after the death of Sumarokov, he replaces him in office (1761).

Actor talent

Volkov was assigned the title of the main tragedian of the theater. These roles were very good for him, of which he managed to play a large number (for example, an American in "The Refuge of Virtue", Hamlet, Yaropolk in the production of "Yaropolk and Demiza" and others). However, he also played comedic roles no less well. Such a versatile talent was a rarity in the theatrical field. The nature of the game of the main actor also differed from the accepted one. He felt the theatrical art very well and subtly, knew all its rules and canons. This allowed him to sometimes not comply with the established norms and play as he wished. Considering his talent, Sumarokov wrote many roles for him, which were easy for him and left an indelible impression on the audience. Volkov was called the most significant and best. His talent was noted by such respected people of that time as D. I. Fonvizin, Ya. Shtelin, N. I. Novikov, G. R. Derzhavin and others. Volkov is credited with at least fifteen different plays.

Volkov's other talents

The abilities of Fyodor Volkov were not limited to the theater, but extended to other areas. He was an excellent sculptor - the carvings in the Nikolo-Nadeinskaya Church in the city of Yaroslavl were made by him. He also made a marble bust of Peter the Great. Fedor was also a skilled painter and painted many paintings.

In 1759, Fedor Volkov, whose biography began in a small town in the Kostroma region, went to Moscow to transform the Moscow theater. To this end, he takes with him several actors from St. Petersburg.

Role in politics

Actor Fyodor Volkov played a significant role in the political life of the country. He took part in the overthrow of Peter III. He played the role of an adviser to Empress Catherine and helped her on her accession to the throne. In gratitude, Catherine elevated Volkov to the nobility. However, despite his closeness to the court and to Ekaterina Alekseevna herself, Volkov was able to resist the temptation to become a statesman and remained true to himself, preferring the work of his life - the theater. He also refused the post of Cabinet Minister, as well as the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, with which the Empress wanted to award him.

Volkov's personal life

Giving himself headlong to the cause of his life and spending all his time on it, Fedor Volkov did not start a family.

Fyodor's brothers were granted titles of nobility for their loyalty to the Motherland and Empress Catherine.

"Triumphant Minerva"

During the accession to the throne of Catherine II, it was decided to arrange a big celebration in Moscow. The event took place on Shrovetide week, when mummers walked around the city and entertained the people. For this event, Volkov prepared a theatrical performance in the form of a masquerade, which was called "Triumphant Minerva". The essence of the performance was to explain to the people that the overthrow of Peter III was a great success and happiness for the population, namely, thanks to the change of power, justice could prevail. The production praised the new empress as a triumphant Minerva (Minerva is the goddess of wisdom and justice, patron of the arts, sciences and crafts). In this performance, Volkov was able to show most of his talents and deserve increased attention from the public. However, during the celebration, he caught a cold and fell ill with a fever. In April 1763 he died.

Fyodor Volkov was buried in a cemetery near the Androniev Monastery, but during the Great Patriotic War the monastery was destroyed and traces of the location of the grave of the great actor were lost. Despite this, a memorial plaque in honor of the famous actor was installed at the cemetery in Yaroslavl.

For the theaters of our country, 2019, declared the Year of Theater in Russia, began ahead of schedule. On December 13, 2018, representatives of Russian theaters gathered at the Russian State Academic Theater named after F.G. Volkov in Yaroslavl, the birthplace of the first Russian professional actor Fyodor Volkov. At the grand opening of the Year of the Theater, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin greeted the theater workers: “I would like to congratulate everyone on this event. We love the theater, appreciate it and are justly proud of the theater, our actors, playwrights, who at all times have made a significant contribution, and the contribution of the highest standard, to national and world culture.

It is no coincidence that such an important event was held in Yaroslavl. It was in this city that the first Russian professional theater was created, and its founder is the great actor Fyodor Grigorievich Volkov, whom V. G. Belinsky called " father of the Russian theater».

Fedor Volkov was born in Kostroma on February 20 (9 according to the old style) in February 1728 and lived in Kostroma until he was 7 years old. He was the eldest son of the Kostroma merchant Volkov. Then Fedor's mother, Matryona Yakovlevna, having become a widower, moved to Yaroslavl, where she married a local merchant F. Polushkin. Yaroslavl at that time was a large commercial and industrial city. There were serf theaters in its vicinity, and in the city itself, in the houses of landowners and merchants, performances were given. Residents of Yaroslavl could see the folk dramas "Petrushka", "Tsar Herod" and others.

In 1741, his stepfather sent Fedor to Moscow "in science." It was in the capital that Volkov became acquainted with theatrical art: he attends the performances of the German and Italian troupes that were touring in Russia at that time. Here is how he himself later recalled it: “... I was so delighted that I did not know where I was: on earth or in heaven, then the idea was born in me to start my own theater in Yaroslavl.

In 1748, Volkov returned to Yaroslavl, where he began to realize his dream. In the first year of his stay in the city, he gathered "comedy hunters" and formed a theater troupe.

The theater created by Volkov went through two stages in its development: initially it was home, amateur, later professional, with regular paid performances. Performances were given in a shed for storing skins, but it was very crowded there, and Fyodor Volkov managed to raise funds for the construction of a new building. Relying on the help of noble patrons, Volkov built a new theater building on the banks of the Volga. Performances in it began in January 1751. This theater had a well-equipped stage, a supply of scenery and costumes. There were wooden benches in the hall, the stage was illuminated by tallow bowls.

This theater performed the works of Dmitry Rostovsky, the tragedies of Lomonosov and Sumarokov, as well as satirical plays by Fyodor Volkov himself.

The theater of Fyodor Volkov did not exist in Yaroslavl for long. One of the St. Petersburg officials, who arrived in the city on official business, attended Volkov's performances, and then informed the capital about the theater. The decree of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was delivered to the Yaroslavl Chancellery: “... Yaroslavl merchants Fyodor Grigoriev, son of Volkov ... with brothers Gavril and Grigory. Which in Yaroslavl maintain a theater and play comedies ... bring to St. Petersburg ". On nineteen carts, eight Yaroslavl comedians at public expense left for the northern capital. Called by Elizaveta Petrovna, the Yaroslavl residents spent about two weeks in Tsarskoe Selo, where they played two performances. In St. Petersburg, they played on February 6 and 9 in a private German theater on Bolshaya Morskaya Street. Thus, the first tour of a provincial theater in the capital in Russian history took place.

On February 6, 1752, Elizaveta Petrovna attended a performance by the Yaroslavl people. She generally liked the performance of the troupe. The Empress decided that they lacked education. Three Yaroslavl residents, including Fyodor Volkov himself, were left in St. Petersburg, sent to study at a privileged noble educational institution - the Land Gentry Cadet Corps. The rest of the Yaroslavl residents, having been awarded with gifts, were released to Yaroslavl. After graduation, they entered the troupe of the Russian theater for the presentation of tragedies and comedies, created by the decree of Elizabeth Petrovna in 1756. Fyodor Volkov led the first Russian state troupe. There were only 12 people in it, and at first they had to do without actresses - female roles were given to young actors.

F. G. Volkov and his comrades bore the brunt of the first years of the theatre's existence on their shoulders. Fedor Volkov himself was a director (having replaced A. Sumarokov in 1761), a director, an architect, a decorator, a bandmaster, he himself composed texts and music and, of course, above all an actor, presenter, "the first actor of the Russian theater." They wrote 15 plays. TVolkov also wrote solemn odes, one of which was dedicated to Peter the Great, songs (there are “You are passing by a cell, dear” about a forcibly tonsured monk and “Let’s become, brother, sing an old song, as people lived in the first century.”

On stage, Volkov performed mainly in the role of a tragic hero. His repertoire was extensive, but not all of his roles are known. The main place was occupied by the tragedies of Sumarokov - "Khorev", "Sinav and Truvor", "Semira". In the game, Volkov was struck by the power of passion, temperament. In those years, Russian theatrical classicism, although it was formed under the influence of French, had its own features and characteristics associated with national traditions. Duty, honor, patriotic feelings were revered in tragedies as the highest virtues.

The last and one of the most significant works of Fyodor Grigorievich was the preparation of a masquerade in honor of the coronation celebrations of Catherine II in Moscow. The whole city was turned into a stage platform. Up to 5 thousand performers participated in the celebration. Volkov wrote the script for the masquerade called "Triumphant Minerva" himself. He personally participated in the manufacture of "masquerade items and masks." He organized and led the carnival procession. Huge stress and a cold undermined the health of the actor, he died in April 1763 at the age of thirty-five. In a solemn atmosphere, with great honors, the first Russian actor was buried in the cemetery of the Androniev Monastery in Moscow. Unfortunately, there are no traces of his grave left. After his death, many documents related to his biography disappear forever, important moments of the actor's life slip away.

Details of character, appearance, household information about Volkov are few. According to the surviving descriptions, he was of medium height, some fullness, however, did not spoil his figure, a pleasant, soft-featured face was decorated with dark blond hair. He had a "quick look", "clear voice". In all his appearance there was "a lot of majestic and noble." This is how Volkov is depicted in a famous portrait made by the artist A.P. Losenko shortly before the death of the actor (two author's versions of the portrait have been preserved: one of them is in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, the other in the Tretyakov Gallery).

Fedor Volkov was a cheerful and witty interlocutor. Throughout all the years he remained a bachelor, had a penchant for an ascetic lifestyle. " Life was sober and strict virtue”, - N.I. Novikov wrote about the actor.

Novikov, Fonvizin, Derzhavin and many other prominent contemporaries spoke highly of Fyodor Volkov: “ This man was ... rare talents, adorned with many teachings and diligent reading of the best books.

... Fedor Volkov died young - he was only 35 years old. But he managed to complete the main work of his life - through his efforts, the first Russian permanent, professional, public theater appeared and established itself.

After the death of F. G. Volkov on April 4, 1763, his place was taken by the outstanding Russian actor Ivan Afanasyevich Dmitrievsky.

Yaroslavl residents cherish the memory of the glorious days of the birth of the Russian theater in the city. On the former Proboynaya Street stands, however, heavily rebuilt, the house of the merchant Polushkin, in which Fyodor Volkov lived. The church of Nikola Nadein, whose parishioner was the great actor, has survived to this day. There was a legend in the city that the iconostasis of this temple was made according to Volkov's sketches, and perhaps he himself participated in its manufacture.

Once, while traveling along the Golden Ring, I visited Kostroma, Yaroslavl with a group of tourists. These ancient cities amaze with their preserved antiquity - golden domes, museums, ancient streets ... In Yaroslavl, we visited an art museum, where I purchased the album “Yaroslavl Portraits XVIII - XIX v.v. The square and one of the streets of Yaroslavl are named after Volkov. In 1973, a monument to Fyodor Grigoryevich Volkov was erected near the city theater. ButThe best memory of the actor is the theater named after him - the Russian State Academic Drama Theater named after Fyodor Volkov in Yaroslavl.

Russian actor and theatrical figure Fyodor Grigoryevich Volkov was born in 1729 in Kostroma. Having lost his father early, Volkov, nevertheless, acquired a kind and attentive parent in the person of his stepfather, the merchant Polushkin. In Moscow, where the boy was sent to study, Volkov was strongly and forever carried away by the theater. He literally caught fire with his new passion and for several years studied the arts and stagecraft. Returning in 1748 to Yaroslavl, where the family lived, Volkov organized a theater troupe and began to give performances in a stone barn. The first performance took place on June 29, 1750, it was the drama Esther. Two years later, Volkov and his comrades, by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, were summoned to St. Petersburg. And in 1756, the main event of the theatrical life of Russia in the 18th century took place - the establishment of the Russian Theater for the Presentation of Tragedies and Comedies, the first state operating professional theater.

Fyodor Volkov was immediately appointed "the first Russian actor", and Alexander Sumarokov was appointed director of the theater, only after his death, in 1761, Volkov became the director of "his" theater. For the sake of this, Fedor Grigorievich resigned from the post of Cabinet Minister. In total, Fyodor Volkov wrote about 15 plays, none of which has survived to our time, he was also the author of many solemn odes and songs.

Today the Volkovsky Theater is one of the most famous and largest "non-capital" Russian theaters. On its stage, the International Volkov Festival, which has become very famous, is annually held, the winners of which are awarded the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation named after Fyodor Volkov. Provincial theaters present here their best performances based on the works of Russian classics, scientific conferences of art historians are held here. Scientific conferences, theatrical performances and shows are dedicated to the Russian theater. The festival traditionally gathers a huge number of theater lovers, the city is filled with guests these days, and the hotels of Yaroslavl hospitably open their doors to the modern ministers of Melpomene.

The life of Fedor Grigorievich Volkov was cut short on takeoff. During a masquerade called "Triumphant Minerva" in 1763, he caught a cold, and never managed to recover from his cold - on April 4, 1763, the great Russian actor died. Fedor Volkov was buried in Moscow, at the cemetery of the Androniev Monastery. Despite the fact that Volkov's grave did not survive, a memorial plaque was installed at the cemetery. But the best memory of the actor is the theater named after him - the Russian State Academic Drama Theater named after Fyodor Volkov in Yaroslavl.