Amusement Establishments (entry)

Categories / Population/Urban Living
AMUSEMENT ESTABLISHMENTS. At the beginning of the 18th century the prototype of amusement establishments were "garden entertainments" with music and dances, were held in the Summer Garden. "Amusement places" with orchestras, ballet and other performances were arranged in Pavlovsk and Gatchina. Since the beginning of the 18th century gardens with concert-annexes - voksals (from London Vauxhall - an entertainment establishment of the 17th century) became widely spread. In the 1780s the Voksal in the Naryshkinsky Garden (now 39 Dekabristov Street) was well known. In 1838, the Pavlovsky Voksal was opened, and in the middle of the 1830s the Voksal of the Institution of Artificial Mineral Waters in Novaya Derevnya was opened. Gardens-Voksals existed up to the beginning of the 20th century (Tarasovs' on Fontanka River, Ekateringofsky and others). At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century the Krestovsky Garden (1870-1917), the Arkadia Gardens (1881-1914; near the Ushakovsky Bridge), the Aquarium (1886-1923; 10-12 Kammennoostrovsky Avenue), Summer Buff (1901 - late 1920s; territory of the Izmailovsky Garden; see Buff article) and others were among the most well known ones. The 1860s were the blossoming of various show theatres (chantant). The Hermitage, Orfeum, Chateu des Fleurs, Folies-Bergere, Theater-Buff and the hall of the Zoological Garden were the most popular. At the beginning of the 20th century, miniature theatres appeared in St. Petersburg (cabarets, artistic kabachki (small restaurants), etc.): Brodyachaya Sobaka (Stray Dog) (1911-15), Krivoe Zerkalo (Distorting Mirror) (1908-30; 42 Liteyny Avenue), Prival Komediantov (Comedians' Halt) (1916-20) and others. After 1919 the majority of entertainment establishments were abolished by the authorities. In 1920-22 in Petrograd Theatre of Artistic Entertainment (Peoples' Comedy; 4 Alexander Park) and the Theatre of Small Forms (12 Karavannaya Street) were run; in 1929-37 - Music-Hall (renewed in 1967), in 1939 - Leningrad Miniature Theatre (director A.I. Raykin). TsPKiO (Central Park of Culture and Recreation) on Elagin and Krestovsky Islands (1932), Recreation Garden (39 Nevsky Prospect) and others became successors of entertainment gardens. Attractions, restaurants and buffets were arranged in large city gardens - the Garden named after Babushkin, the Garden named in honour of the 30th anniversary of All-Union Lenin Young Communist League (VLKSM) (now Ekaterinhof), Izmaylovsky, Tavrichesky and others. In restaurants, cafes and cinemas variety actors gave performances. In the 1980s, revue variety theatres located at large restaurants were renewed, at the same time miniature youth theatres were formed (Buff, Oktyabrskaya Embankment among others). In the 1990s numerous cabarets, travelling attractions and other establishments were opened.

References: Эстрада без парада. М., 1991; Конечный А. М. Гардероб петербургских развлечений // ГАРДЕРОП: Выст. соврем. карнавальных костюмов. СПб., 1992. С. 22-27; Его же. Петербургские общедоступные увеселительные сады в XIX веке // Europa Orientalis. 1996. Vol. 15, № 1. P. 37-50; Алянский Ю. Л. Увеселительные заведения старого Петербурга. СПб., 1996.

Y. N. Kruzhnov. Raykin Arkady Isaakovich
Dekabristov St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 39
Kamennoostrovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 10
Kamennoostrovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 12
Karavannaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 12
Liteiny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 42
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city, litera у д. 39
Oktyabrskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 70
Александровский парк, 4
Конечный А. М. Гардероб петербургских развлечений [XVIII - XX вв.] // ГАРДЕРОП: Выст. соврем. карнавал. костюмов. СПб., 1992
Конечный А. М. Петербургские общедоступные увеселительные сады в XIX веке // Europa Orientalis, 1996
Алянский Ю. Л. Увеселительные заведения старого Петербурга. СПб., 1996
Эстрада без парада. М., 1991 Pavlovsk Vauxhall
Buff, theatre
Stray Dog, Cabaret
Comedians Halt, Cabaret
Music Hall
Buff, theatre