Fire Bolshoi Theater in Moscow was the prologue to the theatrical and spectacular disasters of the second half of the century. The Bolshoi Moscow Theater, built on the site of the Petrovsky Medox Theater that burned down in 1805, was opened with a gala performance on January 6, 1825. The majestic theater building was designed by the architects Mikhailov and Bove. The first Russian operas and ballets were staged there. The music of famous composers was also heard here, and famous conductors, musicians, singers and ballerinas performed. And this masterpiece was destined to perish in a fire that occurred on March 11, 1853.
When the city's fire brigades arrived at the theater, the fire engulfed its entire huge building. At that time, Moscow firefighters did not have enough strength or equipment to withstand a fire of such a scale. Already in those years, urban planning was far ahead of the pace of development of technical means of fighting fire. With the flood pipes available to fire departments, it was possible to extinguish a fire only in buildings of one or two floors, and even then if it did not reach large sizes.
The most rigorous investigation into the “root cause” of the fire was carried out. Most witnesses testified that the fire started in a closet built with right side couplings, under the stairs leading to the women's restrooms. Various tools and things of theater carpenters and joiners were stored in the closet. In the same closet, assistant coupling driver Dmitry Timofeev hid his warm clothes. On the morning of the fire, preparing for the concert, he opened the closet door to put a sheepskin coat, and saw a fire in it. Shouting “Fire! Fire!” Timofeev rushed onto the stage. Several workers came running to his cry, but they were unable to put out the fire.
In less than 2 minutes, the flames engulfed the flammable scenery and the upper galleries caught fire. Everyone who was in the theater had difficulty leaving the fire-engulfed premises. No one thought about putting out the fire, it spread so quickly from the stage to the auditorium and other rooms of the theater.
The fire started in the closet near the stairs on the right side of the stage, but he knows the cause and has no suspicions about anyone. During performances, fire brigade soldiers were sent to act as fire hoses, who always stood on the hoses and after the performance remained there even overnight, and on this occasion, he, Talyzin, did not find any need to have special people for that purpose. Such teams were not sent during free time from performances.”
The theater had a fairly reliable fire protection system for that time: a fire curtain, an internal fire water supply system, and firefighters on duty. But this system, unfortunately, functioned only during performances, and the fire started in the morning, when there were relatively few people in the theater.
Regarding the causes of the fire, the manager of the Moscow Imperial Theaters famous composer A. N. Verstovsky wrote in a private letter: “The furnaces were heated at five o’clock in the morning, and by eight o’clock in the morning all the pipes were closed and inspected. After the chimneys were closed, the stove-makers left to have breakfast, which is why, and probably it should be assumed that the stoves were not the cause of the first fire, especially since, while inspecting them at the site of the fire, and as long as it was possible to see the stoves, the pipes and hogs were not cracked.” Turning to the surviving documents, we see that, despite the most rigorous investigation, to establish the real reason the fire failed. The fire was regarded as a natural disaster, “for which there were no culprits, and the case was consigned to oblivion.”
The loss to the treasury caused by the fire was estimated at 8 million rubles. Along with the beautiful theater building, a precious wardrobe burned down, including a rich collection of expensive French suits. Few people remembered the seven artisans who died in the fire.
For more than three years, Moscow residents were deprived of the joy of theatrical life, previously brought to them by the artists of the Bolshoi Theater. Only in 1856 did the doors of the theater, revived by the architect A. A. Kavos, open, revealing to the audience the dazzling splendor of a new theatrical masterpiece.
On the site where the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Opera and Ballet rises majestically, there once stood another building, which was called the Petrovsky Theater of Medox - it was the first permanent theater in Moscow, which staged musical and dramatic performances.
In 1805, the theater building burned down and the troupe completely disintegrated. Only 15 years later the construction of a new theater began. The theater built in 1824 (architect O.I. Bove, using the design of A.A. Mikhailov) was named “Bolshoy Petrovsky” and was opened on January 6, 1825*
The Bolshoi Theater, according to S.T. Aksakov, “amazed with its splendor and grandeur and captivated the eye with the proportionality of parts in which lightness was combined with grandeur.” It surprised contemporaries not only with the beauty and completeness of its architectural forms, but also with the sophistication of its interior decoration and convenience for spectators. “There was not a single place in all five tiers from where the stage was not visible in its entirety. The auditorium was illuminated by a huge chandelier descending from the height of the ceiling. A magnificent picturesque curtain depicted the entry of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich into Moscow. The barriers of the boxes were decorated with gold ornaments, and the royal box was the height of splendor and beauty.”
The Bolshoi Theater was infinitely dear to Muscovites. Within its walls the glory of Russian vocal and ballet schools. The first Russian operas and ballets were staged there. The music of famous composers sounded here, famous conductors, musicians, singers and ballerinas performed. But this masterpiece was destined to perish in a fire that occurred on March 11, 1853.
The first report about the fire of the Bolshoi Theater in the press appeared on the pages of the 32nd issue of Moskovskie Vedomosti on March 14, 1853: “On March 11, at half past 10 o’clock in the morning, from the tower of the Tver private house, strong smoke was seen coming out of the building of the Imperial Bolshoi theater, which is why the fire brigade of the Tverskaya district immediately went there and a signal was sent out on the tower to gather fire brigades from all parts of the city. Upon arrival at the scene, it was found that the theater was burning inside and the flames, which quickly spread in all directions inside the theater, flew out in a huge mass through the windows and onto the roof of it and, despite all the efforts of the fire brigades gathered at the scene of the fire, to stop the fire and even weaken its strength was impossible and the entire interior of the theater building, except for the side halls on the mezzanine and the rooms on the lower floor, which housed the office, box office and buffet, was completely burned down.”
So, from the message it is clear that when the city’s fire brigades arrived at the theater, the fire engulfed the entire huge building. At that time, Moscow firefighters did not have enough strength or equipment to withstand a fire of such a scale. With the flood pipes available to fire departments, it was possible to extinguish a fire only in buildings of one or two floors, and even then if it did not reach a large size. If a fire occurred in tall buildings and spread quickly, as happened in the Bolshoi Theater, its extinguishing with low-performance pumps driven by the efforts of several pumpers rarely ended in success. In addition, water had to be delivered to fire pumps in buckets or transported from the Moscow River in barrels.
Eyewitness of the fire - famous writer and master of oral stories from folk life I.F. Gorbunov recalled: “On March 11, 1853, the Bolshoi Moscow Theater burned down. The fire started in the morning. It was snowing a little. I was at this fire. I have never seen the brave and generous feat of the roofer Marin, who climbed up a drainpipe right under the roof to save the theater carpenter. The spectacle of the fire was impressive. It was strange to watch how firefighters with their “syringes” were spinning around this giant engulfed in flames. The fire chief, the bandit masters, and the firefighters frantically shouted in hoarse, bestial voices: “Meshchanskaya, rock it!”
The pipe of the Meshchanskaya part begins to release from its sleeve a stream as thick as index finger. It pumps for two or three minutes - there is no water.
Water! - the fire chief shouts. - Sidorenko! I'll nail it into the coffin!..
Sidorenko, black as coal, his eyes wide, turns the barrel.
Sretenskaya!.. Beware!..
Public, pull back!
Gentlemen, put us back! - shouts the private bailiff.
Nobody moves, and there was nowhere to move: everyone is standing at the walls of the Maly Theater. The private bailiff ordered it this way for his own amusement. He stood and stood and thought: “Let me shout.” And he shouted... Everything is better...
Back, back! Siege back! - Count Zakrevsky’s elegantly dressed adjutant shouts in a politely contemptuous tone, taking on the role of a policeman.
Everyone stands silently. The adjutant begins to get angry.
I will now order everyone to be filled with water! - the adjutant gets excited.
Water is now a hundred rubles a bucket! “You better order Kiyatra to fill it,” one can hear from the crowd.
There are two fountains nearby, you can't get enough from them. They go to the Moscow River for water. Will you soon satisfy such a fire?
Look, look! Wow!
The roof collapsed, sending up myriads of sparks and a cloud of thick smoke.
And the giant burns and burns, putting out huge flames from the windows, as if teasing the Moscow fire brigade with its “syringes”. By eight o’clock in the evening, the authorities, the firefighters, and the horses were all exhausted and standing.”
Another eyewitness to the fire, former director of the Maly Theater S.I. Soloviev talks about this event in his memoirs:
“The morning of March 11 was gray and sunless. It was 9 o'clock, I was getting ready to go to the theater. At this time, theater doctor L., with whom I lived together, came in and asked me: “Have you heard anything?” - “Nothing, but what?” - “Yes, they say, I don’t know how fair this is, that it’s as if the Bolshoi Theater is on fire.” My heart sank painfully, and I barely had the strength to reach the window from which the roof of the Bolshoi Theater was visible, but now some dark, moving mass was visible there. I left immediately. The closer I got, the more obvious the misfortune became and the more impossible doubt was, but I, out of some childish stubbornness, still continued to disbelieve and said to myself: “It’s definitely on fire, but not the theater, but something else.” But here is the theater. What an amazing sight! Long tongues of fire protruded from each window of the upper floor, curled together and disappeared into big clubs black smoke. The fire raged with particular force on the stage and in the auditorium: it was a real hell there. In the “late” theater, the mezzanine boxes were supported by cast-iron columns, which rested on the barrier of the benoirs. After the fire, one of these columns was found. One end of it was melted and turned into an ugly lump. What kind of fire was it that made the cast iron melt? Many artists, completely lost and with tears in their eyes, walked without any purpose near their burning home. The fire continued to cause its terrible devastation with increasing force; he burned millions with inexorable cruelty.
Many musical instruments and a small part of the theater library burned down. Fortunately, the entire library was located in the Maly Theater. The intense fire lasted for about two days, and the entire fire ended in at least a week and a half. After the fire, I went into the interior of the theater to look at the auditorium. What a sad and at the same time majestic picture! It was a skeleton, but the skeleton of a giant, inspiring involuntary respect. These remains spoke loudly of past glory, of past greatness. They say that the auditorium after the fire was very similar to the ruins of the Roman Colosseum."
In the story by I.F. Gorbunov mentions the feat of Marin, who saved a theater carpenter during a fire.
Vasily Gavrilovich Marin, a peasant from the Yaroslavl province, was in Moscow on his way from St. Petersburg, where he was engaged in roofing work. He witnessed how three theater carpenters jumped onto the roof to escape the fire. Two of them rushed down and “beat themselves to death on the pavement,” and the third, carpenter Dmitry Petrov, remained on the roof, where he was threatened with imminent death. The fire brigades did not have the means to help him. Marin, emerging from the crowd, volunteered to save the dying man. Using the ladder immediately given to him by the firefighters, Marin climbed to the capitals of the columns of the main entrance, then he climbed onto a drainpipe and from it on a pole he handed a rope to the dying man. Petrov, having secured the end of the rope to the roof, went down it to the drain, and then down the stairs to the ground.
In remote corners of Russia, the fire of the theater became known from numerous posters and popular prints, which described in sentimental tones “the feat of a simple Russian man, a peasant of state property, the Yaroslavl province, Rostov district, the village of Evseevoy Vasily Gavrilovich Marin, who showed selflessness during the fire of the Great Moscow theater." The play “Marina’s Feat” was even composed and staged on the stage of the Moscow Theater. But this absurd opus had no success with the public.
The most rigorous investigation into the “root cause” of the fire was carried out. Most witnesses testified that the fire originated in a closet located on the right side of the stage, under the stairs leading to the women's restrooms. Various tools and things of theater carpenters and joiners were stored in the closet. Assistant stage engineer Dmitry Timofeev kept his warm clothes in the same closet. On the morning of the fire, preparing for the concert, he opened the closet door to put a sheepskin coat, and saw a fire in it. Shouting “Fire! Fire!” Timofeev rushed onto the stage. Several workers came running to his cry, but they were unable to put out the fire.
In less than 2 minutes, the flames engulfed the scenery and the upper galleries caught fire. Everyone who was in the theater had difficulty leaving the premises engulfed in fire. No one thought about putting out the fire, it spread so quickly from the stage to the auditorium and other rooms of the theater.
From the attached investigative materials on the fire case, it is clear that there were fire protection equipment in the theater, but it was not possible to use them. In particular, during interrogation on March 15, the caretaker of the Bolshoi Theater Talyzin testified that on March 11 he inspected the stage and tank at seven o’clock in the morning together with non-commissioned officer Vasily Timofeev. The reservoir was full of water, and carpenters were working on the stage, but he did not notice how many there were. At the end of this, he went to the hydrotherapy establishment, where he had previously used it for illness, and, having stayed there for an hour, returned home at 8 o’clock. I didn’t inspect the attics, because no one went there and they were locked, and only the carpenters’ tools were stored in the closets on the stage. Having stayed at home until 9 o'clock, he went to the box office, but suddenly in the corridor, unknown someone shouted that the theater was on fire, why he rushed onto the stage, but, having reached the entrance, he saw that it was no longer possible to enter the stage and for this reason it was impossible to order and the action of fire hoses. There was no way to lower the Iron Curtain, because this would require several carpenters, but they all fled; however, the fire entered the audience hall primarily not through this place where the curtain closed, but from the sides through the balconies and boxes, which quickly caught fire.
It was pretty on stage large number decorations, but removing them depended not on Talyzin, but on the driver, who has carpenters and working people at his disposal.
The fire started in a closet near the stairs on the right side of the stage, the cause is unknown and no one is suspected.
During performances, fire brigade soldiers were sent to act as fire hoses, who always stood on the hoses and after the performance remained there even overnight, and on this occasion, he, Talyzin, did not find any need to have special people for that purpose. Such teams were not sent during free time from performances.”
Talyzin's testimony indicates that the theater had a fairly reliable fire protection system for that time: a fire curtain, an internal fire water supply system, and firefighters on duty. But this system, unfortunately, functioned only during performances, and the fire started in the morning, when there were relatively few people in the theater.
Regarding the causes of the fire, the manager of the Moscow Imperial Theaters, the famous composer A.N. Verstovsky wrote in a private letter: “The furnaces were heated at five o’clock in the morning, and by eight o’clock in the morning all the pipes were closed and inspected. After the chimneys were closed, the stove-makers left to have breakfast, which is why, and probably it should be assumed that the stoves were not the cause of the first fire, especially since, while inspecting them at the site of the fire, and as long as it was possible to see the stoves, the pipes and hogs were not cracked.” Turning to the surviving documents, we see that, despite the most rigorous investigation, it was not possible to establish the true cause of the fire. The fire was regarded as a natural disaster, “for which there were no culprits, and the case was consigned to oblivion.”
The loss to the treasury caused by the fire was estimated at 8 million rubles. Along with the beautiful theater building, a precious wardrobe burned down, including a rich collection of expensive French suits. Few people remembered the seven artisans who died in the fire.
For more than three years, Moscow residents were deprived of the joys of theatrical life, previously brought to them by the artists of the Bolshoi Theater. Only on August 20, 1856, in the revival of the architect A.K. The doors of the Kavos Theater opened, revealing to the audience the dazzling splendor of a new theatrical masterpiece.
Here are some rather interesting documents taken from investigative file No. 14184 for 1853 about the fire at the Bolshoi Theater*.
Cont. Moek. Theater.
E. to the director imp. Theaters
Kont Moek. Theaters
After the report to V. P-vu, dated March 11, No. 39, about the fire that occurred in B.T. An inquiry into the reason for it was immediately started, and as a result of this, the caretaker Talyzin delivered a report, a copy of which is presented here; The cause of the fire is not yet known with certainty, except for what is reliably known - the closet caught fire under the stairs leading to the women's restrooms on the right side of the stage near the closet occupied by your office, in which there are various tools and things belonging to the assistant driver Dmitry Timofeevich. The flames of the fire spread so quickly through the nearby decorations and engulfed the entire stage along the ramparts that in a few minutes it became impossible to extinguish. The cash register and all the saved papers were immediately transported to the School house and placed in the rooms occupied by G. Tambroni’s singing class; What exactly was destroyed by fire in the theater building - Mr. Architect was instructed to describe in detail, in order to fulfill which he reported that it was burned: the entire audience hall with all the boxes, floor and ceiling, as well as the wooden columns that surrounded the seating areas and supported the ceiling, the entire stage with galleries, trusses, grates, floors with stairs and all the machines, all the floors and ceilings of the 3rd floor; in the upper men's restrooms, all ceilings and floors of the 4th floor, in the archive, storerooms, dressing rooms, prop and music office, all floors and ceilings in the 5th tier of corridors near the boxes, mezzanine above the lower men's restroom, where a small prop shop and hairdresser were located, the entire roofing system above the theater, such as rafters with ties, sheathing, and sheet iron fell to the ground. The lower tank made of boiler iron with the water-lifting machine was completely broken by the weights that fell on them, and the two upper tanks were burned out. Parts that survived the fire: a) the entire lower floor with brick vaults, such as: an office, a coffee shop, front doors and two side hallways, a round corridor, a lamp room, a guard room, the theater caretaker’s apartment and a ticket office, b) the entire second floor with such same vaults, foyer, where main staircase, all the masquerade halls on both sides, the lower men's and women's restrooms, except for wooden partitions, the vestibule on both sides, all the cast-iron staircases on brick vaults leading to the lodges and rakes, cast-iron imperial and ministerial staircases, two wooden staircases on stone vaults to the men's and women's restrooms. In all the mentioned rooms, as a precaution, part of the frame was broken, and in some places part of the floors. The plan of the place where the fire started remains unsent in case of arrival. in-va; the loss that occurred from the fire is currently impossible to accurately determine, because all the property located in that theater was completely destroyed, because from the extremely strong flame that instantly spread throughout the entire theater, nothing could be saved except for the backstage lamps and scenery that were in the set barn , which were also taken out to Teatralnaya Square for safety. Of the carpenters who were not present and who were at the top of the stage, 6 people and one sentry, Private Rumyantsev, apparently died on the spot. Others who were on stage are called for investigation; all the external students who came that day for G. Smirnov’s class had dispersed and no one came to the office to look for those who did not show up. Then an attitude was received from Mr. Moek, chief of police, dated March 12 under No. 6031, that Mr. Moek, military general. governor instructed him to immediately order the production of the strictest investigation in front of a deputy from the Office about the cause of the fire, which has already been started in the Tver part by bailiff Fomin, with a deputy appointed from the Directorate, collegiate assessor Zernin, and the consequences of this investigation will be reported to the department. The concert announced at the Maly Theater for the 12th took place, and for the Disabled, at the request of Moek. gen.-lip. - will be given in the Ross Hall. Blagor. Meetings.
Ex. Office of A. Verstovsky
Skr. Titular Advisor Yakunin to the Supervisor of the Bolshoi Theater Talyzin
I have the honor to inform the Office that this March 11 at nine o’clock in the morning I was walking along the lower corridor to the box office to make an order for the sale of tickets for the Kabyles’ performance, not least noticing a smoky smell, when they suddenly let me know that in a closet built with on the right side of the stage, under the stairs leading to the women's restrooms where various carpenter's tools and things belonging to carpenters were stored and to which the scenery adjoined - smoke appeared. When I wanted to run from the corridor leading to the stage, past the orchestra, on the right side onto the stage itself, I saw the said closet and in general the entire right side of the stage from top to bottom engulfed in flames, and in less than two minutes the flames spread throughout the scenery. the upper gallery right up to the rafters, so that even entering the stage became completely impossible. At the same time, I have to add that I have no suspicions against anyone in the arson of the theater. At the same time, carpenters and driver assistants Dmitry Timofeev with his son, who always had the key to the said closet, and non-commissioned officer Andreev on duty were on stage. Warden Talyzin
Received on the day of his mother’s departure for Moscow Dear Sovereign Alexander Mikhailovich
From the report presented here, please see the initial orders made after our disastrous incident. It is now almost possible to say with certainty that the fire started in that closet, or better yet, in the closet, which was not in long distance from the stairs leading to the women's restrooms. In this closet, assistant driver Dmitry Timofeev, under his own key, hid small needs for the stage and, among other things, hid his warm clothes, which this time, having come to the stage with other carpenters to prepare for the disabled concert, he opened the closet, put down his sheepskin coat, and saw from the floor (as he says) fire, - shouting to the non-commissioned officers on duty on stage for help. Before those who heard his cry had time to approach, fire had already started in the nearby wings, and lightning ran... to the other side and up the scenery, then to the dome. In ten minutes, hardly more, the stage was filled with such smoke and fire that this Dmitry Timofeev, having been burned in some places, no longer remembers where he came from, having ordered to immediately bleed him, he woke up and now remembering what happened, confirmed what was said, without admitting it , whether there was any stored fuel in this closet and whether he went into the closet with the fire. The underground non-commissioned officer, being at the same time under the floor, did not hear either fire or the smell of any fuel and there were no lamps or lanterns there, but ran upstairs hearing a cry about a fire. The stoves were heated at five o'clock in the morning and by eight o'clock in the morning all the pipes were closed and inspected by senior non-commissioned officer Vasily Timofeev. After the chimneys were closed, the stove makers left to have breakfast, which is why it should probably be assumed that the stoves were not the cause of the first fire, especially since when inspecting them on the spot after the fire and as long as it was possible to see until the ashes burned down below, the chimneys and hogs were not cracked. There were no workers under the floor and no lamps, from which I concluded that Dmitry Timofeev, although he does not admit, did not throw sparks in the closet, in which perhaps he had a moss or a soon-replenishable (lycopodium) substance that he was thinking of extinguishing hands, which he has several and are damaged. Here is my opinion, which I did not convey to the investigation that had begun in order to open the initiated case according to my own order. The investigation began with the bailiff Fomin, sent from the count, in the moved office, which, for the first time, was placed next to the room occupied by him. Now we can probably say, I think, that of the 80 externs who were in Smirnov’s class, all were saved and are alive and well. Of those killed on stage, there are six carpenters, more at the top, for preparing the chandeliers lowered for the concert, and one upper sentry, Private Fyodor Rumyantsev. Among the unfound carpenters were Cherkassky's courtyard people: Alexander Alekseev, Alexey Ivanov, townspeople Stepan Gavrilov, Ivan Stepanov, Alexey Pavlov and Mrs. Zonova's courtyard - Ivan Petrov. All these details, at the count's request, were reported to him immediately.
Caretaker Talyzin was completely lost to the point that, while getting out of his apartment, he forgot his mother, who was dying of dropsy, in it; if the driver Kondratyev had not pulled her out, she would have burned. Not wanting to stop the progress of the already announced performances, on the next day of the fire, live pictures were given with a concert at the Maly Theater, where there was an additional audience of 1 52 rubles. collection
The men's wardrobe located in B.T. The whole one burned down, the women's one - on Maly - remained. For the paintings, I took some of the men's suits from Pyotr Strogonov.
I entrusted the team of the Bolshoi Theater to Ober* * regarding the dismantling of things after the fire; I think I will entrust the burnt iron in the trash to Karakolpakov. Now sentries have been posted near the theater, and now 200 soldiers have been sent from the Commandant, who will tear apart the ashes and clean the insides until the final disassembly.
Hairdresser Zhelen, working with his son in his workshop, was barely saved by his son on a wooden staircase on fire - not only could he save something, but he himself ran out in his shirt.
Some boys, externs, escaped from the broken window above along the paratoner conductor and not a single one was even hurt. Kondratyev’s son climbed down the window through the gutter. The spreading flame rushed at strong wind straight towards the school, in which the entire yard and roof were strewn with coals and it was so hot in the school yard that when they carried the chest with money, I was forced to close it from the heat left side face as if from a melted fireplace.
At the very fast time, engulfed in flames on the grate stage - the tank located on the left side of the stage burst and when water gushed out of it, flooding the flames of the stage, such smoke rose that it darkened the nearby houses to the point that it was necessary to supply candles. At that moment, the count told me that he could not distinguish the papers on his table due to the darkness, and near the theater it was difficult to determine the color and coat of the horses.
The decoration shed was saved. The wood yard with its huge supply of firewood is also intact. The small carriage shed near the actors' entrance also survived. The office and cafeteria rooms were preserved in the burnt building.
The police, who began to act at first, got too excited and began to throw furniture and pianos at the broken windows from the women’s quarters that could have been preserved. This is what I can remember in sad despair about the misfortune that happened, which only God can see - what an impression it can easily have on an upset soul.
His wow - to Mr. Director Imp. Theaters. 15/111-1853
Secretary Zernin
I have the honor to bring this to your attention. Yesterday, on March 14, we began to investigate the causes of the fire in the Imperial Bolshoi Theater, for which the following gathered in the Tver private house at 10 a.m.: Investigator Lieutenant Colonel Fomin, gendarmerie major Voeikov, criminal lawyer Troitsky, priest of the Alekseevskaya church in Glinishchi Ioan Troparsky and I, as a deputy from the Directorate and T., began interrogating, under oath, two police officers, the watchman who stood guard at the booth near the theater Prokofy Dorofeev and Mikhail Prokofiev, who was on the watchtower of the Tver part, of whom the first showed that at half past 10 o'clock in the morning on the 11th of March he heard a strong blow that shook the Theater building and the ground around it, then saw from the windows of the 2nd floor of the theater facing Mr. Khomyakov's house, first thick smoke, and then flames and that soon after this the pipes of the Tver part arrived, and Mikhail Prokofiev - that while standing on the tower, he was suddenly surrounded by thick smoke and then heard a blow from the Bolshoi Theater, as a result of which he threw out the fire sign and the pipes immediately began to assemble.
Without an oath: The theater watchman, who was under the stage: - that after the stoves were lit and the stokers left, at 8 o’clock in the morning he locked the lower room and went under the stage to the place where the lamps for the front light were lit and, having sat down to rest, suddenly heard a dull thud and a cry: save yourself, we're on fire! - ran onto the stage, saw flames on the right side and started running, burning his face. After what happened, he doesn’t know. Carpenter Gordey Andreev - that after breakfast he came to work on small stage and having gone to urinate, he met the carpenter Ivan Petrov, fumbling with a watering can for water, who told him that the stage had caught fire, after which he saw that the backstage and the curtain hanging at the top had been occupied, which is why he rushed back and ran out of the back entrance, which guardhouses, outside.
Joiners: Alexander Ivanov and Dmitry Prokofiev - of whom the latter showed the same thing as Gordey, Alexander Ivanov - that he did not go to have breakfast, but to watch how a criminal was being transported along Tverskaya, and when he arrived on stage he began to tell the carpenters who were already here what he saw, when suddenly I heard shouts: “fire,” I ran out of the wings on the left side onto the stage and saw that the right wings and the curtain at the top were burning, which is why I rushed out to save my life. All interrogated carpenters testified that strong blow they didn’t hear it, but there was a noise, but they don’t know how and when it caught fire,
Coll. Ase. Vasily Zernov.
To the Minister, Count Adlerberg
From the director imp. Theaters.
Arrived in Moscow at 9:35 am and at 10:00 am to the scene of the fire. The stage and boxes do not exist; the side halls and corridors of all tiers with vaults have survived. Dome auditorium with the chandelier burned down. Killed: one watchman who rushed to open the tank tap and 6 carpenters. The driver's assistant was burned. Count Zakrevsky dressed up the investigation from the police. The cause has not yet been discovered; the chimneys are in good working order. What I find out, I will report. The theater caretaker was arrested.
Gedeonov.
Interrogation protocol.
During interrogation on March 15, Warden B.T. tit. owls Talyzin testified: 1 ] that on March 11 he inspected the stage and the tank at 7 o'clock in the morning together with the unt.-off. Vasily Timofeev. The reservoir was full of water and carpenters were working on the stage, but he did not notice how many of them there were. At the end of this, he went to the hydrotherapy establishment, where he had previously been treated for illness, and after staying there for an hour, he returned home at 8 o’clock. I didn’t inspect the attics, because no one went there and they were locked, and only the carpenters’ tools were stored in the closets on the stage. Having stayed at home until 9 o'clock, he went to the box office, but suddenly in the corridor, unknown someone shouted that the theater was on fire, why did he rush to the stage, but when he reached the entrance he saw that it was no longer possible to enter the stage and for this reason it was impossible to order the actions of the firefighters sleeves There was no way to lower the Iron Curtain, because this would require several carpenters, but they all fled; however, the fire entered the audience hall primarily not through this place where the curtain closed, but from the sides through the balconies and boxes, which quickly caught fire. Seeing that it was already impossible to stop the fire, he rushed to save the office and the cash register and does not remember whether he sent the police to know about the fire.
2] There was quite a large number of decorations on the stage, but removing them depended not on Talyzin, but on the driver, who has carpenters and working people at his disposal.
3] The blow was heard, but not so strong as to shake the building and the ground, and he believes that it came from a burst tank or a fallen chandelier.
4] During Talyzin’s walk around the stage, there was no smell of smoke. There is no suspicion of anyone keeping gunpowder or anything like that. There was no rehearsal on stage that day, but the pavilion was already set up and there were musical instruments for a concert scheduled that day in favor of Mr. Stutzmann.
5] The fire started in the closet near the stairs on the right side of the stage, the cause is unknown and has no suspicions against anyone.
During the performances, fire brigade soldiers were sent from the police to act as sleeves, who always stood at the sleeves and after the performance remained here even overnight, and therefore, Talyzin did not find any need to have special people for that purpose. During free time from performances, such teams were not sent.
Water supply operator, UK. filed by McMillan to the Director and T.
According to rumors that spread in Moscow about those who were supposedly in the burning B.T. explosions, I have the honor to explain in. wow, that those who are with B.T. the reservoirs had many conductors consisting of lead pipes for conducting water in all directions of the building, the number of which was up to 500 fathoms. They passed mostly along the walls on the stage and under the floor, and from the strong fire the water in them, when it boiled, should have formed strong vapors, which, when trying to free themselves according to physical laws, would burst the pipes, which should have caused a terrible noise and crackling like gunshots from guns.
Alexander Mas-MShap
Ministry etc.
Office
Ward 3
To the director of the imp. Theaters
Mr. Moscow Military Governor-General on October 29th last informed me that the case received by the local criminal chamber about the fire that took place on March 11th of this year in the Bolshoi Theater was decided by it and concluded with this decision: since the causes of the aforementioned the fire was not discovered as a result of the investigation, no suspicion of deliberate arson was raised, none of the officials of the directorate were brought to trial, then this case is based on Art. 97. Lay down about the order, to stop further proceedings and that such a decision was approved by him, Count Zakrevsky.
I have the honor to notify your administration about this.
Minister of the Imperial courtyard of Count Adlerberg.
The catastrophic fire at the Bolshoi Theater did not significantly affect the improvement of the fire safety conditions of the theaters. The famous Moscow theatergoer V.M. writes about this. Golitsyn in his memoirs:
“As for fire safety measures, no one thought or thought about this at that time. For example, at the Bolshoi Theater there were internal wooden stairs from the stage to the artistic restrooms, moreover, they were placed among hanging cardboard decorations and backstage. You can imagine what would happen if there was a fire during the performance! And in the Maly Theater the audience was exposed to even greater danger in case of fire and panic. Thus, the passages from the stalls and from the boxes were very narrow in themselves, and, in addition, they were half blocked by stands selling sweets and fruits. Back in the 80s, the then Moscow fire major told me that the thought of a fire during a performance at the Maly Theater was a real nightmare for him. Only after the fire in the Vienna Theater, which killed several hundred people, did theater workers think about appropriate measures, which, however, remained half-measures until very recently.”
In Russia, according to far from complete data, it burned down in the 19th century. 30 theaters and circuses, including in Moscow in 1882 the Solodovnikov Theater completely burned down. The most catastrophic fires took place in St. Petersburg, where 126 people died during a performance in a booth on February 14, 1836; in Berdichev, during a fire in the circus on January 13, 1883, more than 300 people died.
The history of the Bolshoi Theater, whose status should supposedly imply the favor of the authorities, an abundance of privileges, and unlimited artistic and material opportunities, nevertheless contains many tragic pages. It was rebuilt several times due to fires. Together with the whole country, he survived several wars and revolutions. However, Bolshoi endured all these trials with dignity, and he was able to cope with these trials thanks to good leadership.
Let's turn to the history of the Bolshoi Theater. In 1775, Prince Urusov received the highest permission from Empress Catherine II for the right to maintain a Russian theater in Moscow. The prince’s business partner was a mechanic and entrepreneur, the Russified Englishman Michael Medox. He led the construction of the new theater building.
Five years later, in 1780, the theater was built. It is located on the right bank of the Neglinka, on Petrovka Street, which is why it received the name “Petrovsky”. Alas, that same year it burned down for an unknown reason. Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov retired from business, since most of the construction costs became a burden on his personal fortune. As a result, the entire project fell on Medox’s shoulders.
The Englishman was an energetic and enterprising man and undertook to build the theater anew. The building was erected at record speed, in just five months. New theater It quickly gained popularity, and it was so high that the boxes were often bought by noble families for the entire season.
Commercial success prompted Madox to think about the need to open another theater, which he did in 1783. Alas, Medox’s calculations turned out to be wrong. New project turned out to be a failure. The debts grew, and the entrepreneur was forced to mortgage both theaters to the Board of Trustees. Empress Maria Feodorovna contributed to the fact that Petrovsky was bought out by the state treasury. The Petrovsky Theater came under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Imperial Theaters and received the status of a government institution.
“What good is Medox if in the end he lost his brainchild?” - you ask. And the fact that, despite any difficulties, he managed to bring the matter to the end and thanks to his perseverance, Russia received one of the most famous theaters in the world. I'm not talking about the building, of course, it burned down soon after the buyout, it is important that Medox did not allow the troupe to fall apart. Yes, luck turned away from this man at some point, but his merits were still appreciated: the Empress granted Medox a lifetime pension of 3 thousand rubles and a house not far from the Petrovsky Theater.
This was in the 18th century, but what is happening now at the Bolshoi?
Nikolai Tsiskaridze was recently fired from the Bolshoi Theater. The dismissal itself did not take place without scandal. There was a contract with the artist fixed-term contract as with a teacher-tutor, but as a ballet dancer he is still a full-time employee and his contract is, in theory, indefinite. Tsiskaridze believes that the paper about transferring to a fixed-term contract was slipped to him. And the police revealed the theft of about 90 million rubles allocated for the renovation of the Bolshoi Theater.
Today read an interview with the director of the Bolshoi Theater Museum - Lydia Kharina. About when the Bolshoi was founded and where it was located, how many fires and other disasters the building survived, what was staged here and what rules existed for actors - in our publication.
— Lidia Glebovna, tell us where the Bolshoi Theater traces its history back to? Is there any specific date that is generally considered to be his birthday?
- We have a date on the poster - March 28 (17th - old style) 1776. This is the day Prince Pyotr Urusov received the “privilege” to maintain a theater in Moscow. But this is not the first “privilege” in the history of this theater. The assignment of the very first “privilege” and the creation of the troupe occurred in 1766. Documents about this date were found and published by professor and historian Lyudmila Mikhailovna Starikova, who studies the 18th century. The first troupe was created by Nikolai Titov ( retired military man, first director of the Moscow Theater. — Approx. ed.) and received state support. Titov lasted three years -
Running a theater is very expensive. He transferred his “privilege” to two Italians - Cinti and Belmonti. But then a plague attacked Moscow... One of the entrepreneurs, Chinti, became infected and died. To defeat the plague, Count Grigory Orlov was sent to Moscow. He placed the city under quarantine, and the spread of the disease was stopped. Catherine the Great then generously rewarded Orlov for saving the Fatherland.
— Whose hands did the theater then pass into?
After the death of both entrepreneurs, the “privilege” was transferred to another foreigner, also an Italian, named Grotti. But Grotti couldn’t stand it for long - he needed a lot of money ( for the maintenance of the theater. — Approx. ed.). Then the “privilege” was transferred to Urusov, but since its term was ending, he turned to the empress with a request to receive a new “privilege”. Catherine set him a condition: “You will have the main “privilege”, no one will interfere with you, but you must build a building for the theater”.
— Where was the theater located before?
“Before that, the troupe performed in different buildings for ten years. The first was Opera House on the Yauza, which subsequently burned down. Then the troupe performed in private houses: in Apraksin’s house on Znamenka, in Pashkov’s house, in Manege on Mokhovaya. The buildings were being altered endlessly, so, of course, it was very difficult: a special room was needed for the theater. Having received an order from the empress, Pyotr Urusov found a partner and bought the worst land in Moscow - junk ( waste soil is soil used for crops. — Approx. ed.), today this place is called Theater Square. The area there was swampy, as the Neglinka River flows nearby. But nevertheless, it was here that the construction of the first theater building began.
Ladies leafed through fashion magazines, merchants made deals
— How long did Urusov manage the theater?
“At some point, he, too, could not stand it and transferred the “privilege” to his companion, the Englishman Michael Medox, who was finishing the construction of the theater. In 1780 on Petrovka Street ( hence the name Petrovsky. — Approx. ed.) the first building opened capital theater. This was the biggest theater building in Moscow. It was perfectly adapted, the creators thought everything through very well. By the way, this building was used not only to stage performances, but also to hold all kinds of public events.
- Which ones, for example?
“For example, eight years after the opening, a dance hall was built in the theater, and masquerades and balls began to be held. There were also special rooms where ladies could look through magazines about French fashion during the day, and merchants could drink tea and conclude some kind of agreement. That is, it was a house open to everyone around the clock. But if there was severe frost, then the performances were canceled because the inside of the building was not heated, especially in the area of the stage. As you understand, the artists mostly wear open, light suits, so they were very cold.
— By the way, about the artists: who played in the theater then? Did the troupe consist of free people or were there serfs as well?
— You know, unlike St. Petersburg, the artists of the Moscow Theater were civilian employees. At the same time, some of the artists were bought, but they did not become serf actors in the service of the state, they became free people! But at the same time, there were certain, very strict rules. For example, if you wanted to get married, then you had to write a paper so that you were allowed to marry such and such a citizen. Everyone was thinking about not losing the artist, so the control was quite tight. But all members of the troupe had a decent income, the artists were taken home by carriage. Therefore, of course, working in the theater was good.
— Do you have any information about the productions of that time? What did they play that was interesting to the audience?
— Our museum is dedicated to the history of the Bolshoi Theater, so I can say that they staged Mozart, Rossini... And, of course, they tried to do something domestic, so all sorts of adaptations of Russians often appeared folk songs and so on. It must be said that, first of all, the theater, of course, was musical and operatic. Although the artist in the 18th century did everything: he sang, danced, and recited. It was as if he was out of character.
After the fire they immediately remembered the mayor
— How long did the Petrovsky Theater exist?
- Until 1805. Then, as the documents say, a fire broke out in it due to someone’s negligence: either they forgot a candle in the area of the stage, or did not turn off the lamp. But the theater is always made of wood inside! Here they immediately remembered the mayor, who constantly showed displeasure about the fact that the stairs were narrow and there were some warehouses underneath them. Because of this, he, of course, scolded the administrators of the Petrovsky Theater.
“But, apparently, this did not save me from trouble. Did the fire completely destroy the building?
— The fire was very strong, it was visible even in the village of Vsesvyatsky - today this is the Sokol metro area.
- But the building, as I understand it, was quite tall?
- Not that high. It was a three-story stone building with a plank roof; it was not even particularly decorated. But the dance hall was very beautiful: there were 24 columns, 48 crystal chandeliers, it was very elegant, but it all burned down.
— After that, the theater began to wander again?
Yes, private houses have started again. In 1808, a new building was built for the theater, entirely made of wood. It stood on Arbat Square - where the monument to Gogol by the sculptor Andreev is now located. This was the only building in Moscow by Karl Ivanovich Rossi, the chief architect of St. Petersburg. But in 1812 the Patriotic War began. When our troops retreated, Rostopchin ( Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin - Moscow mayor and governor-general of Moscow during the Napoleonic invasion. — Approx. ed.) ordered Moscow to be burned, and the first thing that was set on fire was the Rossi Theater. So he's in once again burned out.
One day during the performance there was a crash...
— As far as I know, after that a new building was built, but it too was destroyed in a fire in 1853. Modern building The Bolshoi Theater was built according to the design of Albert Kavos and was reconstructed several times, but there have been no more fires since then. Tell me, some of the original elements of architecture and interior decoration, which were still in the Petrovsky Theater, have survived to this day?
— The fire is exactly in this place, that is, on Theater Square, was twice: in the Petrovsky Theater and in the building built according to the design of Osip Ivanovich Bove. All buildings always had the old foundation. The theater building was slightly enlarged, but at the same time everything that could be saved was used. There are a lot of things left after Beauvais: for example, we still have the same columns that were erected in 1825, made of white sandstone.
The Moscow Kremlin was built from the same stone by Dmitry Donskoy. Of course, we Muscovites are pleased with this. In addition to the columns, some walls have been partially preserved. The collapse, of course, was very strong - the entire back part of the rear stage was completely blown to smithereens. Well, as I already said, the foundations remain. But they became a new problem for the theater already in the 20th century. Due to the old foundations, the building began to sag. In addition, it was affected by dampness. Now there are no problems - the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation is helping, but before that there were problems with the building back in the 19th century.
— Were they also connected with the fire?
- No, not with the fire, but with the foundations. Neglinka, although it flows through pipes, is still a low place, so the foundations were washed away. And one day, right during the performance, a strong crash was heard: the right wall of the theater cracked from top to bottom. Because of this, the doors to the boxes jammed, and the audience on the right side had to crawl to the left side to evacuate. This was in 1902, and the theater was then closed for six months.
The A. A. Bakhrushin Theater Museum has preserved photographs that show how repair work was carried out and new stone foundations were laid under the walls. In order to prevent the theater from collapsing, it was necessary to suffer some losses: for example, the stalls' wardrobe was covered with earth. But we managed to save the building!