Nurturing the traditions of musical comedy and operetta, the Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theater strives for victory without ceasing to serve the audience.

From the history of Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theater

in 1907 famous actor and one of the most important ideologues of the Ukrainian national theater Mykola Sadovskis in 1902. Kyiv St. The first stationary theater of Ukraine was established in the People’s House (architect Pavlo Golandskis) built with donated funds on Trinity Square. The luminaries who have worked in the theater since the beginning of its existence are famous not only in the 20th century. characters of the early Ukrainian theater, but also of social and political life, who shaped the national self-consciousness of Ukrainians – among them actress Marija Zankovecka, playwright, composer, actor and director Marko Kropyvnytskis, Mykola Sadovskis himself, who became the chief director of the theater, and his brother, actor and director Panas Saksahansky, and many others. The manager of the theater M. Sadovskis used to invite famous opera and operetta performers of that time to the performances. Ivan Kozlovskis, a famous Russian singer born in Ukraine, owner of a unique voice (tenor alto), first sang in the theater choir, and later made his debut here in the role of Andriy in the first Ukrainian national opera – Semyon Hulak-Artemovsky’s “The Zaporizhia za Dunojaus” (1863). , by the way, were also built in Lithuania in 1955) – in the construction. Other pioneers of Ukrainian national music, such as Mykola Lysenko and Kyryl Stetsenko, collaborated with this theater, where several of Lysenko’s operas were first performed. M. Sadovskis Theater existed until 1917. Later, the Ukrainian Theater Society and the Theater Council formed on its basis were established in the People’s House, the Ukrainian National Theater operated, which after several reorganizations turned into the People’s Theater under the leadership of P. Saksahanskis. Since 1922 the musical group of the theater was forced to leave Kyiv, as a ban on operetta theater performances lasting more than a decade came into effect, and the People’s House was handed over to independent workers’ collectives.

Thus, the history of Kyiv operetta theater began a decade later, its beginning is marked by two dates: 1934. on January 13, when the State Theater of Musical Comedy of the Ukrainian SSR opened its doors at the People’s House under the leadership of V. Benedyktov, and on 1935 on December 14, when the first premiere of this theater took place – Johann Strauss the Younger. operetta “Bat”. Carl Zeller’s operetta “Bird Seller” was soon released, performed in Ukrainian for the first time.

During World War II, the Kyiv Operetta Theater was evacuated to Kazakhstan. Two theater seasons in Alma-Ata contributed to the strengthening of close creative ties between Ukrainian and Kazakh artists. in 1944 in autumn, theater groups returned home from evacuation.

20th century In the 1960s and 1970s, a generation of talented young soloists began working at the Kyiv Operetta Theater (it was renamed the Kyiv State Operetta Theater in 1966), most of whom later became Honored Artists of Ukraine, including Dmitry Shevtsov, Oleksandr Mykhailov, Katerina Mamykina, Volodymyr Borysenko and others 20th century The 8-10 decades were marked by new bright events in the creative activity of the Kyiv Operetta Theater. The names of prominent Ukrainian directors, conductors, playwrights and composers of the second half of the 20th century – Volodymyr Begma, Viktor Shulakov, Sergey Smeyan, Dmitry Shevtsov, Boris Sharvark, Yuriy Rybchinsky, Vladlen Lukashov and many others – are associated with them. The theater’s repertoire was supplemented by performances of various genres: Maksims Dunaevsky’s musical play “The Three Musketeers”, Vadim Ilyin’s “Draugė Liubovė”, Imre Kálmán’s most famous operettas “The Violet of Montmartre”, “Circus Princess”, “Silva” (Queen of Čardash), ” Bayadere”.

Until the end of the 1990s, recognized masters of the Ukrainian stage worked in the operetta theater troupe: soloists Tamara Tymoško-Horyuško, Lyudmila Makovecka, Sergiy Pavlinov, Valentina Chemena, Viktorija Alyoshina-Kostiukova, Oleksandr Trofimchuk, director Sergej Smeyan, ballet master Oleksandr Segal. Since 2003 The Kyiv Operetta Theater is managed by the general director and artistic director Bogdanas Strutynskis. Fate decided to open a new page in the history of the theater for the young director. In a relatively short period of time, Kyiv operetta has undergone significant changes due to the renewal of the creative team and successful productions of classical and modern repertoire. “Time demands that the theater surprises the audience every time with a modern look at old things,” says the director who has been running the theater for two decades. As if confirming his words, in 2003 one of the world’s most popular operettas and the first premiere presented at the Kyiv Operetta Theater – J. Strauss’s “The Bat” (directed by T. Tymoško-Horyuško) returned to the theater repertoire.

New status

in 2004 Academic status has been granted to the Kyiv Operetta Theater, since 2009. – national. On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the theater, in 2004 in October, a chamber stage – “Theatre Foyer” – was opened, where Jacques Offenbach’s one-act operetta “Dinner with Italians” (real name – Mr. Choufleuri will stay at home on…, “Mr. Calafior will wait for you at home…”, 1861). This event started a series of creative experiments, as “Teatras føje” was conceived as a workshop for the search for creative self-realization of actors and directors, a stage for productions of musical theater productions that are rarely heard. In 2006, the premiere of “Coffee Cantata” by Johann Sebastian Bach took place in Teatre Fojë, and in 2009 this triad was crowned on the small stage by J. Offenbach’s one-act comic opera “The key on the pavement, or the adventures of the wedding night” edited and directed by B. Strutynski himself (the real name is A husband at the door“Spouse at the Door”) premiere.

On the main stage of the Kyiv Operetta Theater, musical performances for children have also been shown: “Fairytale Carnival in Ukraine”, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by V. Domshinskis (director B. Strutynskis), “Coliuke” by G. Kudinova (director O. Andrienko). The best theater actors are included in the performances for children, whose energy and sincerity create a particularly gentle and charming atmosphere, which is so necessary for children.

Since 2013 the theater organizes the operetta, musical and opera festival “O-Fest”, which combines performances held in the Kyiv Operetta Theater with performances of various groups in the open air not only in the capital, but also in other cities of Ukraine. Today, the Kyiv Operetta Theater positions itself as a theater with a wide profile. Classical operetta, modern and classical musicals, various concert programs (show programs, symphony orchestra concerts, opera and ballet concerts) are successfully staged on the Kyiv Operetta stage, various creative experiments are boldly implemented.

in 2021 on May 14, after the end of the second quarantine, the renovated Great Hall of the theater was opened, which was immediately christened the “Versailles of the operetta” by journalists due to the sumptuous decor of the hall and the latest sound, lighting, and ventilation technologies installed in the hall. After the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the theaters opened, the spectators who returned to the renovated hall were also awaited by updates of the repertoire: in June of the same year, the 1990 the premiere of the musical “Dorian Gray” created by Hungarian composer Mátyás Várkonyi based on Oscar Wilde’s novel.

Unfortunately, another serious test awaited the theater – in 2022. the war that started in February. Despite the hardships of the war, the Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theater continues to work and strengthens the spirit of its compatriots with its performances or even presented premieres. These historical moments highlight the importance of Kyiv’s theater and musical culture to the national identity of Ukrainians and their cultural heritage. The role of theater and culture is extremely important in the formation of national consciousness and cultural identity. Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theater plans to continue to develop its creative potential, to surprise the audience with new productions of various genres, extraordinary solutions and, of course, performances of the highest quality! The 89th theater season has already given fans of operetta new encounters with the magical world of art.