1806.] 
took place in the Ruffian Government 
prevented them from proceeding thither 
till after the coronation of Elizabeth. It 
was about this time that the opera-houle 
of Mofcow was built under the direétion 
of Stahlin ; but the want of actors was 
felt there as well as at Peterfburg. The 
young gentlemen of the fchool of cadets 
performed the parts of mute perfons, the 
fingers of the imperial chapel! fung in the 
chorufes, and the children of the domef- 
tics executed the ballets. 
Sumarokow, who was already known 
for his lyricand dida@tic poems, at length 
made his appearance as a dramatic writer. 
Some of the cadets, with a view to exercife 
themfeives in declamation, had ftudied 
his firft tragedy, entitled “ Chorew.” 
‘The Emprefs being informed of the cir- 
cumftance, was defirous of feeing thefe 
youths. They performed before her in a 
{mall theatre, and obtained univerfal ap- 
plaute. 
Notwithftanding the partiality of the 
Court for thefe exhibitions, no idea had 
yet been entertained of ereSting a Ruffian 
theatre in the capital, when, in 1750, one 
was built at Jaroflaw. To this the Ger- 
man company that went to Peterfburg in 
1748 gave occafion. Fedor Weolchows 
fon of a merchant of Jaroflaw, had taken 
the greateft delight in thefe reprefenta- 
tions. He had #rengthened this partiality 
by forming a conneétion with the German 
players ; fo that when he returned home, 
he fitted up a large faloon in his father’s 
houle for a theatre, and painted it him- 
felf ; then muftering a {mall company, 
confilting of his four brothers and fome 
other ycung perfons, he reprefented fome- 
times the facred pieces of the Bifhop De- 
mietrius, fometimes the tragedies of Su- 
marokow, and Lomonoflow, which had 
jeft appeared; and at others, comedies 
and farces of his own compofition. The 
undertaking of Wolchow met with the 
greateft encouragement. Not fatisfied 
with favifhing applaufe upon him, the 
neighbouring nobility furnifhed him in 
4750 with the requifite funds for ereQing 
a public theatre, where money was taken 
tor admiffion. The report of this novelty 
reached Peterfbarg, and in 1752 the Em- 
refs fent for Wolchow’s company. He 
was placed, with feveral of his young ac- 
tots, in the {chool of the cadets, to im- 
rove him(elf in the Ruffian language, 
and in particular to prattife declamation. 
At length, in 1756, the firt Ruffian 
theatre was formally eftablifhed by the ex- 
ertions of Sumarokow, and the actors 
were paid by the Court, A German 
Hiftary of the Ruffian Stage. 
er time. 
company appeared in 1757, but it. was 
broken up by the arrival of an Italian 
opera. ‘The Opera Buffa formed in 1759 
at Mofcow had no better fuccefs : 1s fai- 
lure was favourable to that which remain- 
ed at Peterfburg, and which received fo © 
muchthe moreencouragement. ‘The fire- 
works difplaved on the ftage after the per- 
formance, afforded great amufement te 
the public, and drew together more com- 
pany than the mufic. At the coronation 
of the ‘Emprefs Catherine, the Ruffian 
Court theatre accompanied her to Mof- 
cow, but foon returned to Peterfburg, 
where it has been fixed ever fince. The 
tafte for dramatic exhibitions had at this 
period become fo general, that not only 
the moft diftinguifhed perfons of the 
Court of the two capitals performed Ruf- 
fian plays, but Italian, French, German, 
and even English theatres arofe, and main- 
tained their ground for a longer or a fhort- 
Catherine the Great, defirous 
that the people fhould Jixewife participate 
in this pleafure, ordered a {tage to be erect- 
ed in the great place inthe wood of Brum- 
berg. There both the actors and the 
plays were perfectly adapted to the popu- 
lace that heard them. What will feem 
extraordinary is, that this performance 
fometimes attracted more diftinguifhed 
amateurs ; and it is perhaps the only the- 
atre where fpe¢tators have been feen in 
carriages with four and fix horfes. But 
what is ftill more furprifing is, to fee ac- 
tors ennobled, asa reward for their talents, 
“as was the cafe in 1762 with the two bro- 
thers Fedor and Gregory Wolchow. The 
former died the following year, while fill 
very young. His reputation as a great 
tragic and comic aétor will perhaps one 
day be confiderably abated ; but the Ruf- 
fians will ever recollect with gratitude that 
he was the real founder of the Ruffian 
ftage. 
They will likewife remember the fer- 
vices of Sumarakow asa tragic poet. He 
firtt fhewed of what the Ruffian language, 
be‘ore neglected, was fulceptible. Born 
at Mofcow in 1727, of noble parents, he 
zealoufly devoted himfelf to the ftudy cf 
‘the ancient claffic authors and of the 
This it was that rouzed ' 
his poetic talents. His early compofitions 
were all on the fubjeét of love. His 
countrymen admired his fongs, and they 
were foon in the mouth ofevery one. Ani- 
mated by this fuccefs, Sumarokow pub- 
\ithed by degrees his other poetical pro- 
duétions. Tragedies, comedies, pfalms, 
operas, epitaphs, madrigals, odes, enig- 
mas, elegies, fatires, in a word, every 
fpecics 
French poets. 
