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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 855
Alexander Sumorokof, juftly denominated the founder of the Ruffian theatre, next
to Lomonozof, principally contributed to refine the poetry of his country. But before
I give a detail of his life and writings, I fhall introduce a fhort account of the Ruffian
ftage, becaufe a view of the ftate in which he found the national theatre * will difplay
his powers in dramatic compofition.
Before the zra of Peter the Great, almoft the only + dramatic reprefentations in Ruf
fia were exhibited in the monafteries of Kiof and Mofcow; where the ftudents per-
formed occafionally an Adtus Oratorius, or fcriptural hiftory. The learned Demetrius
‘Tooptalo {, metropolitan archbifhop of Roftof, was highly diftinguifhed for compofing,
in the tafte of the times, fcriptural hiftories in verfe: The Sinner an allegory ; Efther
and Ahafuerus; The Birth, and the Refurre&tion of Chrift. At the commencement of
this century, thefe pieces were the fafhionable reprefentations, not only in convents, but
at court, even fo late as the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign.
The ftudents of furgery in the hofpital at Mofcow gave the firft public performance
exhibited by the laity, in the great hall, where they raifed a ftage, and ufed fcreens for
the fcenery. Staehlin §, who was prefent at one of thefe exhibitions, the fubject of which
was Tamerlane, informs us, that nothing could be more grotefque and ridiculous; and
relates an inftance of profane ribaldry introduced into one of the fcriptural pieces, too
grofs to be mentioned. The fame author remembers to have feen at Peterfburgh the
Emprefs’s grooms aét in a {till more wretched manner, either in the hay-loft of the im-
perial ftables, or in an unfurnifhed houfe. Aétors of this fort ufed alfo to perform every
year for the amufement of the common people: they had no regular theatre, but were
accuftomed to play in different parts of the city. At dufk, a paper lantern was hung
from the window, and two huntfmen’s horns were blown, to announce a comedy for
the evening ; the entrance money was from id. to 2d.; and the fpectators ufually re-
mained two hours to hear every f{pecies of nonfenfe and ribaldry. Such was the ftate
of the Ruffian ftage when Sumorokof brought out his firft tragedy of Koref.
About the fame time the firft regular Ruffian theatre was opened at Yaroflaf, under
the dire€étion of the celebrated a€tor Feodor Volkof, the Garrick of Ruffia, whofe talents
for the ftage were equal to thofe of Sumorokof for dramatic compofition. Volkof was
fon of a tradesman at Yaroflaf, and born in 1729: having difcovered early proofs of
great abilities, he was fent to Mofcow, where he learnt the German tongue, mufic, and
drawing. His father dying, and his mother marrying a fecond hufband, who had
eftablifhed a manufa¢tory of falt-petre and fulphur, he applied himfelf to that trade; and
going upon the bufinefs of his father-in-law to Peterfburgh about the year 1748, his
natural inclination for the ftage led him to frequent the German plays,*and form an
intimate acquaintance with fome of the a¢tors.
~ On his return to Yaroflaf, he con{tructed a ftage in a large apartment at his father-
in-law’s houfe, painted the fcenes, and with the affiftance of his four brothers, acted
* It does not enter into my plan to trace the introduétion and progrefs of the German, Italian, and
French players in Ruffia. 1 fhall only obferve, that in the reign of Peter the Great, the firft fet of German
aétors played at Peterfourgh ; fome Italian performers firft made their appearance in 1730, and the French
comedians in 4742. -For further information on this fubject, the reader is referred to Stachlin’s Gef. des
Theatres in Rufsland, in Haygold, or Schloetzer’s Beylage, vol.1. p. 400.
+ We may except the reprefentations at court during the minority of Peter the Great, when fomeof
Moliere’s plays, tranflated into-the Ruffian tongue, were aéted in the Lkonofpatfko convent ; among other
perfons of diftin€tion, the Princefs Sophia performed a part.
{ He died in 1709. { Fr ge i (e’ .
§ See Gefchitche des Theatres in Rufsland, from which ingenious treatife Lbave principally taken this
account of the Ruffian ftage.
2 before
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