b o o k . Alexander Sumorokof, who is juflly denominated t h e
■ , founder o f the Ruffian theatre, was the perfon who, after
Lomonozof, principally contributed to refine the poetry
o f his country. But before I enter upon a detail o f his life
and writings, 1 ihall premife a fhort account of the Ruffian
Rage, as well becaufe a view o f the ftate in which Sumorokof
found the national theatre * will difplay his powers in dra-
matick compofition, as becaufe the hiftory o f the ftage in
any country forms no inconfiderable part o f the true h iftory
o f its literature.
Before the tera o f Peter , the Great, almoft the only f dra-
matick reprefentations in Ruffia were exhibited in the mo-
nafteries o f Kiof and Mofcow, where the ftudents performed
o'ccafionally an AStus Oratorius, or a fcriptural hiftory.
The learned Demetrius Tooptalo J, metropolitan arch-
biihop o f Roftof, was highly diftinguiihed among the literati
for compofing, in the prevailing tafte o f thofe times, the
following fcriptural hiftories in verfe. The Sinner, an allegory.—
Either and Ahafuerus.— The Birth o f Chrift.—
And the Refurredtion o f Chrift. In the beginning o f this
century thefe pieces became the faihionable reprefentations;
and were not only performed in convents, but were adted at
court, even fo late as the beginning o f Elizabeth’s reign.
The ftudents o f furgery in the hofpital at Mofcow feem
to have given the firft publick performance exhibited by any
* It does not enter into my plan to trace Gef. des Theaters in Rufsland, in H a y gold,
the introdu&ion and progrefs of the Ger- or Schioetzer’s Beylage, vol. I. p. 400.
man, Italian, and Freneh players in Ruf- + We may except the reprefentations at
fia. I lhall only obferve, that in the reign court during the minority of Peter the
' of Peter the Great the firft fet of German Great, when fome of Moliere’s plays, tranf-
a£fcors played at Peteriburgh ; that fome lated into the Ruffian tongue, were a&edjn
Italian performers firft made their appear- the Ikonofpatikoi Convent: among other
ance in 1730 j and the French comedians perfons of diftin&ion, the princefs Sophia
in 1742. For further information on this performed a part,
fubjeft, the reader is referred to Staehlin’s \ He died in 1709,
E . . I I . i k v , , i w ,of
U l xxxxxj r,xxx.xx, xxxx.j
ufed fcreens for the fcenery. Mr. Staehlin *, who was pre- >
fent at one o f thefe plays, the fubjedt o f which was Tamerlane,
informs us, that nothing could be more grotefque and
ridiculous ; and relates an inftance o f moft profane ribaldry
introduced into one o f the fcriptural pieces too grofs to be
mentioned. The fame ingenious author remembers to
have feen at Peteriburgh the emprelies grooms adt in a ftill
more wretched manner, either in the hay-loft o f the imperial
ftables, or in an unfurniilied houfe. Adtors o f 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 o f the city. At dufk a
paper lantern was hung from the window, and two huntf-
men’s horns were blown, in order to announce a comedy for
that evening. The entrance money was from / to id . and
the fpedlators ufually remained two hours to fee and hear
every fpecies o f nonfenfe and ribaldry. Such was the ftate
of the Ruffian ftage when Sumorokof brought out his firft
tragedy o f Koref.
About the fame time the firft regular Ruffian theatre w'as
opened at Yaroflaf, under the diredlion o f the celebrated
adtor Feodor Volkof, the Garrick o f Ruffia, whofe talents
for the ftage were as great as thofe o f Sumorokof for
dramatick compofition. This furprifing genius was fon
of a tradefman at Yaroflaf, and was born in 1729 ; having
difcovered very early proofs o f great abilities, he was fent
for his education to Mofcow, where he learnt the German
tongue/muiick, and drawing. His father dying, and his
mother marrying a fecond hufband, who had eftabliihed a
. Oefchichte des Theaters in .Rufsland, from which ingenious treatife I have prin-
cipally taken this account of the Ruffian ftage . '
V o l . II. D d matiu