b o o k manufacture of falt-petre and fulphur, he applied himfelf to
that trade; and going upon the buiinefsof his father-in-law to
Peteriburgh about the year 1748, his natural inclination for
the ftage led him to frequent the German plays, and to form
an intimate acquaintance with fome o f the actors.
Upon his return to Yaroflaf, he conftructed a ftage in a
large apartment at his father-in-law’s houfe ; painted the
fcenes h imfelf; and, with the affiftance o f his four brothers,
acted feveral times before a large affembly. Their firft performances
were the fcriptural hiftories compofed by the arch-
bifhop o f Roftof; thefe were fucceeded by the tragedies of
Lomonozof and Sumorokof, and fometimes fadrical farces of
their own compofition againft the inhabitants o f Yaroflaf.
As the fpectators were admitted gratis at every reprefentation,
his father-in-law objected to the expen'ce. Accordingly
Volkof conftructed in 175 o, after his own plan, a large theatre,
partly by fubfcription, and partly at his own riik :
having fupplied it with fcenes, which he painted himfelf,
and drefles, which he affifted in making ; and having procured
an additional number of actors, whom he regularly
inftructed, he and his troop performed with great applaufe
before crouded audiences, who cheerfully,paid for their ad-
miflion.
In 1752 the emprefs Elizabeth, informed o f their fuccefa,
fummoned them to Peteriburgh, where they reprefented in
the theatre o f the court the-tragedies o f Sumorokof. In order
to form the new troop to a greater degree o f perfection,
the four principal actors were placed in the feminary o f the
cadets * , where they remained four years. At the conclufion
* Staehlin fays th a t V o lk o f w as amongft 14 p r iv e de fes corapagnons, s’araufa & faire
th e fe ; b u t L e -C le r c afie rts, “ L ’ Impe ra - “ des Marionne ttes j tant le pen chant na-
4< trice fit placer les a&eurs au corps des ca - “ tu rel a de puiffance fur l*homme.” p . 8a»
** d e ts , V o lk o f cx ccftc. C e lu ic i je voyant
4 of
■ of that period, a regular Ruffian theatre was eftabliihed at CHAP*
the court, three actrefles were admitted, Sumorokof was ap- >—
•pointed director^ and.£i ooo was allowed for the actors. Be-
.fide this falary, they were permitted to perform once a week,
to the publick, and the admiflion-money was diftributed
among them without deduction, as the lights, mufick, and
drefles were provided at the expence of the emprefs.
The chief performances were the tragedies and comedies
of Sumorokof, and tranflations from Moliere and other
French writers. The company continued to flouriih under the
patronage o f Catharine II. and the falaries o f the actors were
gradually encreafed to £ 1 100 per annum. Volkof and his
brother were ennobled, and received from their imperial
miftrefs eftates in lan d : he performed, for the laft time,
at Mofcow, in the tragedy o f Zemira, a ihort time before his
death, which happened in x 7 63, in the 35th year o f his age.
He equally, excelled in tragedy and comedy ; and his principal
merit confifted in characters o f madnefs. He was tolerably
verfed in mufick, and was no indifferent poet.
His friend Sumorokof paid the following tribute to
the memory , o f a perfon who had done ample juftice to
his dramatick compofitions. “ Melpomene unite thy tears
■“ with mine.— Lament; and tear th y locks.— My friend is
“ dead.— Adieu, my friend— forrow penetrates and dillolves
“ myfoul.— Thefource o f Hippocrene is frozen.— ORuffia!
“ you pofiefled a fecond Racine ! but the new theatre is al-r
“ ready tottering from its foundations ; and all the labours
“ of a century are deftroyed ! Volkof is feparated from the
“ mufes for ever.——Tragedy has loft her buikin and her
“ poignard.— Melpomene bedew his tomb with thy tears
* L e C le r c , p. 8 1 ,
D id 2 The