Gogol Center

The Drama and Comedy Theatre, a theatre company, was founded in 1925 with the intention of serving railway workers, and managed by K. Golovanov.{{cite web | title=Gogol Theatre, Moscow Theatre named after Nikolay Gogol | website=Прогулка по Миру. Туристическая информация. Достопримечательности Мира. | url=http://worldwalk.info/en/catalog/535/ | access-date=25 August 2022}}

In 1930, it was passed to government control, under an administrative unit for Literature and Art Affairs (Glaviskusstvo) at the RSFSR Ministry of Education (Narkompros). In 1931, it came under Central Committee of the Rail Union, and renamed the Moscow Theatre of Transport at the Central Committee of Railroad. In 1934, the art direction of the theatre came under the auspices of the Moscow Art Theatre No. 2.

In April 1935, the theatre was named after Nikolai Gogol, on the 150th anniversary of the writer's birth.

In 1939, the it was once again renamed, to Central Theatre of Transport, under the directorship of I. Petrov, a People's Artist of the RSFSR.

From 1941 to 1943, the theatre company toured to the Transbaikal region and Mongolia, and in 1943, moved into the building at 8A Kazakova Street.

Directors in the post-war period included:

• 1948: Ilya Sudakov
• 1953: V. Goldfeld, Honoured Art Worker of the RSFSR
• 1958: P. Vasiliev, Honoured Art Worker of the RSFSR
• 1961: A. Dunayev, Honoured Art Worker of the RSFSR.
• 1965: B. Golubovsky, People's Artist of the RSFSR
• 1987: S. Yashin, People's Artist of the Russian Federation

File:valeriy_pecheykin.jpg ]]

In February 2014, Moscow's Gogol Theatre reopened as the Gogol Center{{cite web | title=Moscow’s Gogol Theatre re-opens as the Gogol Center with Uniline from APG | website=ETNow.com | date=4 February 2014 | url=https://www.etnow.com/news/2014/2/moscows-gogol-theatre-re-opens-as-the-gogol-center-with-uniline-from-apg | access-date=25 August 2022}} with a season that included performances of Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol{{cite web|title=Hamlet at Gogol-center. Contemporary approach to Shakespeare|date=February 2014 |url=https://moscowtheatrereview.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/hamletgogol-centre-contemporary-approach-to-shakespeare/|accessdate=24 May 2017}} and Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

The center featured movies, music concerts, a discussion club, and performances by Russian and foreign directors on several stages. It was noted for its stagings of contemporary Russian dramas{{cite web|title=Gogol Center Starts New Season With 'Fear'|url=https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/gogol-center-starts-new-season-with-fear-27783|website=The Moscow Times|date=18 September 2013 |accessdate=24 May 2017}} and a lobby featuring neon-lit mirrors shaped like famous directors.{{cite web|title=Gogol Center|url=http://www.frommers.com/destinations/moscow/attractions/gogol-center|publisher=Frommers|accessdate=23 May 2017}}{{cite web|title=Gogol Center: a modern theater & discussion club | url=http://thevanderlust.com/en/city/moscow/artandculture/401.html | website=The Vander Lust | accessdate=24 May 2017}} Openly gay playwright Valeriy Pecheykin was a dramaturge at the theatre.{{cite thesis | title=A Little Hero: Queer Writing of Valeriy Pecheykin | via=ProQuest | url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/4075019d1bfa55d36866404e6af14eff/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=44156|first=Gleb|last=Vinokurov|date=2020|type=M.A.| publisher= McGill University | access-date=25 August 2022}}{{cite web | title=Девять (Nine)| website=Гоголь-Центр. Афиша событий на август и сентябрь (Gogol Center)| date=27 August 2014 | url=https://gogolcenter.com/en/events/devyat/ | language=en | access-date=25 August 2022}} It has featured in news related to Russian state censorship of the arts.{{cite news|title=Russian Artists Face a Choice: Censor Themselves, or Else|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/02/arts/international/russian-artists-face-a-choice-censor-themselves-or-else.html|website=The New York Times|date=April 2015 |accessdate=24 May 2017|last1=Donadio |first1=Rachel }}

The center has hosted dance companies, including SounDrama and Studio Seven, as part of an experimental artist in residence program specifically committed to art that "does not limit itself with any genre boundaries and constantly strives to reflect Modern Art in the most relevant way."{{cite web|title=Gogol Center: About|url=http://en.gogolcenter.com/about|website=Gogol Center|accessdate=23 May 2017}}

In May 2017, the Investigative Committee of Russia ordered police to raid the center. The center's Director, Kirill Serebrennikov, was detained for questioning. On 23 May, police attributed the cause of the raid and detention of its director to an investigation of embezzlement of budget funds.{{cite web|title=Kirill Serebrennikov's property searched without a warrant|url=https://meduza.io/en/news/2017/05/23/kirill-serebrennikov-s-property-searched-without-a-warrant|publisher=Meduza|accessdate=23 May 2017}}

In 2021, Serebrennikov was fired as director of the centre.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In June 2022, the Moscow Department of Culture announced that it would be ending the contracts of the centre's director Alexei Kabeshev and artistic director Alexey Agranovich, further announcing that the centre would be renamed as the Nikolai Gogol Drama Theatre.

On 30 June 2022, the centre held its last performance as the Gogol Center, titled I Don't Take Part In War after a verse from a poem by Yuri Levitansky. At the end of the performance, Agranovich told the audience that "The Gogol Centre is closed. Forever."{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/1/rebel-moscow-theatre-closes-doors-in-defiant-last-show|title=Rebel Moscow theatre closes doors with defiant last performance|website=Al Jazeera}}{{cite web | title=Rebel Moscow theatre shuts doors after final show | website=France 24 | date=1 July 2022 | url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220701-rebel-moscow-theatre-shuts-doors-after-final-show | access-date=25 August 2022}} Serebrennikov accused the Russian government of targeting the centre for its "attempt at freedom" and its opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220630-russian-film-director-denounces-murder-of-his-former-theatre|title=Russian film director denounces 'murder' of his former theatre|date=June 30, 2022|website=France 24}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://gogolcenter.com/en}}

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Category:1925 establishments in Russia

Category:2014 establishments in Russia

Category:Organizations established in 2014

Category:Theatres in Moscow

Category:Experimental theatre

Category:Theatre in Russia