Karelian theatres in 1918 - beginning of the 1920s

The article characterizes social, political and cultural factors, which determined the trends of theatrical art development in Karelia after the Revolution. It shows that a professional theatre was established by the initiative of Olonets Executive Committee. The state financial support rendered to the theatres of the Republic assisted in popularization of theatrical art among local workers, peasants, and the Red Army soldiers. It also encouraged familiarization of poorly educated people with the cultural heritage of the country. The significance of the work carried out by the directors and actors from numerous well-known theatres in challenging conditions of the Civil war - first of all, Alexandrinskiy theatre - is described. Their professional supervision defined a high artistic level of the theatrical production. The analysis of discussions influencing the role played by the theatre art on the outcome of the Revolution was made based on the materials describing the theatre life in Karelia. The state authorities approached the art of theatrical perfomance as a tool of ideological influence. The actors and directors of Karelian theatres focused on the aesthetic principles of theatrical art. The author of the article characterizes theatrical debates, meetings, and reviews found in the local newspapers as a certain experience of the social dialogue existent in conditions of military and political confrontation.