Interior Hall of the Hermitage Theatre

The Hermitage Theatre, constructed on the order by Empress Catherine II, was completed by October 1785 but work on the fa�ades and interior decoration continued until 1789. In Catherine’s time, the theatre staged nearly the entire repertoire of the period - plays by Moli�re, Beaumarchais, and others. The theatre reflects Catherine II’s fascination with the culture of antiquity. The auditorium takes the form of a Greek amphitheatre with six tiers of benches. Between the columns on the wall are relief portraits of outstanding ancient dramatists.