Pickleherring Returns to the Kremlin: More New Sources on the Pre-History of the Russian Court Theatre

New evidence reveals that the Kremlin's court theatre in 1672 was influenced by two performances for Tsar Aleksej Michajlovič, featuring foreign residents of Moscow. The May 1672 performance expanded on a February production with more characters, including female roles played by male actors, and likely involved Swedish correspondent Christoff Koch as the eyewitness account author. Additionally, the study traces early court efforts to establish a permanent theatre, including attempts to engage the German Paulsen-Velten acting troupe. These performances may have shaped the tsar's court theatre repertoire, particularly the character 'Pickleherring,' marking a significant precursor to Russia's formal theatrical tradition.

Jensen, C., & Maier, I. (2015). Pickleherring Returns to the Kremlin: More New Sources on the Pre-History of the Russian Court Theatre. Scando-Slavica, 61(1), 7–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00806765.2015.1042755