THE EPOCH OF G.R. DERZHAVIN AND TAMBOV THEATRE

Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin is an outstanding poet and statesman of the Enlightenment epoch; he contributed a lot to the development of culture and people’s education. We present the general analysis of the Russian theatrical art development in the second half of the 18th century during the reign of Catherine the Great. We consider the milestones of G.R. Derzhavin’s biography: childhood, military service, civil service during his tenure as counselor of the Governing Senate. With his poetic talent G.R. Derzhavin condemned corruption, peculation, flattery, servility of noblemen. We note his main personality traits: courage, honesty, fairness, his struggle for consolidation of statesmanship on the foundations of law. We reveal in details G.R. Derzhavin’s service as the governor of the Tambov Viceroyalty. We note not only his achievements in the organization of clerical duties and legitimacy, urban planning and town-building, provision of urban amenities, but his care of moral awareness and youth’s education, especially their aesthetic education. The impact of G.R. Derzhavin and his spouse on the development of the first theatre in Tambov and his radical struggle against law violations are highlighted, the significance of poet-citizen’s activities for the descendants is emphasized.

Enlightenment, theatrical art, poet-citizen, statesman, governor, Tambov, theatre