An Epitaph for the Mussuri Theater

In late 2019, the Kharkiv City Council issued a permit to develop a land-use plan for the construction of a multifunctional complex on the site of the Mussuri Theater.

And that means the building’s days are numbered.

^{An attempt to “recreate” a historical photograph from the 1920s. Second photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2020}

We’ve already written about the history of the building, so let’s take a look at what the famous theater looked like inside. These interior photos were taken in June 2008.

Alas, even then it was clear that the theater was effectively doomed, so dire was its condition.

In the 2000s, the building had cult status among members of informal subcultures.

The Soviet-era “boar” tiles, which were used to clad the building in the 1960s, simplified the lines of the facades. Yet the overall Art Nouveau style in which this massive structure was built—designed by Boris Kornienko in 1911—is still evident.

^{A short video from the main hall, 2008}