Our theater — the first theater of the Left Bank of Kyiv — was born on September 7, 1978. On this day, the first gathering of the troupe took place. And the first premiere – the performance “The highest point – love” by R. Fedenyov – took place on April 21, 1979 in the premises of the current Brodsky Choral Synagogue (former Republican Puppet Theater at 13 Shota Rustaveli Street).
After the “Highest Point”, the troupe was waiting for three years of wandering around the capital’s playgrounds. A truly unique period of the theater’s life was several months in the winter of 1979: eight plays were rehearsed at the same time (one more was added in February). We still have to look for something similar in theater practice. From April 15, two performances were rehearsed every evening: from 6 pm to 9 pm and from 10 pm to 2 am. At the same time, the actors also worked as stage fitters and electricians.
In May 1982, the city authorities gave the collective and its leader Eduard Mytnytsky the Customs building, which until that moment housed the “Cosmos” cinema. Initially, the “Theatre in the Foyer” was created within its walls – the first small stage in Kyiv and Ukraine at the time.
The theater as we know it now officially opened on December 21, 1990 with the play “I’m Always Your Bride” by Otar Ioseliani.
Today, the Theater on the Left Bank has more than 50 performances in the repertoire, a busy schedule of premieres, a star troupe of the country’s best actors, and big plans for the future, which will definitely be implemented.
In February 2019, a new team came to the theater: director-artistic director Stas Zhirkov (led the theater until November 2022) and chief director Tamara Trunova.
On March 9, 2022, the play “Bad Roads” directed by Tamara Trunova became the laureate of the Shevchenko Prize-2022 in the nomination “Theatrical Art”.
In 2023, Olesya Zhurakivska became the director-artistic director of the theater. She will head the theater during martial law and until the competition for this position is held.
