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VSEVOLOD VLADIMIROVICH SAKHNOVSKY

Born 1903. Died 198? in Moscow

THEATER WORKS OF 1920s-1950s

Vsevolod Sakhnovsky is known mostly for his works in theater: set design, costumes, and posters. He worked in various types of theaters, including propaganda theater, variety show, and classic theater.

Sakhnovsky began his career in the Avant-garde Blue Blouse theater. “Blue Blouse” was a famous theater movement, the purpose of which was to convey political propaganda through choreography. This movement was extremely popular in the 1920’s and many prominent authors, composers, producers, and artists made their contribution to the Blue Blouse movement, including such figures as N. Aseev, O. Brik, V. Mayakovsky, S. Tretyakov, I. Dunaevsky, I. Terentiev, and P. Galadzhev.

Vsevolod Sakhnovsky actively participated in Blue Blouse. He designed sets and costumes for theaters. In addition, he made a substantial contribution in graphic design to this movement by creating playbills for the Blue Blouse as well as a multitude of illustrations for the Blue Blouse magazines. Sakhnovsky also participated in designing posters for Blue Blouse performances.

When the Blue Blouse publications were discontinued, they were replaced by a similar serial called “Small Forms”. Sakhnovsky was closely associated with this publication.

Besides his work in theaters, Sakhnovsky successfully worked in such genres as Circus, Music-Hall, and poster design.

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Known Theaters in Which Vsevolod Sakhnovsky Worked

Blue Blouse Theater (Teatr “Siniaya Bluza”, Moscow)

Brest Russian Dramatic Theater (“Brestsky Oblastnoy Russky Dramatichesky Teatr”)

Central House of The Red Army (“Tsentral’ny Dom Krasnoy Armii”, Moscow)

Great Dramatic Theater (“Bolshoi Dramatichesky Teatr”, Ivanovo)

Hawk (“Yastrebok”, Moscow)

Lenin’s Komsomol Theater (“Teatr Imeni Leninskogo Komsomola”, Moscow)

Moscow Literary-Dramatic Theater (“Moskovsky Literaturno-Dramatichesky Teatr”)

Moscow Theater of Revues (“Moskovsky Teatr Obozreniy”)

Moscow Theater of Satire (“Moskovsky Teatr Satiry”)

Moscow Touring Theater of Musical Comedy (“Moskovsky Gastrol’ny Teatr Muzkomedii”)

New Variety Show Theater of TsPKO (“Novy Estradny Teatr TsPKO”, Moscow)

North Caucasian Dramatic Theater (“Severo-Kavkazsky Kraevoy Dramatichesky Teatr”)

Sverdlovsk Theater of Musical Comedy (“Sverdlovsky Teatr Muzkomedii”)

Theater of Revues of the House of Press (“Teatr Obozreniy Doma Pechati”, Moscow)

Theater of Soviet Troops in Germany (“Teatr Sovetskikh Voisk v Germanii”)

Variety Show Theater of TsDKA (“Estradny Teatr TsDKA”, Moscow)

Variety Show Theater of TsPKO (“Estradny Teatr TsPKO”, Moscow)

Yermolova Theater (“Teatr Imeni Yermolovoy, Moscow)

Known Exhibitions

1928. Moscow. Moscow Theaters of the October Decade (1917-1927)

(Participants include: N. Altman, A. Vesnin, M. Dobuzhinsky, B. Kustodiev, L. Popova, G. Stenberg)

1939. Moscow. Exhibition of Degree Works of the Theater Workshop [of V. Shestakov]

(Victor Shestakov: well-known Constructivist designer of theatrical sets. Associated with V. Meyerhold)

1991. San Diego, California. Russian Arts Festival (4 works)

1992–1993. New York City. The Great Experiment: Art and Design of the Russian Avant-garde 1915-1932 (2 works)

1993. Chicago, Illinois. Mayakovsky, Meyerhold and Their Time: Soviet Art 1920’s – 1930’s (3 works)

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Selected References

1. Album The Blue Blouse U.S.S.R. 71-72. Moscow, 1927. pp. 1, 34

2. Moscow Theaters of the October Decade (1917-1927). Exhibition Catalogue. Moscow: State Academy of Artistic Sciences [“GAKhN”] and State Theater Museum, 1928.

3. Creative Work (“Tvorchestvo”) 1940 No. 2 pp. 12-15 (Article by S. Margolin)

4. Soviet Art (“Sovetskoye Iskusstvo”) November 14, 1939 (Article by G. Goroshchenko)

5. Uvarova, E. Variety Show Theater (1917-1945). Moscow: Iskusstvo, 1983. Pp. 123, 127, 278, 316

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