11 Best Performing Arts in Moscow, Russia

Opened in 1923 as a theater for railroad workers, this revamped, stunningly creative space is the hub of Moscow's contemporary theater scene. The schedule includes plays directed by top Russian directors as well as dance, film, and music.

Good, often flashy productions are on the bill at this large theater. Tickets can be bought online but are frequently very hard to get.

Moscow's first dramatic theater, opened in 1824, is famous for its staging of Russian classics, especially those of the 19th-century satirist Alexander Ostrovsky—his statue stands outside the building.

Founded in 1898, the MKhAT is famous for its well-funded productions of the Russian classics, but it also stages plenty of modern and foreign performances. The theatre's American Studio Six presents performances, typically Russian classics, in English a few times a year.

The theater stages lighthearted, and much humbler, versions of Western musicals, as well as the latest Russian musicals.

Despite its name, this acclaimed theater mainly stages adult productions. It is famed for well-directed dramatizations of Chekhov short stories, staged by director Kama Ginkas.

An intimate space shows a wide selection of contemporary and experimental theater by some of Russia's best modern directors.

This well-respected theater housed in a columned white stone building on leafy bulvar Chistoprudny stages a mix of Russian classics and foreign adaptations.

What was once considered to be one of Moscow's best theaters is worth visiting for the troupe's most famed dramatization, of Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita.

This noncommercial project run mainly by volunteers specializes in documentary theater. Plays in this tiny basement theater are very experimental and provide a good insight into modern Russian life. The theater has no telephone number, so it's best to book tickets via the website.

Attracting children and adults, the shows here, based on the commedia dell'arte, are filled with music, dance, and acrobatics.