Satirikon
129594, Moscow, Sheremetyevo Street, etc. 8.
Metro Marina Grove/Марьина Роща
The Satirikon Theatre has a large and remarkable history associated with the name of its founder Arkady Raikin. Arkadiy Raikin was bor to a Jewish family in Riga. He graduated from the Leningrad School of Theatre and in Leningrad, worked in both state theatres and variety shows. In 1939, he founded his own theatre in Leningrad, where he used skits and impersonations to ridicule the inefficiency of Communist bureaucracy and the Soviet way of life. He participated in Russia’s equivelent of USO shows and when asked by a Russian newspaper what his creative plans were he responded “to beat the Nazis and to complete a victory. My weapon will be the satyrical word.” Raikin spent many years travelling around the world always performing in the language of the country he was touring in. Raikin was the creator of a whole array of unforgettable satirical characters, and a living legend of his time and his country. Raikin is often compared with Charlie Chaplin. Arkady Raikin also maintained good working relationships with Marcel Marceau and some other foreign actors. In 1950 his son Konstantin Raikin was born. About 10 years later Arkadiy was put on a secret list of banned artists who were not to be shown on television. Arkady was forced to leave Leningrad. In 1982 Konstantin persuaded his father to move to Moscow and to establish a theatre there. They established a theatre that was eventually moved into the space it is in currently which was once a movie theater. Konstantin followed in his fathers footsteps by becoming one of Russia’s most beloved artisists. Konstantin Raikin can be seen performing and directing many of the shows at the Satirikon.
Here are a couple videos of Arkady Raikin: