Ivan Afanasyevich Dmitrevsky (russian: link=no, Ива́н Афана́сьевич Дмитре́вский) (February 28, 1734 in

Yaroslavl Yaroslavl ( rus, Ярослáвль, p=jɪrɐˈsɫavlʲ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence ...

– October 27, 1821 in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

) is generally regarded as the most influential actor of Russian

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

and "Russia's first great tragedian". Together with his friend

Fyodor Volkov Fyodor Grigorievich Volkov () ( in Kostroma – in Moscow) was a Russian actor and founder of the first permanent Russian theater. Life The stepson of merchant Polushkin from Kostroma, Fyodor Volkov received a versatile education. He estab ...

he inaugurated the first Russian theatre in his native

(1750), later moving with the rest of the troupe to

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

(1756). His tragic parts in

Alexander Sumarokov Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov (russian: Алекса́ндр Петро́вич Сумаро́ков; , Moscow – , Moscow) was a Russian poet and playwright who single-handedly created classical theatre in Russia, thus assisting Mikhail Lomonos ...

's plays were admired by

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

and her friend

Ekaterina Dashkova Yekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova (russian: Екатери́на Рома́новна Воронцо́ва) (28 March, 1743 – 15 January, 1810) This source reports that Prince Dashkov died in 1761. was an influential noblewoman, a major figure o ...

. Later, he delivered lectures on theatre in the

Russian Academy The Russian Academy or Imperial Russian Academy (russian: Академия Российская, Императорская Российская академия) was established in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1783 by Empress Catherine II of Russia ...

, of which he was a member. In his writings and plays, Dmitrevsky emphasized reason over emotions, propagating "the loud, artificial declamatory acting style" of French Neoclassicism. Stage actress and singer

Agrafena Musina-Pushkina Agrafena Musina-Pushkina (1740–1782/86), was a Russian stage actress and opera singer.Мусина-Пушкина, Аграфена Михайловна // Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона: ...

(1740–1782/86) studied with him, and later became his wife.Советская Театральная Энциклопедия
/ref>

References

Members of the Russian Academy Russian male stage actors 1734 births 1821 deaths 18th-century male actors from the Russian Empire Dramatists and playwrights from the Russian Empire Burials at Tikhvin Cemetery People from Yaroslavl {{Russia-actor-stub