Theatre Square

Theatre Square is named after the three theatres located on it: the Bolshoi Theatre, Maly Theatre, and Russian Youth Theatre.The square emerged after the 1812 Fire of Moscow and conversion of the Neglinnaya River into an underground channel. The river still flows diagonally under the square’s park. It was designed in a symmetrical Neoclassical style by Joseph Bove in the 1820s, with Neoclassical Style buildings framing it. However, in the second half of the 19th century the Neoclassical ensemble was destroyed by new buildings in eclectic styles, that were considerably taller than the original ones fronting the square.