Penza, 2 January 2012. PenzaNews. Four years ago on January, 2nd, 2008 a building of regional drama theater named after A.V. Lunacharsky burned down in Penza. A fire which lasted about ten hours was extinguished by forces of all special divisions of Penza and Zarechny. According to experts estimation, about 4 thousand sq. meters were destroyed. There were no victims.

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Technical malfunctions in building electrical wiring were the main reason of indignation. There was a short circuit in one of fixtures on the theater ceiling and fire extended a garret quickly.

After emergency in Penza there was an open account for charitable donations on building of a new building of regional drama theater. Approximately in half a year — by June, 2008 — it has been collected about 35 million roubles. Everything, by estimates of experts, it was required about 1.5 billion roubles.

On January, 23rd, 2008 the second president of Russia Vladimir Putin during a working meeting with governor Vasily Bochkarev declared that the federal government will help to restore drama theater on conditions of co-financing.

In February – June, 2008 the burned down building of theater was disassembled. Later open competition for an architectural image of a new building of theater was been held. The most authoritative workshops and project institutes of Penza took part in it. The project executed by a personal creative workshop under the direction of Alexander Breusova (the main architect of the project - Alevtina Chibireva, the author of the architectural decision facades- Igor Kudryashov) with the classical scheme of plan for theater building was the best according to jury majority of votes.

The new building had been constructed more than 1.5 years, and on March, 5th, 2010 the performance “Revizor” based on Nikolay Gogol play took place on the new stage.

The theater building is executed in a manner of the latest classicism with use of elements of Russian modernist style. The Penza dramatic theater is the largest, most equipped and modern theater of a new Russian province.

Natural red Karelian granite was used for facade furnish, decor elements were made of fiberglass. Internally the furniture was made of crystal and marble application. Floors were made of artificial finishing stone. Light gets made of glass dome.

Budget cost of the project was 1 billion 489 million roubles, 651 million rubles were allocated from the federal budget. The total area of new building of the theater is 16.5 thousand sq. meters that is twice more than the former building was. There are 1000 seats in the big hall. It is equipped with the modern light and sound equipment, climate control and firefighting system. The small hall has 100 seats.

The new theater has its own hotel. There are 15 rooms for 40 actors.

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