Russian State Institute of Performing Arts

The Russian State Institute of Performing Arts, formerly known as St Petersburg Theatre Arts Academy, formerly Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinema (LGITMiK), is a theatre school in Saint Petersburg. It is the oldest Russian state theatre school, being founded in 1779, and has incorporated several mergers of other institutions during its history, including the Ostrovsky Leningrad Theatre Institute and the Leningrad Institute of Art History. It is located at 34 Mokhovaya Street. History The college was originally founded in 1779 at the Emperor's Theatre in St Petersburg, and is the oldest theatre school in Russia. Over the course of its history, the institute has been reorganised and renamed several times. A growing theatre school assimilated the St Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy, along with several independent theatre classes and schools in the city. One of the most notable was the School of Acting (or Acting Skills School, or School of Theatrical Skills) which had been founded in 1918. Leonid Sergeevich Vivian was appointed professor at the school in 1940 and from 1957 was head of the acting department. He was later awarded the Order of Lenin and a number of other medals and awards.