Gomel Regional Drama Theatre

Gomel Drama Theatre tickets and what's on

The theatre posts a month of shows on its official website and on boards by the entrance. Each listing gives the date, start time, age rating (0+ to 18+) and prices by seating zone. The resident company plays most evenings, and visiting companies from Belarus and Russia come through regularly.

According to the box office, evening plays cost 11–40 BYN and children's shows 12–20 BYN; the stalls cost more than the balcony. Premieres can be pricier, and visiting productions noticeably so — check the price on the date you want.

Buy at the box office inside the theatre, by phone on +375 232 50-90-63, or online through the Belarusian ticket agencies 24afisha and Ticketpro. The theatre warns that agency prices may differ from the box office.

Paying: Belarus runs on roubles (BYN). Western Visa and Mastercard cards often work in city shops and at ATMs, but not reliably, and Russian-issued Visa and Mastercard do not work at all; Russian Mir cards do. Carry enough cash for the box office and city transport. This is unofficial — check with your bank before travelling.

Is the Gomel Drama Theatre worth visiting?

As a building, yes — briefly. It is the grandest facade on Gomel's main square and you will walk past it anyway on the way to the palace park. Twenty minutes is plenty; it is not worth a special trip on its own.

As a night out, it depends on your Russian. Tickets are cheap by European standards and the auditorium is a fine post-war interior, but performances are in Russian or Belarusian. If you don't speak either, pick a children's show, a musical production or a well-known classic you can follow without words.

A short history

The company was formed in 1939 from a class of young actors trained in Moscow, and opened on 20 December 1939 with Gogol's *The Government Inspector* — in a wooden circus building, as it had no theatre of its own. A grand new building by Ivan Zholtovsky was planned, but the war stopped it in 1941.

During the war the actors toured the front lines in small brigades; the theatre counts more than 2,500 concerts. In 1946, still without a stage in Gomel, the company was moved to Mogilev, and construction in Gomel was restarted in 1949.

The present building is by Alexander Tarasenko, a pupil of Zholtovsky. The theatre dates its first performance here to September 1954; Wikipedia gives 1956 for the opening. It is textbook Stalin-era neoclassicism: a six-column portico, a sculpted pediment and pilasters all the way round. It was restored in 2004–2005.

What to see

• The six-column portico — step back to the middle of the square to fit it into one frame.
• The sculpted pediment. Unofficially, a local heritage guide describes it as the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower with Melpomene, the muse of tragedy — look closely.
• Plaster reliefs of musical instruments and classical details along the walls.
• Lenin Square itself — Gomel's main square, once the market square where a big market was held three times a week.
• The Gomel Palace park gate, two minutes away, and the start of Sovetskaya Street.
• The theatre at dusk, lit up as the audience gathers before curtain-up — the liveliest moment on the square.

Can you tour the theatre?

Yes. The backstage tour (“Theatre begins with…”) lasts 1–1.5 hours and costs 10 BYN. It covers the theatre's history, the stage machinery above and below the stage, and the workshops; a meeting with actors can sometimes be arranged.

Tours are for organised groups of 7–20 by arrangement, but individuals can join on dates the theatre announces on its website if places are left. Book on +375 232 23-03-51. Tours are in Russian.

Theatre, palace or Sovetskaya Street?

Do the palace and park by day and save the theatre for the evening — the facade looks best at dusk.

Gomel's historic sights compared

Every historic place in Gomel rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

45

Peter and Paul Cathedral

Gomel, Belarus

30 min · Free · 6 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Peter and Paul Cathedral

39

Paskevich Burial Chapel

Gomel, Belarus

30 min · 5 BYN, outside free · 7 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Paskevich Burial Chapel

36

Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace

Gomel, Belarus

2 h · Park free, palace 15 BYN · 7 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace

38

Museum of Military Glory

Gomel, Belarus

1 h · 12 BYN, students 7, schoolchildren 4.50 · 8 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Museum of Military Glory

How to do it right

• Pair the theatre with a walk in the Gomel Palace park — they are next door to each other.
• Premieres and visiting companies sell out first — book online ahead.
• The cheapest seats are on the balcony; good enough to see the auditorium.
• Travelling with children? Morning fairy tales rated 0+ run about 50 minutes and need little Russian.
• After the show, walk to the Sozh riverside — about 10 minutes from the square.

Questions