The history of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation as a public organization uniting representatives of theatrical professions began in 1876, when the Society for Mutual Assistance of Russian Artists was founded.
According to the Charter, membership was open not only to artists and stage directors, but also to “poets, composers, playwrights, literary critics, painters, sculptors, and architects.” Among the founders, there were I. Turgenev, A. Pleshcheyev, D. Grigorovich, N. Potekhin, and V. Vereshchagin. The first chairman was actor, stage director, and playwright A. Fedotov. In 1904, it was renamed the Imperial Russian Theater Society. In 1932, the name changed for the All-Russian Theater Society (VTO), and when theaters were transferred to fixed work in 1938, local branches opened in many Russian cities. The 15th Congress of the VTO in 1986 took a decision to establish the Union of Theater Workers of the RSFSR, a full-fledged creative union. People's Artist of the USSR M. Ulyanov was elected its chairman and headed it for ten years.
Today, the Union joins up theater artists from all over Russia. Its main goals are to promote the development of the arts in all areas, provide practical assistance to Russian theaters and theater schools, help protect the social, legal, and professional interests of theater artists, and create the necessary working and living conditions for Union members.
The postage stamp provides an image of the building of the Union of Theater Workers; the margins of the souvenir sheet feature a curtain and the logo of the organization.
| Paper |
Printing method |
Perforation |
Format of the stamp |
Format of the block |
Edition |
| Chalk surfaced |
Offset + figure cutting + security system |
Frame 12¼:12 |
42 × 30 mm |
80 × 60 mm |
16 thousand blocks |