The history of the Tula academic drama theatre. Gorky is rooted in 1777, when Tula was given the status of an independent provincial city. The actors for the Tula theatre were brought from Kaluga. In the playbill that time there were tragedies, comedies, operas, plays by A. P. Sumarokov, Knyazhnin Y. B., Moliere, Beaumarchais. Interesting and uncommon repertoire, acting troupe and affordable ticket prices made the theatre provincial cultural centre.

In 1787, the Tula theatre was visited by Catherine II. The show she was pleased and gave the order to send to St. Petersburg two best actors for improvement. Among them was a tragic actor of the genre Trofim Konstantinov, who then adorned the basic structure of the Imperial stage in St. Petersburg.

Tula, rightfully, proud to be hence great actors of the late 18th and early 19th centuries In 1822, in the Tula theatre of the work of the famous Russian actor M. S. Shchepkin, then he was transferred to a Small Imperial Moscow theatre, where he served for forty years and was the best artist in his time. In 1832, at Tula the theatrical stage debut P. M. Sadowski, founder of a dynasty of artists of the Maly theater.

Theatre life in Tula, which was on the Kiev tract, has always been pretty intense. There have often been on tour such famous artists as M. N. Ermolov, P. S. Mochalov, L. P. Nikulin-Kosicka, A. I. Ugine, came here and the troupe of the Stanislavsky.

The work of the great writer Leo Tolstoy, who lived and worked in the Tula province, could not fail to leave its mark on the theatre's repertoire. On the stage of the Nobility Assembly April 15, 1890, was given a public performance titled "the Fruits of enlightenment", in his rehearsal was attended by the author himself.

Different era left its mark on the repertoire and directing theatre, acting destiny. So, in 1938, almost all the protagonists of the play "Anna Karenina" were arrested as members of the "spy agencies", four of them were shot, among them was Anna Tomashevskaya, who played Anna Karenina.

During the great Patriotic war of the Tula theatre continued its activities (except for the time the city was under siege). Daily given in two performances, the troupe traveled with concerts to the front and in a military unit.

Own the building the theater was only in 1912 (today it houses the Regional Philharmonic society). On this stage were born the famous performances, which have taken a worthy place in the history of the theatre: "Anna Karenina", "Vassa Zheleznova by Maxim Gorky, "a month in the country" by Ivan Turgenev, "the Living corpse" by L. N. Tolstoy, "Justin" H. wuolijoki, "the Fruits of enlightenment". Tolstoy, "the taming of the shrew" by W. Shakespeare, "Maria Stuart" by Friedrich Schiller, "mother's field" Aitmatov, "virgin soil upturned by Mikhail Sholokhov.

Among the actors of the Tula theatre can distinguish I. M. Dubinina, N. With. Kritsky, N. D. Chonishvili, O. S. Karnovich, K. A. Shishkina, V. S. Shevyrev, A. I. Solovyev, K. V. Shurygina, E. I. Pchyolkin, N. And. Kazakov, V. A. Demidov, S. V. Sotnichenko, each of which had a bright creative individuality.

In the theatre he worked with such Directors as Gerst M. N., The Prince Vladimir, Glowacki B. G., Tuncel A.V., Parcalab N. N., Lebedev V. N., Rachlin, R. P., D. M. Mansky, Kondrat'ev V. P., Malyshev A. A. who have contributed to the history of the theatre bright pages.

In 1970, the theatre was built a new building. Architects it was made by A. Krasilnikov, V. Soulgrifter, A. Popov. Sculptural composition titled "Muse" on the facade of the building is made A. Vashentsova and D. Shakhovsky.

The most significant period in the history of the Tula drama theatre is associated with the name R. P. Rakhlin, the Honored worker of arts. He managed to gather amazing creative palette theatrical troupe. In his productions he showed his talent R. G. Asfandiyarov, N. With. Belousov, N. And. Kazakov, V. Korobkin, V. A. Bashkin, A. I. Soloviev, N. F. Zemtsov, G. A. Kuzminskiy, O. G. Korshikov, V. V. Gowalla, V. Bazin, V. M. Zhukov, Y. Muravitsky, E. V. Murashov.

In the period from 1989 to 2011, the theatre was headed by A. I. Popov, pupil of G. A. Tovstonogov, who, after a long hiatus brought back to the stage the characters of Leo Tolstoy. The Tula theatre toured in the Baltic States, Ukraine, Belarus, in the far North, the Urals, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Czechoslovakia, Poland. The theatre takes an active part in the Russian festival movement.

In 1995 the theatre was awarded the title "Academic".

In recent years in the playbill of the theatre, a play by P. Gladilina, Gr. Gorin, L. Petrushevskaya, A. Slapovskogo, Poddubnaya, E., V. Zherebtsov, V. Merezhko.