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The Hermitage Theatre, constructed on the order by Empress Catherine II, was completed by October 1785 but work on the façades and interior decoration continued until 1789. In Catherine's time, the theatre staged nearly the entire repertoire of the period - plays by Molière, Beaumarchais, and others. The theatre reflects Catherine II's fascination with the culture of antiquity. The auditorium takes the form of a Greek amphitheatre with six tiers of benches. Between the columns on the wall are relief portraits of outstanding ancient dramatists.
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