Almost all of Novgorod’s inhabitants older than 35 either would have witnessed or even taken part in the construction of the drama theatre. Protracted developments on the site lasted for almost two decades from the beginning of the 1970s to the late 80s, and have become an integral part of local memory. However, behind its obvious strangeness, the Novgorod theatre is indelibly rooted in the surrounding landscape.

The building was designed in such a way as to be invisible from the main lookouts of the historic city; it leaves the historic centre whole while offering a radical contrast to it. Being intriguingly dominant, it stretches alone on an empty plot of land. The theatre has numerous facades; one resembles the white arches of Novgorod’s Orthodox churches; another overlooks the river with five-storey high windows.