Nadezhda Aronetskaya Theater of Drama and Comedy

When Tiraspol became the capital of the Moldavian Autonomous SSR in 1929, an architectural boom transformed the city, gifting it a magnificent theater building designed by architect Grigory Gotgelf in the Neoclassicism style. From 1936, three troupes — Russian, Ukrainian and Moldavian — brought the stage to life within these walls. The theater’s existence was interrupted during the 1940s when the building suffered severe wartime damage, with restoration only possible in 1963.

The theater’s revival is inextricably linked to its first chief director, Honored Art Worker of the MSSR Nadezhda Aronetskaya, whose innovative productions, persuasive acting direction and swift recognition from Soviet critics transformed this institution into a genuine cultural force. In acknowledgment of her outstanding contribution to Pridnestrovian theater art, the theater was given her name in 2001.

The building itself witnessed two of the most pivotal moments in Pridnestrovian history. On April 12, 1944, a red banner was hoisted here to mark the liberation of Tiraspol from Nazi invaders. Then, on September 2, 1990, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian SSR was officially proclaimed within these very walls at the 2nd Extraordinary Congress of Deputies — a founding moment commemorated by a plaque on the building’s facade to this day.

Today, the theater’s troupe of more than 30 accomplished actors continues this remarkable legacy, including such celebrated names as People’s Artists I. Taran, A. Doryanu and E. Tolstov, Distinguished Artists V. Klimenko, N. Volodina, T. Dikusar and I. Serikova, alongside many other talented performers. Over its history, the theater has staged more than 200 productions viewed by over 9 million spectators — figures that speak to its enduring place at the heart of cultural life in the Pridnestrovian capital.

Theater Square, one of only four squares in Tiraspol, frames this iconic building on its eastern side, with Pridnestrovian State University flanking the southwest and west, while the square itself brings Pokrovskaya Street’s eastern perspective to a graceful close.

Address: 130, Pokrovskaya Str., Tiraspol
Box office: +373 533 95709
Phone: +373 533 97071
Website: www.teatrtiras.ru