Savva Mamontov’s Russian Private Opera
Out of the Russian merchants influencing the arts, Savva Mamontov was definitely the most artsy individual. His passion for the arts was fueled by his own natural talent and personal projects he worked on. Initially part of a long line of tax farming merchants, Savva diversified the family wealth by setting up an oil trading company. During his schooling process in Italy, Savva became enthralled by the opera scene and sought to bring a similar culture to Moscow.
In 1885, Savva founded the Russian Private Opera and for several years he personally managed the stage performances. Initially, Savva included both Italian and Russian plays, but once the theater gained notoriety he shifted the presentations to exclusively Russian performances. Unfortunately, Mamontov’s business practices caused him to make many enemies and in 1899 Savva was arrested and placed on trial for suspected embezzlement. This ruined his reputation and lead Savva to retract from the art scene. The theater, in turn, fell on hard times and ceased operations in 1904.
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