The Irkutsk Drama Theatre is one hundred years old. It underwent a complete renovation in 1997-99. The external facade of the theatre was restored to its original appearance. The theatre was reopened just a few days before the end of 1999 in the midst of the mayoral election campaign.
Volodya gave me a tour of the theatre before the performance of a Japanese play we came to see. The theatre is really beautiful, and the play was worth seeing, too. It was "Suicide of Lovers on the Island of Heavenly Nets" by M. Tikamitsu, which is something like a remote Japanese equivalent of the Romeo and Juliet. It was in Russian, played by local actors who were excellent at creating a Japanese atmosphere.