The Novgorod Drama Theatre has a long history.
In 1825, the first stationary theatre was opened in the city, and by 1853, the theatre had become a permanent fixture in Novgorod.
In 1918, the First Public Theatre of the October Revolution was established, and in 1934, the Novgorod Theatre was reorganised as the Leningrad Region Maly Drama Theatre.
The theatre reopened after Novgorod was liberated from the Nazi invaders.
On 1 September 1944, it was again reorganised as the Novgorod Regional Theatre under the jurisdiction of the regional arts department, and from June 1953, the regional department of culture.
In 1987, the company moved to a new building, designed by architect Vladimir Somov, which has housed the Novgorod Drama Theatre for more than 20 years now.
In 1997, the Novgorod Drama Theatre was named after Fyodor Dostoevsky.
In 1999, the Fyodor Dostoevsky Novgorod Drama Theatre was awarded the status of Academic Theatre.
