National Theatre of the Republic of Karelia is the State Drama Theatre in Petrozavodsk. It is the only Russian Finnish theater where performances are held in Karelian, Finnish and Russian languages. In this building in 1918, the headquarters of the Red Guard, then - Theatre "Triumph", and in 1965 was the reconstruction of the building, which has greatly changed the look of the theater. After the reconstruction in 2003 the building has acquired a modern look.

The first national theater troupe started working here in March 1921. Organizers began its Finnish immigrants from the revolutionary ranks led by Victor Linder - former theater director and actor in Finland. Theatre repertoire includes works of the Finnish pre-revolutionary drama. Considerable forces demanded that the actors of the play "In the critical years", which reflected the real life of the boundary of the village.

For the organization of the Karelian National Theatre was chosen candidacy represented Ragnar Nyustrema - the famous theater personality and poet of the time. The first theater actors have become graduates of the Faculty of the Karelian art studio in Leningrad. The task of the national theater was to familiarize the population with the world drama, whose representatives were: Gorky "enemies" B Lavrenev "Break" and many others. In autumn 1937 the theater has stopped its work under the banner of struggle against bourgeois nationalism. The activities of the theater was rebuilt in 1940 after it was transformed into Karelian SSR into Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic.

In the postwar years, Finnish theater has become a leading national theaters from all the former Soviet Union, because it only began to use special headphones for simultaneous translation of words in the Russian language. As before, the largest part of performances consisted of translated Soviet plays. Plays A. Afinogenov, Smuul Yu A. Korniychuk staged in Finnish. Since 1968 for theatrical productions began to attract Finnish filmmakers. With the theater began to cooperate known directors: Timo Ventola, Kaisa Korhonen, Harri Liuksiala, which put the majority of Finnish plays. In 1982 the theater was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples about its 50th anniversary since its foundation.

Throughout 1993 and 2003 the main theater director was honored artist of Lithuania and worker of arts of the Karelian republic Leonid Vladimirov. In 1997 he opened a studio of the National Theatre at the Petrozavodsk State Conservatory. The artistic director of the studio was a theater director Arvid Zeland, who has worked in this capacity until 2004.

With regard to the latter, the most significant works of the national theater, it can be said: "Autumn and Winter" on the play by L. Nurena "Play Strindberg" on the play by F. Dürrenmatt. Some of the actors who took part in the productions have received republican prize "Onega Mask" for the performance of the best roles for the period of the theater season. The performance titled "Niskavuori", staged the play by H. Wuolijoki won the same award only for Best Director Andrei Andreyev.

June 24, 2003 after eight years of reconstruction was opened Main Stage Theater, which was equipped with the latest sound and lighting equipments. Big scene opened the premiere of "Nummifars" the classic Finnish comedy drama "Nummi Shoemakers" Aleksis Kivi. In the period from 2003 to 2004, new theater productions: "secret meeting" by Oleg Nikolaenko, "Sakhalin Wife" director Irene Zubzhitskoy, "Tartuffe" by Andrei Andreyev. Placed in 2003 at the Small Stage Theatre production of "Creation of the World. Songs the first and second "was recognized as the best performance of the Fifth International Festival of Finno-Ugric theaters in Yoshkar-Ola. Also staged won in international electronic theater festival called "The Big Candle".