The history of the theatre began in 1933, when it was located on Nevsky Avenue in the building of the former Dutch Church and was named "New". A little later a fire broke out in the theatre, which almost caused the troupe to collapse, but the city authorities provided the theatre group with a new venue, the "New" moved to Rubinstein Street.

In 1940, the theatre was sent on tour for the Far Eastern Army, during the war years it performed in the Urals region, in the Far North and Siberia. It returned to Leningrad in 1945 and moved to its current place — Vladimirsky Avenue, and in 1953, on its 20th anniversary, it was named after the Lensovet (Leningrad City Council). Different directors developed the theatre, artistic ideas and principles in their own way. Acting was being transformed, not necessarily to be improved, eventually it underwent crises.

A new story has begun since 1960, when Igor Petrovich Vladimirov became the artistic director for the next 40 years. Current art director Larisa Luppian is not afraid to commit discoveries in the world of theatre, to put on bold productions and entice the audience with sincere and fascinating acting.