Cinema "Culture" was located on the street Volodarsky, former Serpukhov. Before the revolution, a Moorish-style building housed a choral synagogue. In 1923, it was converted into a working club. In 1920-1930, the cinema building was often used for official events. The local auditorium was famous for its excellent acoustics. The stars who came to Minsk on tour preferred to perform in "Culture". Minskers listened here to Vladimir Mayakovsky, Leonid Utesov, Sergey Lemeshev. In the 30s, the State Jewish Theater of the Byelorussian SSR worked in the building. After the end of World War II, the former cinema was rebuilt: it housed the M. Gorky Theater.
The history of the creation of the theater dates back to the beginning of the 30s of the last century, when the State Russian Drama Theater of the BSSR was opened on the basis of a troupe of wandering actors in Bobruisk in 1932 under the direction of Vladimir Kumelsky. At the end of 1940, it was decided to transfer the theater to Minsk. But war prevented this. In 1943, the theater was restored as a front-line with a base in Moscow. The theater worked in Mogilev, then in Grodno. Since 1947 - firmly established in Minsk. In 1955, the theater was named after Maxim Gorky. The central place in his poster was occupied by Russian classics: "Petty Bourgeois", "Children of the Sun", "Vassa Zheleznova" by M. Gorky, "Optimistic Tragedy" by V. Vishnevsky "Power of Darkness" by L. Tolstoy, "Virgin Soil Upturned" by M. Sholokhov, " Masquerade ”by M. Lermontov,“ Three Sisters ”and“ Uncle Vanya ”by A. Chekhov. In 1994, for the high achievements in the field of stage art, the Gorky State Drama Theater was awarded the honorary title “Academic”. And in 1999 - the title of "National".