Konstantin Markovich Poltoratsky, son of Mark Fedorovich Poltoratsky, who led the Court Singing Chapel and was a descendant of a Chernigov Cossack, whose singing so impressed Empress Elizabeth that she invited him to St. Petersburg.

Konstantin Markovich was an outstanding officer, awarded orders and a hero of the Battle of Austerlitz. In 1830, he retired. Contemporaries recalled that the officers and soldiers of the Nasheburg regiment cried at his departure, as he had earned their love and respect. Soon he became the civil governor of Yaroslavl and moved there with his wife, Sofia Borisovna Golitsyna. In 1842, he left service due to health issues and returned to St. Petersburg.

In 1818, Poltoratsky acquired a plot on Petrovskaya Square under favorable conditions. In 1821, a house was built here according to the design of A. Elkinsky, with the facade developed by the famous Moscow architect O. Bove. The house was a copy of the building of merchant V. Vargin across the street. The first floor housed shops and a gallery, while the second was residential.

In 1840, the house passed to merchant P. Bronnikov, who from 1869 to 1882 rented the bel étage to the Moscow 'Artistic Circle' theatre, founded by A. N. Ostrovsky. This theatre became one of the first private theatres in Russia. On the first floor was Bronnikov's tavern, where actors and writers gathered after performances.

In 1889, the building was reconstructed according to the design of A. Kaminsky. The modern appearance of the theatre was achieved in 1898 thanks to architect B. Freidenberg at the request of entrepreneur Mikhail Lentovsky, who wanted to create a model dramatic theatre with a diverse repertoire.

Various theatrical troupes worked in this building, including the theatre of Pavel Shelaputin, the Imperial New Theatre of A. P. Lensky, the Private Opera of S. I. Zimin, and the theatre of K. N. Nezlobin, which first staged Gorky's plays in 1909.

Since 1924, the building belonged to MKhAT-2 under the direction of M. Chekhov. In 1936, it was handed over to the children's theatre under the leadership of Natalia Sats, and on March 5, the performance 'Seryozha Streltzov' by V. Lyubimova took place here. At that time, the theatre was named the Central Children's Theatre.

Over the years, directors G. Tovstonogov, M. Yanshin, and A. Efros worked here. Since 1992, it has been the Russian Academic Youth Theatre, RAMT.