The Maly Drama Theatre was created in 1944 in Leningrad, at a time when most theatres had been evacuated from the city. Founded by decision of the Oblast Executive Committee, the theatre had neither a clear artistic program, nor its own building. The small troupe performed in towns and villages of the Leningrad Oblast. From time to time interesting plays were staged, but the theatre went largely unknown in the city.

The Maly Drama Theatre engages actively in the work of the Union of Theatres of Europe, which it was invited to join in 1992. The General Assembly of the Union of European Theatres granted MDT the status of Theatre of Europe in 1998. Today there are only three such theatres in the world: the Odeon in Paris, the Piccolo in Milan, and the Petersburg Maly Drama Theatre. This is no accident. During the past decade the Maly Drama Theatre has become a leader in the developing theatrical arts. The theatre's shows have been seen in practically all corners of the earth, in more than sixty cities of Europe, Australia, South and North America, Southeast Asia, and today foreign viewers judge the state of Russian theatre arts by MDT performances. In 1994 the theatre opened the renewed "Russian Seasons" in Paris. Over the course of three months the theatre gave Parisians three premieres and two shows from the repertoire. It was at that time that Lev Dodin was awarded the Order of Literature and the Arts as an officer "for considerable contribution to Russian-French cultural ties." In 2000 the Union of European Theatres on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe conferred upon Lev Dodin the coveted European Theatre Award.

The Maly Drama Theatre is a regular guest and participant in prestigious theatre festivals of the world. The theatre's coaches, led by Lev Dodin, hold master classes at major theatre schools in Europe and America. The theatre accepts young directors and actors from the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, Hungary and the Scandinavian countries on internships. Today there are 56 actors in the troupe, most of whom are students of Lev Dodin from various years: Tatyana Shestakova, Sergey Bekhterev, Natalya Akimova, Petr Semak, Sergey Vlasov, Igor Ivanov, Natalya Fomenko and Igor Sklyar, as well as actors of the younger generation already acclaimed in Russia and the world, such as Igor Chernevich, Irina Tychinina, Sergey Kruyshev, Oleg Dmitriev, Igor Nikolaev, Vladimir Seleznev, Maria Nikiforova and many, many others who make up the theatre's studio. The theatre conducts daily diction, movement and vocal classes that are mandatory for both beginners and for recognized masters of the stage