RTO was renamed the All-Russian Theatrical Society or VTO (Russian: Всероссийское театральное общество (ВТО)) in 1933.
On 13 October 1883, the Society for the Benefit of Needy Stage Workers was organized on the initiative of the famous actress Maria Gavrilovna Savina.
Among the founders of the society, which engaged in philanthropic works, were artists Vladimir Nikolayevich Davydov [ru], Nikolai Fyodorovich Sazonov, the writer Dmitry Vasilyevich Grigorovich, the historian A.
It discussed the problems of the repertoire, creation of permanent troupes, training and education of theater directors, situation in theatrical schools, protection of theatres from the censorship.
[1] In 1919, Anatoly Lunacharsky approved the "Regulation on the Russian Theatrical Society", according to which a significant portion of its functions was to the State including registration of contracts and control over their observance.