The installation of chairs in the auditorium of the Bolshoi Theater began. About us Number of seats in the Bolshoi Theater after reconstruction

At the mere mention of the Bolshoi, theatergoers all over the world take their breath away and their hearts begin to beat faster. A ticket to his performance is the best gift, and each premiere is accompanied by a flurry of enthusiastic responses from both fans and critics. State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia has a solid weight not only in our country, but also abroad, because the best singers and dancers of their era have always performed on its stage.

How did the Bolshoi Theater begin?

In the early spring of 1776, the Empress Catherine II by her royal decree, she ordered to organize "theatrical ... performances" in Moscow. Hastened to fulfill the will of the empress Prince Urusov who served as provincial prosecutor. He began the construction of the theater building on Petrovka. The temple of art did not have time to open, as it died in a fire at the construction stage.

Then the entrepreneur got down to business. Michael Maddox, under whose leadership a brick building was erected, decorated with white stone decor and having a height of three floors. The theater, named Petrovsky, was opened at the very end of 1780. Its hall accommodated about a thousand spectators, and the same number of fans of Terpsichore could watch performances from the gallery. Maddox owned the building until 1794. During this time, more than 400 performances were staged on the stage of the Petrovsky Theater.

In 1805, a new fire destroyed the already stone building, and for a long time the troupe wandered around the stages of the home theaters of the Moscow aristocracy. Finally, three years later, the famous architect C. I. Rossi completed the construction of a new building on Arbatskaya Square, but the fiery element did not spare him either. The new temple of musical art perished in a great fire that broke out in Moscow during the occupation of the capital by the Napoleonic army.

Four years later, the Moscow Development Commission announced a competition for the best project for a new musical theater building. The competition was won by the project of a professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts A. Mikhailova. Later, the architect who brought the idea to life made significant improvements to the drawings. O. I. Bove.

Historic building on Theater Square

During the construction of the new building, the foundation of the burned-out Petrovsky Theater was partially used. Bove's idea was that the theater was supposed to symbolize the victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812. As a result, the building was a stylized temple in the Empire style, and the grandeur of the building was emphasized by a wide square in front of the main facade.

The grand opening took place on January 6, 1825, and the audience who were present at the performance "The Triumph of the Muses" noted the splendor of the building, the beauty of the scenery, amazing costumes and, of course, the unsurpassed skill of the leading actors in the first performance on the new stage.

Unfortunately, fate did not spare this building either, and after the fire of 1853, only a portico with a colonnade and external stone walls remained from it. Restoration work under the direction of the Chief Architect of the Imperial Theaters Albert Cavos lasted three years. As a result, the proportions of the building were slightly changed: the theater became much wider and more spacious. The facades were given eclectic features, and the sculpture of Apollo, which died in the fire, was replaced by a bronze quadriga. Bellini's The Puritani premiered in the renovated building in 1856.

Bolshoi Theater and New Times

The revolution brought many changes in all spheres of life, and the theater was no exception. At first, the Bolshoi was given the title of academic, and then they wanted to close it altogether, but the All-Russian Central Executive Committee issued a decree on the preservation of the theater. In the 1920s, the building underwent some repairs, which not only strengthened the walls, but also destroyed any opportunity for spectators to demonstrate their rank hierarchy.

The Great Patriotic War was a difficult time for the troupe. The theater was evacuated to Kuibyshev, and performances were staged on the local stage. The artists made a significant contribution to the defense fund, for which the troupe received gratitude from the head of state.

In the postwar years, the Bolshoi Theater was repeatedly reconstructed. Recent work was carried out on the historical stage in the period from 2005 to 2011.

Repertoire past and present

In the early years of the theater's existence, its troupe did not attach too much importance to the content of the productions. Aristocrats who spent their time in idleness and entertainment became ordinary spectators of the performances. Every evening, up to three or four performances could be played on the stage, and in order not to bore the small audience, the repertoire changed very often. Benefit performances were also popular, which were arranged by both famous and leading actors and the second cast. The performances were based on the works of European playwrights and composers, but dance sketches on the themes of Russian folk life and life were also present in the repertoire.

In the 19th century, significant musical works began to be staged on the stage of the Bolshoi, which became historical events in the cultural life of Moscow. In 1842 they played for the first time "Life for the Tsar" Glinka, and in 1843 the audience applauded the soloists and participants of the ballet A. Adana "Giselle". The second half of the 19th century was marked by the works Marius Petipa, thanks to which the Bolshoi is known as the first stage for "Don Quixote of La Mancha" by Minkus and "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky.

The heyday of the main Moscow theater falls on the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. During this period, on the stage of the Bolshoi shine Chaliapin and Sobinov whose names become known to the whole world. The repertoire is enriched Opera "Khovanshchina" by Mussorgsky, stands behind the conductor's stand Sergei Rachmaninov, and the great Russian artists Benois, Korovin and Polenov take part in the work on the scenery for the performances.

The Soviet era brought many changes to the theater scene as well. Many performances are subjected to ideological criticism, and the choreographers of the Bolshoi strive to find new forms in the art of dance. The opera is represented by works by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, but the names of Soviet composers on posters and covers of programs are increasingly appearing.

After the end of the war, the most significant premieres of the Bolshoi Theater were Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev. The incomparable Galina Ulanova shines in the main roles in ballet performances. In the 60s, the audience conquers Maya Plisetskaya dancing "Carmen Suite", and Vladimir Vasiliev as Spartacus in A. Khachaturian's ballet.

In recent years, the troupe has increasingly resorted to experiments that are not always unambiguously assessed by the audience and critics. Drama and film directors are involved in the work on the performances, the scores are returned to the author's editions, the concept and style of the scenery are increasingly becoming the subject of fierce debate, and the productions are broadcast in cinemas around the world and on Internet channels.

During the existence of the Bolshoi Theater, many interesting events were associated with it. Outstanding people of their time worked in the theater, and the main building of the Bolshoi became one of the symbols of the Russian capital:

- At the time of the opening of the Petrovsky Theater, its troupe consisted of about 30 artists. and a little over a dozen accompanists. Today, about a thousand artists and musicians serve in the Bolshoi Theater.

At different times on the stage of the Bolshoi were Elena Obraztsova and Irina Arkhipova, Maris Liepa and Maya Plisetskaya, Galina Ulanova and Ivan Kozlovsky. During the existence of the theater, more than eighty of its artists were awarded the title of folk, and eight of them were awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Ballerina and choreographer Galina Ulanova was awarded this honorary title twice.

An ancient chariot with four harnessed horses, called a quadriga, was often depicted on various buildings and structures. Such chariots were used in ancient Rome during triumphal processions. The quadriga of the Bolshoi Theater was made by a famous sculptor Peter Klodt. No less famous of his works are the sculptural images of horses on the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg.

In the 30-50s. of the last century, the main artist of the Bolshoi was Fedor Fedorovsky- a student of Vrubel and Serov, who worked at the beginning of the century with Diaghilev in Paris. It was he who in 1955 created the famous brocade curtain of the Bolshoi Theater, called "golden".

- In 1956 the ballet company traveled to London for the first time.. Thus began a series of famous tours of the Bolshoi in Europe and the world.

Great success on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater had Marlene Dietrich. The famous German actress performed in the building on Theater Square in 1964. She brought her famous show “Marlene Expirience” to Moscow and during her performances she was called to bow two hundred times.

Soviet opera singer Mark Reizen set the Guinness World Record on stage. In 1985, at the age of 90, he performed the part of Gremin in the play "Eugene Onegin".

In Soviet times, the theater was twice awarded the Order of Lenin.

The building of the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater is on the list of objects of cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia.

The last reconstruction of the main building of the Bolshoi cost 35.4 billion rubles. The work lasted six years and three months, and on October 28, 2011, the theater was inaugurated after repairs.

new scene

In 2002, the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater was opened on Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street. The premiere was a production of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Snow Maiden. The new stage served as the main stage during the reconstruction of the main building, and in the period from 2005 to 2011, the entire repertoire of the Bolshoi was staged on it.

After the grand opening of the renovated main building, the New Stage began to receive touring troupes from theaters in Russia and around the world. The operas The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky, The Love for Three Oranges by Prokofiev and The Snow Maiden by N. Rimsky-Korsakov are still staged from the permanent repertoire at Bolshaya Dmitrovka. Ballet fans can see The Bright Stream by D. Shostakovich and the Carmen Suite by G. Bizet and R. Shchedrin on the New Stage.

In total, there are about 3,800 - 3,900 seats that can accommodate lovers of the classics at the same time: ballet, opera, classical music, enjoying the atmosphere of intimacy and elitism of what is happening on the stages and in the auditoriums of the Bolshoi ... Ask: "where did so many theater seats come from ?" Let's count:

1. Historical (Main) stage, numbering up to 2.5 thousand seats, intended for lovers and admirers of musical, classical productions. The visiting card of the theatre, where theatre-goers, newcomers, "pioneers" of the Bolshoi strive to first see and taste the symbiosis of golden monograms on a red background, and then immerse themselves in the magic of the production itself. In secret, but for the first time being in the Bolshoi, it is the interior of the historical stage that "knocks out" the newcomer, if some statistical research is carried out, the performance begins after ... when the first portion of impressions has already been received.
2. A new (main? Rather, also yes) stage, which during the reconstruction of the historical "stage" managed to cope with the repertoire of the theater. But still inferior in scope and spaciousness, providing its performances for viewing by about 1.0 thousand theatergoers.
3. And the third hall is the Beethoven Hall, designed for 320 people. With such a simple addition, we calculated how many people can simultaneously receive a portion of art, provided that there are performances or concerts at all the venues of the Bolshoi.

Since we figured out the number of seats, we can proceed to the recommendations for choosing the right chair. Here the recommendation will be subjective, because in the end everyone feels a good location for himself in the auditorium. So, if you go to the ballet, then the best view of the action will be from the seats of the amphitheater and a little higher, but not the 4th row of the balcony, where mostly students sit. In the parterre, you will not see the pattern of constructions well enough, for which a slightly higher view is desirable, but the opera is both the parterre and slightly higher places above it. The second point is to buy tickets to the central sectors so that the stage is exactly in front of your eyes. The side view, where the boxes are usually located, somewhat blurs the overall picture of the performance, you see what is happening in a somewhat distorted image. But symphony concerts can be watched and listened to anywhere, here it is not so important where you sit.

An important point is the cost of tickets, and they are not the cheapest to the Bolshoi Theater. The parterre with performances on the historical or new stage goes within 14-15 thousand rubles, the balcony, of course, is the "cheapest", about 5-6 thousand rubles .. If you choose between scenes, then the New Stage has practically no places with "poor" visibility, while the historical one has such limitations. But so the stage in its history has the right to do so, right? The most economical option is a visit to the Beethoven Hall, with a price policy of 3.5 thousand rubles, but here the music, not the ballet, is visible from everywhere. Therefore, choose what is closer to you and get the coveted ticket.

P.S. A little secret: during evening performances, on the monitor installed on the facade of the theater, there is an online broadcast of the performance that is on stage, and rows of chairs are placed in the square for the convenience of street viewers. For some reason, there are few compatriots among the audience, more and more foreigners, who already in the afternoon begin to quietly take their seats, so that in the evening they can comfortably, albeit outside the auditorium, but find themselves at the evening extravaganza of the Bolshoi Theater. This is an alternative for those who love classical performances, but finances do not allow it...

On the site of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow previously stood the Petrovsky Theater, which completely burned out on October 8, 1805.

In 1806, with the money of the Russian treasury, the site was redeemed, and with it the surrounding buildings.

According to the original plans, this was done in order to simply clear large areas to prevent major fires in Moscow.

But even then they began to think about creating a theater square on this site. There was no project, no money at that time, and they returned to their plans only at the beginning of 1816, after the war with Napoleon.

The courtyards of two demolished churches were added to the already approved territory for the creation of Theater Square. And in May the project was approved by Alexander I.

History of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow begins in 1817, when the project of a new theater was presented to the tsar, which was to be built on this site.

It is interesting that the building was already oriented with its facade in the project with access to the square (this is how the theater looks now), although the old Petrovsky Theater had a central entrance from the side of the current Central Department Store. The project was presented to the Tsar by General Engineer Corbinier.

But then the unthinkable happened!

The project somehow disappeared without a trace on the eve of its presentation to the Governor-General of Moscow DV Golitsyn. Architect O.I. Beauvais urgently prepares new drawings of the building plan with two floors and a sketch of the facade.

In 1820, work began on clearing the territory and starting the construction of the Bolshoi Theater. By this time, the project of the architect A. Mikhailov had already been approved, which retained the concept laid down by the architect O.I. Beauvais.

The appearance of the theater in Moscow was influenced by the design of the Bolshoi St. Petersburg Theatre, reconstructed in 1805 by the architect Tom de Toma. The building also featured a sculpted pediment and Ionic columns.

Simultaneously with the construction of the theater, work was underway to imprison the Neglinnaya River in a pipe (it runs from the corner of the Maly Theater building and goes to the Alexander Garden).

The freed "wild stone", which was strewn with the embankment of the river, as well as the steps of the Kuznetsk bridge, went to the construction of the Bolshoi Theater. It was from the stone that the bases of the columns at the central entrance were arranged.

The building of the Bolshoi Theater turned out to be grandiose.

Only the stage occupied an area equal to the area of ​​the entire former Petrovsky Theatre, and the walls left after the fire became the frame for this part of the theatre. The auditorium was designed for 2200-3000 seats. The theater lodges were supported on cast-iron brackets, the weight of which was more than 1 ton. Enfilades of masquerade rooms stretched along both side facades.

The construction of the building took a little over 4 years.

The opening took place on January 6, 1825 with the play "The Triumph of the Muses", the musical accompaniment to which was written by A. Alyabyev and A. Verstovsky.

In the early years of its development, the Bolshoi Theater was not a purely musical platform. Representatives of all genres could give a performance here.

And the name of the Theater Square, on which the Bolshoi Theater stood, did not reflect the essence. At first, it was intended for military drills, it was fenced and the entrance to it was very limited.

Over the following years, the theater was constantly reconstructed. Thus, separate entrances to the royal and ministerial boxes appeared, the plafond of the hall was completely rewritten, artillery rooms were built in place of the masquerade halls. The main scene was not left without attention.

In March 1853, a fire broke out in the theater. The fire began in one of the storerooms and the fire quickly engulfed the scenery and theatrical curtain. Wooden buildings contributed to the rapid spread of the flame and the strength of the elements, which subsided only after a few days.

During the fire, 7 people died. Only thanks to the actions of two ministers, more victims were avoided (they led a group of children out of the fire, who were studying at that time on the main stage of the theater).

The building was badly damaged by fire.

The roof and back wall of the stage collapsed. The interior burned out. The cast-iron columns of the mezzanine boxes melted, and in place of the tiers, only metal brackets were visible.

Immediately after the fire, a competition was announced for the restoration of the Bolshoi Theater building. Many well-known architects presented their works: A. Nikitin (created projects for many Moscow theaters, took part in the last reconstruction of the building before the fire), K.A. Ton (architect of the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior).

Won the contest A.K. Kavos, who had more experience in building music halls. He also had a deep knowledge of acoustics.

To better reflect the sound, the architect changed the curvature of the walls of the hall. The ceiling was made flatter and given the appearance of a guitar deck. Under the stalls, a corridor was filled up, which had previously served as a dressing room. The walls were sheathed with wooden panels. All this led to a significant improvement in acoustics, an important component of any theater.

The portal arch of the stage was enlarged to the width of the hall, and the orchestra pit was deepened and expanded. Reduced the width of the corridors and made advance lodges. The height of the tiers has become the same on all floors.

During this reconstruction, the royal box was built, which was located opposite the stage. Internal transformations have added comfort to visual places, but, at the same time, reduced their number.

The curtain for the theater was painted by the then-famous artist Kozroe Duzi. The plot was the topic with Prince Pozharsky at the head, who enters the Moscow Kremlin through the gates of the Spasskaya Tower.

The appearance of the building has also undergone changes.

The building of the Bolshoi Theater has increased in height. An additional pediment was erected above the main portico, which covered an imposing decorative hall. Klodt's quadriga was brought forward a little and it began to hang right over the colonnade. The side entrances were decorated with cast-iron canopies.

More sculptural decorations were added to the external decoration, and decorative niches were built in. The walls were covered with rustication and they were no longer smoothly plastered as before. The podium in front of the entrance was equipped with a ramp for carriages.

By the way, the most common question is: “How many columns does the Bolshoi Theater have?”. Their number did not change even after the reconstruction. There were still 8 of them.

The revived theater stopped staging any performances on its stage, and began to limit its repertoire to only ballet and opera performances.

At the end of the century, noticeable cracks appeared on the building. A thorough survey showed that the building needed a major overhaul and work to strengthen the foundation.

From 1894 until the first years of the new millennium, a grandiose reconstruction of the Bolshoi was carried out: the lighting became completely electric, the heating was switched to steam, and the ventilation system was improved. At the same time, the first telephones appeared in the theater.

The foundation of the building could be strengthened only during the years of Soviet Power, 1921-1925. I.I. supervised the work. Rerberg is the architect of the Kievsky railway station and the Central Moscow Telegraph.

Reconstruction in the theater is carried out constantly. Our time is no exception.

At the beginning of the third millennium, transformations affected not only the interior and exterior of the building. The theater began to grow in depth. Under the current Theater Square there is a new concert hall.

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In continuation of a series of stories about the world's opera houses, I want to tell you about the Bolshoi Opera Theater in Moscow. The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Russia, or simply the Bolshoi Theater, is one of the largest in Russia and one of the largest opera and ballet theaters in the world. Located in the center of Moscow, on Theater Square. The Bolshoi Theater is one of the main assets of the city of Moscow

The birth of the theater dates back to March 1776. This year, Groti ceded his rights and obligations to Prince Urusov, who undertook to build a stone public theater in Moscow. With the assistance of the famous M.E. Medox, a place was chosen in Petrovskaya Street, in the parish of the Church of the Savior in Spear. By the vigilant labors of Medox, in five months, was built big theater, according to the plan of the architect Rozberg, which cost 130,000 rubles. The Petrovsky Theater of Medox stood for 25 years - on October 8, 1805, during the next Moscow fire, the theater building burned down. The new building was built by K. I. Rossi on Arbat Square. But it, being wooden, burned down in 1812, during the invasion of Napoleon. In 1821, the construction of the theater began on the original site according to the project of O. Bove and A. Mikhailov.

The theater opened on January 6, 1825 with a performance of The Triumph of the Muses. But on March 11, 1853, the theater burned down for the fourth time; the fire preserved only the stone outer walls and the colonnade of the main entrance. Within three years, the Bolshoi Theater was restored under the guidance of the architect A.K. Kavos. Instead of the alabaster sculpture of Apollo that died in the fire, a bronze quadriga by Peter Klodt was placed above the entrance portico. The theater was reopened on August 20, 1856.

In 1895, a major overhaul of the theater building was carried out, after which many wonderful operas were staged in the theater, such as Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, Rimsky-Korsakov's The Maid of Pskov with Chaliapin as Ivan the Terrible and many others. In 1921-1923, another reconstruction of the theater building took place, the building was also reconstructed in the 40s and 60s

Above the pediment of the Bolshoi Theater is a sculpture of Apollo, patron of the arts, in a chariot drawn by four horses. All figures of the composition are hollow, made of sheet copper. The composition was made by Russian masters in the 18th century according to the model of the sculptor Stepan Pimenov

The theater includes a ballet and opera troupe, the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra and the Brass Band. At the time of the creation of the theater, the troupe included only thirteen musicians and about thirty artists. At the same time, the troupe initially had no specialization: dramatic actors took part in operas, and singers and dancers - in dramatic performances. So, at different times, the troupe included Mikhail Shchepkin and Pavel Mochalov, who sang in operas by Cherubini, Verstovsky and other composers

Throughout the history of the Bolshoi Theater of Moscow, its artists, apart from admiration and gratitude from the public, have repeatedly received various recognition from the state. During the Soviet period, more than 80 of them received the title of People's Artists of the USSR, the Stalin and Lenin Prizes, eight were awarded the title of Heroes of Socialist Labor. Among the soloists of the theater are such outstanding Russian singers as Sandunova, Zhemchugova, E. Semyonova, Khokhlov, Korsov, Deisha-Sionitskaya, Salina, Nezhdanova, Chaliapin, Sobinov, Zbrueva, Alchevsky, E. Stepanova, V. Petrov, the Pirogov brothers, Katulskaya, Obukhova, Derzhinskaya, Barsova, L. Savransky, Ozerov, Lemeshev, Kozlovsky, Reizen, Maksakova, Khanaev, M. D. Mikhailov, Shpiller, A. P. Ivanov, Krivchenya, P. Lisitsian, I. Petrov, Ognivtsev, Arkhipova, Andzhaparidze, Oleinichenko, Mazurok, Vedernikov, Eisen, E. Kibkalo, Vishnevskaya, Milashkina, Sinyavskaya, Kasrashvili, Atlantov, Nesterenko, Obraztsova and others.
Of the singers of the younger generation who came to the fore in the 80-90s, I. Morozov, P. Glubokoy, Kalinina, Matorin, Shemchuk, Rautio, Tarashchenko, N. Terentyeva should be noted. Major conductors Altani, Suk, Cooper, Samosud, Pazovsky, Golovanov, Melik-Pashaev, Nebolsin, Khaikin, Kondrashin, Svetlanov, Rozhdestvensky, Rostropovich worked at the Bolshoi Theater. He performed here as a conductor Rachmaninov (1904-06). Among the best directors of the theater are Bartsal, Smolich, Baratov, B. Mordvinov, Pokrovsky. The Bolshoi Theater hosted tours of the world's leading opera houses: La Scala (1964, 1974, 1989), the Vienna State Opera (1971), the Berlin Comische Opera (1965)

Bolshoi Theater repertoire

During the existence of the theater, more than 800 works have been staged here. The repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater includes such operas as Meyerbeer's Robert the Devil (1834), Bellini's The Pirate (1837), Marschner's Hans Heiling, Adana's The Postman from Longjumeau (1839), Donizetti's The Favorite (1841), Aubert's "Mute from Portici" (1849), Verdi's "La Traviata" (1858), Verdi's "Il Trovatore", "Rigoletto" (1859), Gounod's "Faust" (1866), Thomas's "Mignon" (1879), "Masquerade Ball Verdi (1880), Wagner's Siegfried (1894), Berlioz's Trojans in Carthage (1899), Wagner's The Flying Dutchman (1902), Verdi's Don Carlos (1917), Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream ( 1964), Bartók's Duke Bluebeard's Castle, Ravel's Spanish Hour (1978), Gluck's Iphigenia in Aulis (1983) and others.

The Bolshoi Theater hosted world premieres of Tchaikovsky's operas The Voyevoda (1869), Mazeppa (1884), Cherevichki (1887); Rachmaninov's operas Aleko (1893), Francesca da Rimini and The Miserly Knight (1906), Prokofiev's The Gambler (1974), a number of operas by Cui, Arensky and many others.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the theater reached its peak. Many St. Petersburg artists seek the opportunity to participate in performances of the Bolshoi Theater. The names of F. Chaliapin, L. Sobinov, A. Nezhdanova are becoming widely known all over the world. In 1912 Fyodor Chaliapin staged Mussorgsky's opera Khovanshchina at the Bolshoi Theatre.

In the photo Fedor Chaliapin

During this period, Sergei Rachmaninov collaborated with the theater, who proved himself not only as a composer, but also as an outstanding opera conductor, attentive to the peculiarities of the style of the work being performed and achieving in the performance of operas a combination of ardent temperament with fine orchestral decoration. Rachmaninov improves the organization of the conductor's work - so, thanks to Rachmaninov, the conductor's stand, which was previously located behind the orchestra (facing the stage), is transferred to its modern place.

In the photo Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov

The first years after the revolution of 1917 are characterized by the struggle to preserve the Bolshoi Theater as such and, secondarily, to preserve part of its repertoire. Operas such as The Snow Maiden, Aida, La Traviata, and Verdi in general were attacked for ideological reasons. There were also proposals for the destruction of the ballet, as "a relic of the bourgeois past." However, despite this, both opera and ballet continued to develop in Moscow. The opera is dominated by works by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky. In 1927, director V. Lossky created a new version of Boris Godunov. Operas by Soviet composers are staged - "Trilby" by A. Yurasovsky (1924), "Love for Three Oranges" by S. Prokofiev (1927).

In the 1930s, Joseph Stalin's demand for the creation of "Soviet opera classics" appeared in the press. Works by I. Dzerzhinsky, B. Asafiev, R. Gliere are staged. At the same time, a strict ban on works by foreign composers is introduced. In 1935, the premiere of D. Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District was held with great success with the public. However, this work, highly appreciated around the world, causes sharp discontent at the top. The well-known article "Muddle instead of Music", authored by Stalin, caused the disappearance of Shostakovich's opera from the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater

During the Great Patriotic War, the Bolshoi Theater was evacuated to Kuibyshev. The theater celebrates the end of the war with bright premieres of S. Prokofiev's ballets Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet, where Galina Ulanova shone. In subsequent years, the Bolshoi Theater turns to the work of the composers of the "fraternal countries" - Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary, and also reviews the productions of classical Russian operas (new productions of "Eugene Onegin", "Sadko", "Boris Godunov", "Khovanshchina" and many other). Most of these productions were staged by opera director Boris Pokrovsky, who came to the Bolshoi Theater in 1943. His performances in these years and the next few decades served as the "face" of the Bolshoi Opera

The troupe of the Bolshoi Theater often tours, having success in Italy, Great Britain, the USA and many other countries.


At present, the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater has retained many classical productions of opera and ballet performances, but at the same time the theater is striving for new experiments. Directors who have already gained fame as film directors are involved in the work on operas. Among them are A. Sokurov, T. Chkheidze, E. Nyakroshus and others. Some of the new productions of the Bolshoi Theater caused disapproval of a part of the public and honored masters of the Bolshoi. Thus, the scandal accompanied the staging of L. Desyatnikov's opera "Children of Rosenthal" (2005), in connection with the reputation of the author of the libretto, the writer V. Sorokin. The famous singer Galina Vishnevskaya expressed her indignation and rejection of the new play "Eugene Onegin" (2006, director D. Chernyakov), refusing to celebrate her anniversary on the stage of the Bolshoi, where such performances take place. At the same time, the mentioned performances, in spite of everything, have their fans.

Undoubtedly big theater- this is one of the most recognizable sights of Moscow. Suffice it to recall that his image was awarded a hit on banknotes of the Russian Federation. Founded in 1776, it quickly acquired the status of the Imperial Theatre, while becoming the center of the stage life of that time. The theater has not lost this status to this day. The phrase "Bolshoi Theater" has long become a brand known and understood by art lovers all over the world.

History of the Bolshoi Theater

The founding day of the Bolshoi Theater is March 13, 1776. On this day, Prince Peter Urusov received permission from Empress Catherine II to create a theater. This year, construction began on the right bank of the Neglinka, but the theater did not have time to open - all the buildings died during a fire. The new theater was built on Arbat Square under the direction of the Russian architect of Italian origin Karl Ivanovich Rossi. This time the theater burned down during the invasion of Napoleon. In 1821, under the guidance of the architect Osip Bove, the buildings of the Bolshoi Theater appeared, to which we are so accustomed. The opening of the Bolshoi Theater took place on January 6, 1825. This date is considered the second birthday of the theatre. The repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater began with the concert "The Triumph of the Muses" by M. Dmitriev (music by A. Alyabyev and A. Verstovsky).

The Bolshoi Theater has a very difficult and further fate. Its building burned down, came into disrepair, German bombs fell there ... The next reconstruction, begun in 2005, should give the historical building of the theater its original appearance, reveal to the audience and tourists all the splendor of the old building. There is very little time left: fans of high art will soon be able to enjoy the masterpieces of world music in the wonderful and unique atmosphere of the main stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. The Bolshoi Theater has long specialized in the arts that have been the pride of Russian culture for many years - opera and ballet. The respective theater troupes, as well as the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, consist of exceptionally talented artists. It is difficult to name a classical opera or ballet that has never been staged at the Bolshoi. Bolshoi Theater repertoire consists exclusively of works by great composers: Glinka, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Mozart, Puccini!

Buy tickets to the Bolshoi Theater

Buying tickets to theaters in Moscow is not easy in principle. The Bolshoi Theater is also, of course, the most prestigious, and it is very difficult to get tickets there, despite their high cost. Therefore, you should take care of purchasing tickets to the Bolshoi Theater in advance. At the theater box office, tickets are sold out very quickly, and the choice of seats in the hall is limited. Use a more modern and convenient way -