Bolshoi Theatre
Prince Peter Urusov received a licence from Catherine II to organize theatrical performances on an unspecified date in the late 18th century. He partnered with English tightrope walker Michael Maddox to establish the company. The group initially performed inside a private home before acquiring the Petrovka Theatre. On the 30th of December 1780, they began producing plays and operas there. Fire destroyed the Petrovka Theatre on the 8th of October 1805. A new building called the New Arbat Imperial Theatre replaced it on the 13th of April 1808. This structure also succumbed to fire during the French invasion of Moscow in 1812. The current theatre was built between 1821 and 1824 by architect Joseph Bové. It opened on the 18th of January 1825 as the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theatre. The opening performance featured Catalan composer Fernando Sor's ballet Cendrillon. Initially, the venue presented only Russian works until foreign composers entered the repertoire around 1840.
On the 7th of December 1919, the house was renamed the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre. Only four days later, on the 12th of December, officials attempted unsuccessfully to shut the institution entirely. Beethoven Hall opened on the 18th of February 1921. Ivan Rerberg directed further reconstruction of the theatre between 1921 and 1923. A bomb damaged the structure during World War II but repairs were completed quickly. After the death of Joseph Stalin, the company toured internationally and became an important source of cultural prestige. These tours generated significant foreign currency earnings for the state. The name "Bolshoi Ballet" became well-known throughout the West due to these efforts. The first symphonic concert by the Bolshoi Orchestra took place at the theatre on the 4th of May 1919. Serge Koussevitzky conducted that historic event. Yuri Fayer served as chief ballet conductor from 1923 to 1963. Dmitri Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District premiered there in 1935.
From July 2005 to October 2011, the theatre closed for restoration. Engineers found that more than 75% of the structure was unstable despite initial estimates suggesting otherwise. Repairs were initially estimated at 15 billion rubles ($610 million). According to The Moscow Times, the true cost may have been double that figure. Der Spiegel quotes a final figure of $1.1 billion. The rebuilding and renovation was funded entirely by the federal government. During the long period of reconstruction, the company continued to mount productions on the New Stage and on the stage of the Great Kremlin Palace. The renovation included restoring acoustics to the original quality lost during the Soviet era. It also restored the original imperial decor of the Bolshoi. After the renovation, the theater has a maximum capacity of 1,740 seats. Finally, on the 28th of October 2011, the Bolshoi Theatre re-opened with a concert featuring international artists. The first staged opera following the reopening was Ruslan and Lyudmila.
The Bolshoi is a repertory theatre meaning it draws from a list of productions performed on any given evening. Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theatre on the 4th of March 1877. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there have been attempts to reduce the theatre's traditional dependence on large state subsidies. Until the mid-1990s, most foreign operas were sung in Russian. Italian and other languages have been heard more frequently on the Bolshoi stage in recent years. The Bolshoi has been associated from its beginnings with ballet. It remains by far the world's biggest ballet company with more than 200 dancers. The theatre is the parent company of The Bolshoi Ballet Academy. A branch exists at the Bolshoi Theater School in Joinville, Brazil. The iconic neoclassical façade appears on the Russian 100-ruble banknote. The building attracts large numbers of tourists throughout Moscow.
The first major dancer defection occurred on the 23rd of August 1979 involving Alexander Godunov. Leonid Kozlov and Valentina Kozlova defected on the 16th of September 1979. Other cases followed in subsequent years. In 2009 prosecutors alleged the lead contractor was paid three times for the same work. Anastasia Volochkova, a former Bolshoi prima ballerina, described the theatre as "a big brothel" due to claims about role allocation based on social favors. On the 17th of January 2013, Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi's ballet director, was attacked with sulfuric acid. He lost much of his eyesight following the assault. A male dancer was later charged with the crime. On the 8th of July 2017, three days before a premiere, the theatre called off a ballet about legendary dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Director General Vladimir Urin claimed it was due to bad dancing quality. Principal dancer Maria Alexandrova argued it signaled a new era of censorship. Tugan Sokhiev left his position as music director in connection with the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Common questions
When did the Bolshoi Theatre open to the public?
The current theatre opened on the 18th of January 1825 as the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theatre. The opening performance featured Catalan composer Fernando Sor's ballet Cendrillon.
Who founded the original company that became the Bolshoi Theatre?
Prince Peter Urusov received a licence from Catherine II to organize theatrical performances in the late 18th century. He partnered with English tightrope walker Michael Maddox to establish the company.
How much did it cost to restore the Bolshoi Theatre between 2005 and 2011?
Der Spiegel quotes a final figure of $1.1 billion for the restoration project. Engineers found that more than 75% of the structure was unstable despite initial estimates suggesting otherwise.
Which famous ballet premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1877?
Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theatre on the 4th of March 1877. The Bolshoi has been associated from its beginnings with ballet and remains by far the world's biggest ballet company.
When did the first major dancer defection occur involving Alexander Godunov?
The first major dancer defection occurred on the 23rd of August 1979 involving Alexander Godunov. Leonid Kozlov and Valentina Kozlova defected on the 16th of September 1979.