Mariinsky Theatre
The year 1783 marked the birth of a permanent theatre company in Saint Petersburg, established by Catherine the Great. An Italian ballet troupe had performed at the Russian court since the early 1700s, but this new entity required a stone home. Architect Antonio Rinaldi designed the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre to open that same year on Carousel Square. The name combined two Russian words: Kamenny for stone and Bolshoi for big. These terms distinguished the structure from the nearby wooden Little Theatre. In 1836, Albert Cavos renovated the building, which served as the principal stage for both opera and ballet. On the 29th of January 1849, an Equestrian circus opened on Theatre Square, also designed by Cavos. This venue doubled as a theatre space until 1886. That year, Ivan Vsevolozhsky moved both the Imperial Ballet and Imperial Opera into the Mariinsky Theatre. The previous building was deemed unsafe for such grand productions.
Many stage masterpieces received their first performances within these walls during the late nineteenth century. Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov premiered here in 1874. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky followed with The Queen of Spades in 1890 and Iolanta in 1892. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov presented The Golden Cockerel in 1909. The theatre became the preeminent music house of Russia under director Ivan Vsevolozhsky. He held his post from 1881 to 1898 while overseeing major artistic shifts. Mikhail Zhukov conducted between 1932 and 1935, shaping the sound of the era. Israel Chudnovsky led the orchestra through other periods of Soviet history. These composers and conductors turned the venue into a crucible for national identity. Their works defined the cultural landscape of imperial Russia before the revolution.
The institution changed its name multiple times to reflect the shifting political climate of Russia. From 1860 to 1920, it operated as the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. In 1920, authorities renamed it the State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. By 1924, the title became Leningrad State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The most significant change occurred in 1935 when officials named it the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. This designation honored Sergei Kirov, an assassinated Communist Party leader born in 1886 and killed in 1934. The acronym GATOB often appeared in historical accounts during this period. The theatre retained the Kirov name for brand recognition even after the Soviet collapse. In 1992, the original name returned as the State Academic Mariinsky Theatre. Yuri Temirkanov served as Principal Conductor from 1976 until his retirement in 1988. His tenure bridged the transition between Soviet control and post-Soviet independence.
The ballet school attached to the theatre spawned careers for some of history's greatest dancers. Mathilde Kschessinskaya and Olga Preobrajenskaya trained under the Imperial Ballet School style. Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina emerged as international stars from these halls. Vaslav Nijinsky and George Balanchine also studied here before achieving global fame. Agrippina Vaganova taught a new generation including Marina Semyonova and Galina Ulanova. Rudolf Nureyev and Natalia Makarova followed their footsteps into legendary status. Mikhail Baryshnikov became another icon who walked these same stages. Recent dancers like Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, and Svetlana Zakharova continue the tradition. Reza Fekri appeared as a guest soloist during various performances. The school remains known today as the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. These artists transformed the institution into a global beacon for classical dance excellence.
Valery Gergiev has served as general director since Yuri Temirkanov retired in 1988. His long tenure shaped the modern identity of the company. A new concert hall designed by French architect Xavier Fabre opened in spring 2007. Construction on Mariinsky II began in 2003 following a design by Canadian firm Diamond and Schmitt Architects. Local partner KB ViPS Architects joined the project after Jean Nouvel's original plan halted at the sub-basement level. The team took over in 2009 to complete the work. Construction finished in May 2013 at a cost of 500 million euros. The venue features 1,830 seats and complements the existing main house. In April 2022, resident conductor Gavriel Heine resigned from the theater due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Regional stages now exist in Vladivostok established in 2016 and Vladikavkaz added in 2017. The theatre launched its own record label in 2009 managed by the LSO Live team. Releases include Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3 and Shostakovich Symphonies Nos 1 & 15 conducted by Gergiev.
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Common questions
When was the Mariinsky Theatre established in Saint Petersburg?
The year 1783 marked the birth of a permanent theatre company in Saint Petersburg, established by Catherine the Great. Architect Antonio Rinaldi designed the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre to open that same year on Carousel Square.
What operas premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre during the late nineteenth century?
Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov premiered here in 1874 and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky followed with The Queen of Spades in 1890 and Iolanta in 1892. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov presented The Golden Cockerel in 1909 within these walls.
Why did the Mariinsky Theatre change its name multiple times between 1920 and 1992?
In 1935 officials named it the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet to honor Sergei Kirov, an assassinated Communist Party leader born in 1886 and killed in 1934. The original name returned as the State Academic Mariinsky Theatre in 1992 after the Soviet collapse.
Which famous dancers trained at the ballet school attached to the Mariinsky Theatre?
Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina emerged as international stars from these halls while Vaslav Nijinsky and George Balanchine also studied here before achieving global fame. Rudolf Nureyev and Natalia Makarova followed their footsteps into legendary status alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov.
When was the new concert hall designed by Xavier Fabre opened for the Mariinsky Theatre?
A new concert hall designed by French architect Xavier Fabre opened in spring 2007 following construction on Mariinsky II that began in 2003. Construction finished in May 2013 at a cost of 500 million euros with 1,830 seats.