Description of the attraction
The State Academic Mariinsky Theater (also known as the Mariinsky Theater) occupies a special place among the many attractions that residents of the cultural capital of Russia are justly proud of. This musical theater is famous not only within our country, but all over the world.
The theater troupe was founded in the 18th century, and the building was built in the middle of the 19th century. It was named after Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II.
As a matter of fact, today's theater consists of a complex of buildings. He also has branches in other cities of the country.
Theater history
The beginning of the history of the theater is considered 80s of the 18th century … Interestingly, his age is counted from the date of foundation of another theater, namely - Bolshoy Kamenny … The latter existed for about a hundred years. The artists of the troupe, who much later became the collective of the Mariinsky, performed in it.
As mentioned above, its building was built only in the middle of the 19th century. It was erected on the site of a burnt-out circus. The building was designed by Albert Kavos. The first production at the new theater was shown in the middle of autumn 1860. It was an opera written by the great Mikhail Glinka.
In the early 60s of the XIX century, he was appointed chief conductor of the theater Edward Napravnik … His arrival marked the beginning of one of the most glorious eras in the history of the Mariinsky. This period lasted for about fifty years, during which the premieres of many operas that are now recognized as classics took place on the stage of the theater. It was the Mariinsky audience who first heard Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snow Maiden, Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Iolanta and Anton Rubinstein's The Demon …
I also need to say a few words about Marius Petipa, who headed the ballet troupe since the late 60s of the XIX century. Contemporaries called him a choreographer-symphonist. He brought a number of innovative ideas to the theater stage.
In the 80s of the XIX century, the building was rebuilt according to the project Victor Schreter … On the left, a new building was added to the theater, consisting of three floors. It houses a power plant, a boiler room, theater workshops and rehearsal rooms. Instead of wooden rafters, reinforced concrete and steel rafters were installed. The foyer of the building was enlarged, its facade was reconstructed.
After the construction work was completed, the theater's repertoire expanded: previously, only opera was offered to the audience here, but now ballet performances have appeared.
During the years of Soviet power, the theater was renamed to Kirovsky … During this period, he became academic. It demonstrated both classical works and the creations of new authors. Among the novelties of that time, one can name, for example, "Laurencia" by the Soviet composer Alexander Kerin.
In the 40s of the XX century, during wartime, the theater was sent to evacuation … The troupe was in Perm for a long time, there were several premieres.
In the late 60s, the reconstruction of the building … It ended in the 70s. The reconstruction project was developed by Salome Gelfer. In the early 90s of the XX century, the theater returned to its historical name.
Currently, on the stage of the famous St. Petersburg theater, you can see both classical performances and those created by our contemporaries.
The history of the ballet troupe
The history of the renowned troupe begins at the end of the 1830s. It was then that in the northern Russian capital was established Dance school, whose graduates later took part in court performances.
Speaking about the history of the troupe in the 19th century, one cannot fail to mention the name of Marius Petipa, about which a few words have already been said above. In the 40s he was a ballet soloist, then he was appointed choreographer … At the end of the 60s of the named century, he became the chief choreographer of the theater and remained in this position until the beginning of the 20th century. He has staged many magnificent ballets, including, for example, the immortal, world-famous "Swan Lake" … Only those dancers whose professionalism was really high could participate in his productions.
In the post-revolutionary period, the theater staff strove primarily to preserve the heritage and theatrical traditions. During wartime (in the 40s of the XX century), some of the Mariinsky artists did not go to evacuation, but remained in the city. With their performances, they performed in front of the wounded in hospitals, went to factories and even to the front.
The 80s of the XX century became a bright page in the history of the troupe. It was then that many great new dancers appeared on the stage of the theater.
Theater venues
As mentioned above, the theater is building complex, he has branches in other cities. First, this is the main thing 19th century building … When they talk about the Mariinsky, they usually mean this very structure (by default).
Secondly, it is the building, built on the banks of the Kryukov Canal … There is the second stage of the theater. The building was commissioned relatively recently - already in the 21st century. Its construction took twenty two billion rubles. The architectural merits of the building are highly questionable by experts. Many believe that this structure is not at all glittering with beauty.
Some believe that it looks more like a department store or a food service facility than a theater. Someone thinks that the structure resembles an ordinary box or shed. There are practically no positive reviews about the building. It should be noted that from the very beginning, many problems arose with his project. Back in the 90s of the XX century, a project of a very unusual structure was advanced, resembling garbage bags lying on the ground, but the townspeople opposed the construction of this building. Later, other projects were developed, but they had many technical flaws.
Then the building was built, which today is the second most important site of the famous theater. Its hall is designed for two thousand spectators. It should be noted that the interiors of this building are much more aesthetic than its external appearance. There is an unusual design of crystal chandeliers, illuminated onyx walls, and many magnificent staircases … We emphasize that the project of these staircases was developed by teams of several companies. Both Russian and foreign specialists took part in the creation of the project. The result was highly appreciated by many experts: they note the virtuoso and elegant design solutions found by the authors of the project. When visiting the theater, pay special attention to these stairs - for example, the glass staircase, which is thirty-five meters long.
Another stage of the theater - concert hall … It was built in the 21st century - more precisely, rebuilt from an older building that once housed decoration warehouses and workshops. In the early years of the 21st century, this building was badly damaged by fire. In fact, only the walls and foundation remained of it, everything else was completely destroyed by fire. Now these ancient walls are home to a modern concert hall. A magnificent organ is installed in it. Several years ago, for the first time in the world, a 3D broadcast of a ballet performance was conducted from this hall. The hall is twenty-four meters wide, fifty-two meters long, and fourteen meters high. Its total volume is one thousand three hundred cubic meters. The hall is designed for one thousand one hundred and ten spectators. One hundred thirty musicians can be accommodated on the orchestra stage. The radius of the stage is twenty meters, its depth is fifteen meters. It should be noted that the stage consists of separate blocks that can be moved, due to which the stage space is transformed in accordance with the program of a particular performance.
As mentioned above, the theater has several branches located in different cities of the country. One of them is in Vladivostok … It opened in mid-autumn 2013. Interestingly, its building was designed after the model of one of the theaters in South Korea. Experts believe that this branch, or rather, its building, is one of the best halls in our country. Another interesting fact about the branch: its ballet troupe includes not only Russian, but also Japanese, Brazilian, Romanian, Korean, American and Kyrgyz dancers.
Another branch is located in Vladikavkaz … This theater has existed since the middle of the 20th century, but it became a branch of the famous Mariinsky only in 2017. One of the pearls of his repertoire is the opera Costa, written by the Soviet Ossetian composer Khristofor Pliev.
The third branch is also located on the territory of Vladikavkaz. The collective of this theater often goes on foreign tours. His performances have been repeatedly shown in European countries, as well as in the states of Africa and Asia.
On a note
- Location: Theater Square, 1; phone: +7 (812) 326-41-41.
- The nearest metro stations are Sadovaya, Spasskaya, Sennaya Ploschad.
- Official website:
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Opening hours: the box office is open from 11:00 to 19:00, seven days a week. Some ticket offices have a break from 14:00 to 15:00. Note that you can also buy tickets on the theater's website, but keep in mind that their sale there stops two hours before the start of the performance or concert.
Tickets: the cost of visiting the theater depends on the specific production, as well as on the seat you choose in the auditorium.
