Where is the Mariinsky Theater? Mariinsky Theater building

Story

On November 9, 1917, with the change of power, the theater, which became the State Theatre, was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR, in 1920 it became academic and since then has been fully called the “State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet” (abbreviated as GATOB). In 1935, shortly after the murder of the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) Sergei Kirov, the theater, like many other organizations, enterprises, settlements and other objects of the USSR, was named after this revolutionary.

Ballet

Orchestra

Management

Artistic director and director - Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, laureate of State Prizes of the Russian Federation Valery Abisalovich Gergiev. James Cameron

Press

• Alexey Konkin.. "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" - vol. No. 5320 (241) dated October 25, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
• Maria Tabak.. RIA Novosti (02.08.2011). Retrieved February 22, 2011. .
• . RIA Novosti (01/19/2011). Retrieved February 22, 2011. .
• . Retrieved February 22, 2011. .
• . RGRK “Voice of Russia” (07/13/2010). Retrieved February 22, 2011. .
• (inaccessible link - story) . Encyclopedia "Around the World". Retrieved September 24, 2011. .

Links

• . Official site.

It is not for nothing that St. Petersburg is called the cultural capital of our country. This is a city of monuments and museums, a city of exhibitions and concerts. It is also a city of theaters, of which there are more than a hundred! Did you know that St. Petersburg once had its own Bolshoi Theater? Now it is known under the name of Mariinsky. The history of the famous Opera and Ballet Theater will be told todayAmateur. media.

The year of birth of the Mariinsky Theater is considered to be 1783. But this year, rather, the father of the Mariinsky was created. It was then that Catherine the Great issued a Decree on the creation of a theater committee “to manage spectacles and music.” On October 5 of that same year, the Bolshoi Stone Theater was opened on Carousel Square. Residents soon began to call the square the theater square, which is how it came down to us.

The year of birth of the Mariinsky Theater is considered to be 1783

The St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theater was built according to the design of the architect Rinaldi. It was huge and majestic, equipped with the latest technology. Preference was, of course, given to the French or Italian repertoire, and besides, the Russian troupe often gave up the stage to foreign ones. The first opera staged at the Bolshoi Theater was “The Lunar World” by Giovanni Paisiello. But the theater was not limited to opera: dramas and vocal and instrumental concerts were staged.

At the beginning of the 19th century. The Bolshoi Theater has become part of the cultural life of St. Petersburg

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Bolshoi Theater became not only one of the symbols of the city along with the Admiralty and the Peter and Paul Fortress, but also an important part of the cultural life of St. Petersburg. At that time, the theater was rebuilt under the leadership of the architect Thomas de Thomon and acquired a ceremonial appearance. But in 1811 there was a fire in the theater, and all the interior decoration was destroyed, and the façade of the building was also damaged. Seven years later it was restored, then the theater underwent another important reconstruction, carried out in 1836 by Alberto Cavos. It is interesting that at this time the opera of the father of the architect Kavos “Ivan Susanin” was very popular on the stage of the theater. This was, of course, even before Glinka created the opera with the same name.

The rebuilt theater opened in 1836 with the production of the same opera “A Life for the Tsar” by Glinka. And exactly 6 years later, “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by the same composer was staged for the first time on the same stage. Of course, the Bolshoi Theater became truly famous. True, the theater troupe was gradually transferred to the Alexandrinsky and the nearby Circus Theater.

The building of the modern Mariinsky Theater was erected on the site of the Circus Theater

The fact is that in 1846 a ban was introduced on the production of operas by Russian composers, and the Russian troupe was replaced by an Italian one. After 4 years, the ban was lifted, but the situation hardly improved: the Russian troupe did not have its own building, and the artists gave performances in the small wooden building of the Circus Theater.

In 1859, the Circus Theater burned down, and it was in its place that the building of the modern Mariinsky Theater was erected. The same Alberto Cavos supervised the construction. The theater was named in honor of the wife of Tsar Alexander II, Maria Alexandrovna. You probably already guessed that we celebrated the opening of the new theater by staging the opera “A Life for the Tsar.”

The second half of the 19th century was the heyday of the theater. Such famous works as “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, “The Maid of Orleans”, “The Enchantress”, “The Queen of Spades” by Tchaikovsky, “The Pskov Woman”, “The May Daughter” and “The Snow Maiden” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Prince Igor” by Borodin were staged on its stage. , “The Demon” by Rubinstein. At the very beginning of the 20th century, the Mariinsky Theater’s repertoire included Wagner’s famous theatrical works “The Ring of the Nibelung”, “Electra” by Richard Strauss, and “Khovanshchina” by Mussorgsky. All these names and titles are known even to those who are far from opera.

Ballet did not lag behind opera. Not only classics ("Corsair", "Giselle" and "Esmeralda") were staged on stage, but also "La Bayadère", "Sleeping Beauty", "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake". The famous choreography of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” owes to the creative union of choreographers Ivanov and Petipa.

In 1885, almost all performances from the stage of the closing Bolshoi Theater were transferred to the Mariinsky stage. The St. Petersburg Conservatory was built on the site of the Bolshoi Kamenny Theater. In 1917 the theater was declared State, and in 1935 it was renamed in honor of S. Kirov. But the troupe did not sit idle, at this time new famous operas appeared (“The Love for Three Oranges” by Prokofiev, “Salome” and “Der Rosenkavalier” by Strauss) and ballets (“The Flames of Paris” and “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” by Asafiev, “Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev).

During the Great Patriotic War, the Mariinsky Theater was evacuated to Perm

During the Great Patriotic War, the theater was evacuated to Perm, where it continued its activities. In 1944, the Mariinsky came to Leningrad and celebrated his return with guess what? Right! “Ivan Susanin” by Glinka. That's how it happened at the theater. In the 60s, famous dancers Nureyev and Baryshnikov performed on the theater stage. In 1988, Valery Gergiev took over the leadership of the theater, who still holds this post. The Mariinsky Theater actively collaborates with famous foreign opera and ballet theaters, in particular with La Scala, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera and the Opera de Bastille.

The building of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. A historical building in the classicist style, built according to the design of A.K. Kavos in 1859-1860 on the site of the old circus theater. In 1894-1896, the building was significantly reconstructed according to the design of V. A. Shreter. It houses one of the most famous opera and ballet theaters in Russia and the world - the State Academic Mariinsky Theater.

The first building on the site of the modern Mariinsky Theater was built back in the 40s of the 19th century; it became a circus theater, and Albert Katarinovich Kavos acted as the architect of the project. Not only circus performances were held in this room, but later dramatic theater performances were also given. However, in the middle of the 19th century, the building was completely destroyed by fire - only walls and some ceilings remained from the previous building.

To replace the one that burned down, it was decided to erect a new building, and this time exclusively for the opera house. A.K. Kavos was again entrusted with designing it, however, he significantly altered his previous creation, modifying it to suit theatrical needs. The new theater began to be called the Mariinsky in honor of the wife of Emperor Alexander II, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

At the end of the 19th century, the architect V. A. Shreter added a building to the building for rehearsal halls, theater workshops and office space. He's also replacing the wood rafters with steel ones, adding side wings, replacing the grand staircase and expanding the foyer. The facade of the building takes on more monumental shapes, and the dome is crowned with the famous turret.

The interior decoration of the Mariinsky Theater immediately after its opening amazed all contemporaries with its splendor. The walls were decorated in a sea green color and complemented with blue velvet and silver brocade chairs. Stucco decorations and sculptures were placed everywhere. This richness of decoration was emphasized by rays of light from numerous lamps and a three-tier chandelier with a picturesque lampshade by the master Enrico Fracioli. The rich curtain that became the emblem of the theater deserves special mention; it was made with the participation of the artist A. Golovin. The interiors of the Mariinsky Theater are still considered one of the best in the world.

The building of the Mariinsky Theater is included in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects (historical and cultural monuments) of Russia.

Note to tourists:

A tour of the building will be of interest to theater lovers who want to attend an opera or ballet.

One of the most significant musical theaters; the most famous opera and ballet theater. Since the reign of Catherine II, it has been an imperial theater. It is included in the version of our site.

The history of the Mariinsky Theater began in 1783, when, by order of the Empress, the Bolshoi Theater was built in St. Petersburg. During the reign of Alexander II, the theater was renamed in honor of his wife, Maria Alexandrovna. In October 1860, the premiere of M. Glinka's opera took place in the new theater. The old building was used as a conservatory.

It is not for nothing that the Mariinsky is considered one of the most significant theaters in the world of opera and ballet. In the second half of the 19th century, the most important premieres in the history of Russian opera took place on its stage: Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, Tchaikovsky's Iolanta and many other famous productions.

In 1920, with the change of government, the theater was renamed Kirovsky. The former name was returned in 1992. The interior of the theater was reconstructed twice. Today, this is one of the most beautiful halls in the world, and the unique curtain, created in 1914, has long become the hallmark of the theater. Not far from the theater in 2013, the building of the second stage of the Mariinsky was built.

The main building of the theater is located on Teatralnaya Square in St. Petersburg. You can get to the square by public transport, or by walking 15-20 minutes from the Sadovaya/Sennaya Ploshchad/Spasskaya metro stations.

During breaks between theater seasons, other groups perform on the main stage.

Photo attraction: Mariinsky Theater

The theater was named Mariinsky in honor of the wife of Emperor Alexander II, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

Foundation of the theater

And the history of the theater began in July 1783, when Catherine II issued a Decree approving the theater committee “to manage shows and music,” and on October 5 of the same year the Bolshoi Stone Theater was inaugurated on Carousel Square, which became known as Teatralnaya Square. The theater was built according to the project Antonio Rinaldi. Its stage was equipped with modern equipment for those times; French, Italian and Russian troupes alternately performed in the theater.

In 1802-1803 architect Thomas de Thomon redesigned the theater, and it was one of the landmarks of St. Petersburg until a fire occurred in it (on the night of January 1, 1811). The interior of the theater was destroyed and the façade was seriously damaged. The restoration of the theater lasted until 1818; Thomas de Thomon did not live to see this time.

Theater repertoire

The theater's repertoire included several operas Mozart(“The Magic Flute”, “The Abduction from the Seraglio”, “The Clemency of Titus”), Rossini(“Cinderella”, “Semiramis”, “The Thieving Magpie”, “The Barber of Seville”), Weber(“Free Shooter”). The theater's repertoire also included works by Russian composers: vaudevilles Alyabyeva And Verstovsky, as well as Kavos’s opera “Ivan Susanin”. S. Didelot stages Russian ballet at the theater. It is this period of the creative life of the theater that is captured in the novel by A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”:

The theater is already full; the boxes shine;

The stalls and the chairs are all in full swing;

In paradise they splash impatiently,

And, rising, the curtain makes noise.

Brilliant, half-airy,

I obey the magic bow,

Surrounded by a crowd of nymphs,

Worth Istomin; she,

One foot touching the floor,

The other slowly circles,

And suddenly he jumps, and suddenly he flies,

Flies like feathers from the lips of Aeolus;

Either the camp will sow, then it will develop

And with a quick foot he hits the leg.

Theater improvement

In 1836 the architect A. Kavos(the composer’s son) replaced the domed ceiling of the theater hall with a flat one, removed the columns in the auditorium that obstructed the view and distorted the acoustics, gave the hall a horseshoe shape, increased its length and height, as a result, the number of spectators increased to two thousand. On November 27, 1836, the first performance took place in the rebuilt theater - it was an opera by M.I. Glinka "Life for the Tsar".

Over time, the performances of the Russian opera troupe were transferred to the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater and the Circus Theater, where performances by the ballet troupe and Italian opera continued. In 1859, the Circus Theater burned down, and A. Kavos built a new theater in its place. It was this theater that became known as Mariinsky in honor of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Emperor Alexander II and mother of Emperor Alexander III.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna

F. Winterhalter "Portrait of Empress Maria Alexandrovna"

Born Princess Maximilian Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria of Hesse.

On the initiative of Maria Alexandrovna, all-class women's gymnasiums and diocesan schools were opened in Russia. She founded countless shelters, almshouses and boarding houses, marked the beginning of a new period of women's education in Russia, established open all-class women's educational institutions (gymnasiums), which, according to the regulations of 1860, it was decided to open in all cities where it would be possible to ensure their existence . She organized the Red Cross in Russia, and devoted a lot of effort to expanding its activities during the Russian-Turkish War, refusing even to sew new dresses for herself, giving all her savings to benefit widows, orphans, the wounded and the sick.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna, with the support of her husband Alexander II, founded the largest theater in St. Petersburg and all of Russia (Mariinsky) and a ballet school, which was later headed by Agrippina Vaganova. Both the school and the famous theater were entirely supported by the imperial family, the empress personally, and, at the insistence of Emperor Alexander II, bore her name. The theater still bears her name. A bust of Empress Maria Alexandrovna is installed in the foyer of the theater.

Theater in a new building

The first theater season in the new building has opened October 2, 1860. It was again the opera “A Life for the Tsar” by M.I. Glinka under the direction of the chief conductor of the Russian Opera K. Lyadova. In 1863, the chief conductor of the theater became E. Napravnik. Productions of the most significant operas in the history of Russian music are associated with his name: “Boris Godunov” Mussorgsky, “Pskovite”, “May Night”, “Snow Maiden” Rimsky-Korsakov, "Prince Igor" Borodin, “The Maid of Orleans”, “The Enchantress”, “The Queen of Spades”, “Iolanta” Tchaikovsky, "Daemon" Rubinstein, "Oresteia" Taneyeva... At the beginning of the twentieth century. Operas appeared in the theater's repertoire Wagner(among them the tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung”), “Electra” Richard Strauss, “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” Rimsky-Korsakov, "Khovanshchina" Mussorgsky…

Ballet performances

Marius Petipa

In 1869, he headed the ballet troupe of the theater Marius Petipa. He continued the traditions of his predecessors Jules Perrot and Arthur Saint-Leon, and continued to stage classic performances “Giselle”, “Esmeralda”, “Corsair”. Petipa staged ballets on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater Tchaikovsky“Sleeping Beauty” and in collaboration with Lev Ivanov – “The Nutcracker”. After Tchaikovsky’s death, Swan Lake found a second life on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. Petipa staged the ballet here Glazunov"Raymonda" Young Mikhail Fokin staged Armida's Pavilion at the Mariinsky Theater Tcherepnina, "Swan" Saint-Saens, "Chopiniana" to music Chopin, as well as ballets created in Paris - “Scheherazade” to music Rimsky-Korsakov, "Firebird" and "Parsley" Stravinsky.

In 1886, ballet performances, which until that time continued to be performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Kamenny Theater, were moved to the Mariinsky Theater. And on the site of Bolshoi Kamenny, the building of the St. Petersburg Conservatory was erected.

In 1920, the theater began to be called the State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, and since 1935, the name “named after S. M. Kirov” was added to this name. The theater continued to stage classics, but they also added modern operas: “The Love for Three Oranges” S. Prokofiev, "Wozzeck" A. Berg, "Salome" and "Der Rosenkavalier" R. Strauss. New ballets have also appeared in the repertoire: “The Red Poppy” R. Gliera, “Flames of Paris” and “Bakhchisarai Fountain” B. Asafieva,"Laurencia" A. Crane, "Romeo and Juliet" S. Prokofiev and others.

During the Great Patriotic War, the theater was evacuated to Perm, where the premieres of several performances took place, including the premiere of the ballet Aram Khachaturyan"Gayane". Upon returning to Leningrad, the theater opened the season on September 1, 1944 with the opera M.I. Glinka"Ivan Susanin".

General reconstruction of the theater

It was carried out in 1968–1970. according to the project of S. Gelfer, as a result, the left wing of the building was “stretched” and acquired its current appearance.

Yuri Temirkanov

From 1976 to 1988, he was the artistic director and chief conductor of the theater Yuri Temirkanov. Under his leadership, the theater staged productions of “War and Peace” S. Prokofiev(1977), “Dead Souls” R. K. Shchedrina, “Peter I” (1975), “Pushkin” (1979), “Mayakovsky Begins” (1983) A. Petrova. Yuri Temirkanov At the same time he acted as a director: he staged the operas “Eugene Onegin” and “The Queen of Spades” P. I. Tchaikovsky. With the orchestra of this theater in 1987, he performed in London with productions of these operas, as well as the opera “Boris Godunov” M.P. Mussorgsky.

Valery Gergiev

In 1988, the theater's chief conductor became Valery Gergiev. On January 16, 1992, the theater was returned to its historical name - Mariinsky. And in 2006, the troupe and orchestra of the theater received at their disposal a building built on the initiative of the artistic director and director of the Mariinsky Theater Valery Gergiev Concert hall on Dekabristov Street.

Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theater