The history of the building of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater (GABT). Bolshoi Theater Who built the big

Inaugurated 185 years ago Grand Theatre.

March 28 (March 17) 1776 is considered to be the founding date of the Bolshoi Theater, when the well-known philanthropist, Moscow prosecutor Prince Pyotr Urusov received the highest permission "to maintain ... theatrical performances of all kinds." Urusov and his companion Mikhail Medox created the first permanent troupe in Moscow. It was organized from the actors of the previously existing Moscow theatrical troupe, pupils of the Moscow University and from the newly accepted serf actors.
The theater initially did not have an independent building, so performances were staged in Vorontsov's private house on Znamenka Street. But in 1780, the theater moved to a stone theater building specially built according to the project of Christian Rozbergan on the site of the modern Bolshoi Theater. For the construction of the theater building, Medox bought a land plot at the beginning of Petrovsky Street, which was in the possession of Prince Lobanov-Rostotsky. The stone three-story building with a plank roof, the building of the so-called Madox Theater, was erected in just five months.

According to the name of the street on which the theater was located, it became known as "Petrovsky".

The repertoire of this first professional theater in Moscow consisted of drama, opera and ballet performances. But operas enjoyed special attention, so the Petrovsky Theater was often called the Opera House. The theater troupe was not divided into opera and drama: the same artists performed in both drama and opera performances.

In 1805, the building burned down, and until 1825 performances were staged at various theater venues.

In the early 20s of the 19th century, Petrovskaya Square (now Teatralnaya) was completely rebuilt in the classicist style according to the plan of the architect Osip Bove. According to this project, her current composition arose, the dominant of which was the building of the Bolshoi Theater. The building was built according to the project of Osip Bove in 1824 on the site of the former Petrovsky. New theater partly included the walls of the burned down Petrovsky Theatre.

The construction of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater was a real event for Moscow at the beginning of the 19th century. A beautiful eight-column building in the classical style with the chariot of the god Apollo above the portico, inside decorated in red and gold tones, according to contemporaries, was the best theater in Europe and was second in scale only to La Scala in Milan. Its opening took place on January 6 (18), 1825. In honor of this event, the prologue "The Triumph of the Muses" by Mikhail Dmitriev was given with music by Alexander Alyabyev and Alexei Verstovsky. It allegorically depicted how the Genius of Russia, with the help of the muses, creates a new beautiful temple of art - the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater on the ruins of the Medox Theater.

The townspeople called the new building "Coliseum". The performances that took place here were invariably a success, bringing together high-society Moscow society.

On March 11, 1853, for some unknown reason, a fire started in the theater. Theatrical costumes, scenery of performances, the troupe archive, part of the musical library, rare musical instruments perished in the fire, and the theater building was also damaged.

A competition was announced for the restoration project of the theater building, in which the plan submitted by Albert Cavos won. After the fire, the walls and columns of the porticos were preserved. When developing a new project, the architect Alberto Cavos took the three-dimensional structure of the Beauvais Theater as a basis. Kavos carefully approached the issue of acoustics. He considered the structure of the auditorium according to the principle of a musical instrument to be optimal: the deck of the plafond, the deck of the parterre floor, wall panels, and balcony structures were wooden. The acoustics of Kavos were perfect. He had to endure many battles with both architects and firefighters, proving that the installation of a metal ceiling (as, for example, in Alexandrinsky theater architect Rossi) can be detrimental to the acoustics of the theater.

Keeping the layout and volume of the building, Kavos increased the height, changed the proportions and redesigned the architectural decoration; slender cast-iron galleries with lamps were erected on the sides of the building. During the reconstruction of the auditorium, Kavos changed the shape of the hall, narrowing it to the stage, changed the size of the auditorium, which began to accommodate up to 3 thousand spectators. The alabaster group of Apollo, which adorned the theater of Osip Bove, died in a fire. To create a new Alberto Cavos invited the famous Russian sculptor Pyotr Klodt, the author of the famous four equestrian groups on the Anichkov Bridge over the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg. Klodt created the now world-famous sculptural group with Apollo.

The new Bolshoi Theater was rebuilt in 16 months and opened on August 20, 1856 for the coronation of Alexander II.

The Kavos Theater did not have enough space to store scenery and props, and in 1859 the architect Nikitin made a project for a two-story extension to the northern facade, according to which all the capitals of the northern portico were blocked. The project was realized in the 1870s. And in the 1890s, another floor was added to the extension, thereby increasing the usable area. In this form, the Bolshoi Theater has survived to this day, with the exception of small internal and external reconstructions.

After the Neglinka River was taken into the pipe, the groundwater receded, the wooden piles of the foundation were affected atmospheric air and began to rot. In 1920, the entire semi-circular wall of the auditorium collapsed right during the performance, the doors jammed, the audience had to be evacuated through the barriers of the boxes. This forced the architect and engineer Ivan Rerberg in the late 1920s to bring under the auditorium a concrete slab on a central support, shaped like a mushroom. However, the concrete ruined the acoustics.

By the 1990s, the building was extremely dilapidated, its deterioration was estimated at 60%. The theater fell into decay both in terms of design and finishing. During the life of the theater, something was endlessly attached to it, it was improved, they tried to make it more modern. Elements of all three theaters coexisted in the theater building. Their foundations were at different levels, and accordingly, cracks began to appear on the foundations, and on the walls, and then on the interior decoration. The brickwork of the facades and the walls of the auditorium were in disrepair. The same with the main portico. The columns deviated from the vertical up to 30 cm. The slope was recorded at the end of the 19th century, and since then it has been increasing. These columns of blocks of white stone tried to "cure" the entire twentieth century - the humidity caused visible black spots at the bottom of the columns at a height of up to 6 meters.

Hopelessly behind modern level equipment: for example, until the end of the 20th century, a winch for the scenery of the Siemens company, manufactured in 1902, worked here (now it has been handed over to the Polytechnic Museum).

In 1993, the Russian government adopted a resolution on the reconstruction of the complex of buildings of the Bolshoi Theater.
In 2002, with the participation of the Moscow government on Theater Square The New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater was opened. This hall is more than two times smaller than the historical one and is able to accommodate only a third of the theater's repertoire. The launch of the New Stage made it possible to begin the reconstruction of the main building.

According to the plan, the appearance of the theater building will hardly change. Only the northern façade, which for many years has been closed by warehouses where scenery is stored, will lose its outbuildings. The building of the Bolshoi Theater will go deep into the ground by 26 meters, in the old-new building there will even be a place for huge scenery structures - they will be lowered to the third underground level. The Chamber Hall for 300 seats will also be hidden underground. After the reconstruction, the New and Main stages, which are located at a distance of 150 meters from each other, will be connected to each other and to the administrative and rehearsal buildings by underground passages. In total, the theater will have 6 underground tiers. The storage will be moved underground, which will bring the rear facade into proper shape.

underway unique works to strengthen the underground part of theatrical structures, with a guarantee from the builders for the next 100 years, with parallel placement and modern technical equipment parking lots under the main building of the complex, which will make it possible to unload from the cars the most difficult junction of the city - Theater Square.

Everything that was lost in Soviet times will be recreated in the historical interior of the building. One of the main tasks of the reconstruction is to restore the original, largely lost, legendary acoustics of the Bolshoi Theater and make the stage floor covering as convenient as possible. For the first time in Russian theater gender will change depending on genre affiliation the show being shown. Opera will have its gender, ballet will have its own. In terms of technological equipment, the theater will become one of the best in Europe and the world.

The building of the Bolshoi Theater is a monument of history and architecture, so a significant part of the work is scientific restoration. The author of the restoration project, Honored Architect of Russia, Director of the Research and Restoration Center "Restaurator-M" Elena Stepanova.

According to the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Alexander Avdeev, the reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater will be completed by the end of 2010 - beginning of 2011.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources.

Story

The Bolshoi Theater began as private theater provincial prosecutor Prince Peter Urusov. On March 28, 1776, Empress Catherine II signed a “privilege” to the prince for the maintenance of performances, masquerades, balls and other amusements for a period of ten years. This date is considered the founding day of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. At the first stage of the existence of the Bolshoi Theater, the opera and drama troupes formed a single whole. The composition was the most diverse: from serf artists to stars invited from abroad.

In the formation of the opera and drama troupe, Moscow University and the gymnasiums established under it, which gave good musical education. Theater classes were established at the Moscow Orphanage, which also supplied personnel to the new troupe.

The first theater building was built on the right bank of the Neglinka River. It overlooked Petrovka Street, hence the theater got its name - Petrovsky (later it will be called the Old Petrovsky Theater). Its opening took place on December 30, 1780. They gave a solemn prologue "Wanderers", written by A. Ablesimov, and a large pantomimic ballet "Magic School", staged by L. Paradis to the music of J. Startzer. Then the repertoire was formed mainly from Russian and Italian comic operas with ballets and individual ballets.

The Petrovsky Theatre, built in record time - less than six months, became the first public theater building of such size, beauty and convenience built in Moscow. By the time it was opened, Prince Urusov, however, had already been forced to cede his rights to a partner, and later on the “privilege” was extended only to Medox.

However, he was also disappointed. Forced to constantly ask for loans from the Board of Trustees, Medox did not get out of debt. In addition, the opinion of the authorities - previously very high - about the quality of his entrepreneurial activity has changed radically. In 1796, Madox's personal privilege expired, so that both the theater and its debts were transferred to the Board of Trustees.

In 1802-03. the theater was given at the mercy of Prince M. Volkonsky, the owner of one of the best Moscow home theater troupes. And in 1804, when the theater again came under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees, Volkonsky was actually appointed its director "on a salary."

Already in 1805, a project arose to create a theater directorate in Moscow "in the image and likeness" of St. Petersburg. In 1806, it was implemented - and the Moscow theater acquired the status of an imperial theater, passing under the jurisdiction of a single Directorate of Imperial Theaters.

In 1806, the school, which the Petrovsky Theater had, was reorganized into the Imperial Moscow Theater School for the training of opera, ballet, drama and theater orchestra musicians (in 1911 it became a choreographic school).

In the autumn of 1805 the building of the Petrovsky Theater burned down. The troupe began to perform on private stages. And since 1808 - on the stage of the new Arbat Theater, built according to the project of K. Rossi. This wooden building also perished in a fire - during the Patriotic War of 1812.

In 1819, a competition was announced for the design of a new theater building. The project of Andrei Mikhailov, professor of the Academy of Arts, won, however, it was recognized as too expensive. As a result, the Moscow governor, Prince Dmitry Golitsyn, ordered the architect Osip Bove to fix it, which he did, and significantly improved it.

In July 1820, the construction of a new theater building began, which was to become the center of the town-planning composition of the square and adjacent streets. The facade, decorated with a powerful portico on eight columns with a large sculptural group - Apollo on a chariot with three horses, "looked" at the Theater Square under construction, which contributed a lot to its decoration.

In 1822–23 Moscow theaters were separated from the general Directorate of Imperial Theaters and transferred to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Governor-General, who received the authority to appoint Moscow directors of the Imperial Theaters.

“Even closer, on a wide square, rises the Petrovsky Theater, a work of the latest art, a huge building, made according to all the rules of taste, with a flat roof and a majestic portico, on which towers the alabaster Apollo, standing on one leg in an alabaster chariot, motionlessly driving three alabaster horses and looking with annoyance at the Kremlin wall, which jealously separates it from the ancient shrines of Russia!
M. Lermontov, youthful composition "Panorama of Moscow"

On January 6, 1825, the grand opening of the new Petrovsky Theater took place - much larger than the lost old one, and therefore called the Bolshoi Petrovsky. The prologue "The Triumph of the Muses" written specially for the occasion in verse (M. Dmitrieva), with choirs and dances to the music of A. Alyabyev, A. Verstovsky and F. Scholz, as well as the ballet "Sandrillon" staged by a dancer invited from France and choreographer F. .IN. Güllen-Sor to the music of her husband F. Sor. The Muses triumphed over the fire that destroyed the old theater building, and, led by the Genius of Russia, whose role was played by the twenty-five-year-old Pavel Mochalov, they revived a new temple of art from the ashes. And although the theater was really very large, it could not accommodate everyone. Emphasizing the importance of the moment and condescending to the suffering of the suffering, the triumphal performance was repeated in its entirety the next day.

The new theater, which surpassed even the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Kamenny Theater in size, was distinguished by its monumental grandeur, proportionality of proportions, harmony of architectural forms and richness. interior decoration. It turned out to be very convenient: the building had galleries for the passage of spectators, stairs leading to the tiers, corner and side lounges and spacious dressing rooms. The huge auditorium could accommodate over two thousand people. The orchestra pit was deepened. At the time of masquerades, the floor of the stalls was raised to the level of the proscenium, orchestra pit covered with special shields - and it turned out a wonderful "dance floor".

In 1842, the Moscow theaters were again placed under the control of the General Directorate of the Imperial Theaters. A. Gedeonov was then the director, and the famous composer A. Verstovsky was appointed the manager of the Moscow theater office. The years when he was "in power" (1842–59) were called the "epoch of Verstovsky."

And although dramatic performances continued to be staged on the stage of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater, operas and ballets began to occupy an increasing place in its repertoire. Works by Donizetti, Rossini, Meyerbeer, the young Verdi, Russian composers - both Verstovsky and Glinka were staged (in 1842 the Moscow premiere of A Life for the Tsar took place, in 1846 - the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila).

The building of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater existed for almost 30 years. But he also suffered the same sad fate: on March 11, 1853, a fire broke out in the theater, which lasted three days and destroyed everything that it could. Theatrical machines, costumes, musical instruments, notes, scenery burned down... The building itself was almost completely destroyed, from which only charred stone walls and columns of the portico remained.

The competition for the restoration of the theater was attended by three prominent Russian architects. It was won by the professor of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, the chief architect of the imperial theaters, Albert Kavos. He specialized mainly in theater buildings, was well versed in theater technology and in the design of multi-tiered theaters with a box stage and with Italian and French types of boxes.

Restoration work progressed rapidly. In May 1855, the dismantling of the ruins was completed and the reconstruction of the building began. And in August 1856 it had already opened its doors to the public. This speed was explained by the fact that the construction had to be completed by the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Alexander II. The Bolshoi Theater, practically rebuilt and with very significant changes compared to the previous building, opened on August 20, 1856 with the opera I Puritani by V. Bellini.

The total height of the building has increased by almost four meters. Despite the fact that the porticos with Beauvais columns have been preserved, the appearance of the main facade has changed quite a lot. A second pediment appeared. The troika of Apollo was replaced by a quadriga cast in bronze. An alabaster bas-relief appeared on the inner field of the pediment, representing flying geniuses with a lyre. The frieze and capitals of the columns have changed. Over the entrances of the side facades, inclined canopies were installed on cast-iron pillars.

But the theatrical architect, of course, paid the main attention to the auditorium and the stage part. In the second half of the 19th century, the Bolshoi Theater was considered one of the best in the world in terms of its acoustic properties. And he owed this to the skill of Albert Cavos, who designed the auditorium as a huge musical instrument. Wooden panels from resonant spruce were used to decorate the walls, a wooden ceiling was made instead of an iron ceiling, and a picturesque ceiling was made of wooden shields - everything in this hall worked for acoustics. Even the decor of the boxes, made of papier-mâché. In order to improve the acoustics of the hall, Cavos also filled in the rooms under the amphitheater, where the wardrobe was placed, and moved the hangers to the level of the stalls.

The space of the auditorium was significantly expanded, which made it possible to make front lodges - small living rooms furnished to receive visitors from the stalls or boxes located in the neighborhood. The six-tier hall accommodated almost 2300 spectators. On both sides, near the stage, there were letter boxes intended for royal family, the Ministry of the court and the directorate of the theater. The ceremonial royal box, protruding slightly into the hall, became its center, opposite the stage. The barrier of the Royal Lodge was supported by consoles in the form of bent atlantes. The raspberry-gold splendor amazed everyone who entered this hall, both in the first years of the existence of the Bolshoi Theater and decades later.

“I tried to decorate the auditorium as splendidly and at the same time as lightly as possible, in the taste of the Renaissance, mixed with the Byzantine style. White color studded with gold, bright crimson draperies of the inner boxes, various plaster arabesques on each floor and the main effect of the auditorium - large chandelier from three rows of lamps and candelabra decorated with crystal - all this deserved universal approval.
Albert Cavos

The chandelier of the auditorium was originally lit by 300 oil lamps. To light the oil lamps, it was raised through a hole in the ceiling into a special room. A circular ceiling composition was built around this hole, on which Academician A. Titov painted "Apollo and the Muses". This painting "with a secret" that opens only to a very attentive eye, which, in addition to everything, should belong to a connoisseur ancient Greek mythology: instead of one of the canonical muses - the muse of the sacred hymns of Polyhymnia, Titov depicted the muse of painting invented by him - with a palette and a brush in his hands.

The ceremonial lifting and lowering curtain was created by the Italian artist, professor of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Fine Arts Casroe Dusi. Of the three sketches, the one that depicted "The entry of Minin and Pozharsky into Moscow" was chosen. In 1896 it was replaced by a new one - "View of Moscow from the Sparrow Hills" (performed by P. Lambin based on a drawing by M. Bocharov), which was used at the beginning and at the end of the performance. And for the intermissions, another curtain was made - "The Triumph of the Muses" according to the sketch of P. Lambin (the only curtain of the 19th century that has survived today in the theater).

After the revolution of 1917, the curtains of the imperial theater were sent into exile. In 1920, theatrical artist F. Fedorovsky, working on the production of the opera Lohengrin, made a sliding curtain made of bronze-painted canvas, which then began to be used as the main one. In 1935, according to the sketch of F. Fedorovsky, a new curtain was made, on which revolutionary dates were woven - “1871, 1905, 1917”. In 1955, the famous golden "Soviet" curtain of F. Fedorovsky reigned in the theater for half a century - with woven state symbols of the USSR.

Like most of the buildings on Theater Square, the Bolshoi Theater was built on stilts. Gradually the building decayed. Drainage works have lowered the groundwater level. The top of the piles rotted and this caused the building to settle heavily. In 1895 and 1898 the foundations were repaired, which temporarily helped to stop the ongoing destruction.

The last performance of the Imperial Bolshoi Theater took place on February 28, 1917. And already on March 13, the State Bolshoi Theater opened.

After October revolution not only the foundations, but the very existence of the theater was threatened. It took several years for the power of the victorious proletariat to abandon forever the idea of ​​closing the Bolshoi Theater and ruining its building. In 1919, she awarded him the title of academician, which at that time did not even guarantee safety, since a few days later the issue of its closure was again hotly debated.

However, in 1922, the Bolshevik government still finds the closure of the theater economically inexpedient. By that time, it was already "adapting" the building to its needs with might and main. The Bolshoi Theater hosted the All-Russian Congresses of Soviets, meetings of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and congresses of the Comintern. And education new country- The USSR - was also proclaimed from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.

Back in 1921, a special government commission, having examined the theater building, found its condition catastrophic. It was decided to launch anti-emergency work, the head of which was appointed architect I. Rerberg. Then the bases under the annular walls of the auditorium were strengthened, the wardrobe rooms were restored, the stairs were replanned, new rehearsal rooms and artistic latrines were created. In 1938, a major reconstruction of the stage was also carried out.

General plan for the reconstruction of Moscow in 1940-41. called for the demolition of all houses Bolshoi Theater up to the Kuznetsky bridge. On the vacated territory it was supposed to build the premises necessary for the work of the theater. And in the theater itself, fire safety and ventilation had to be established. In April 1941, the Bolshoi Theater was closed for necessary repairs. And two months later, the Great Patriotic War began.

Part of the staff of the Bolshoi Theater was evacuated to Kuibyshev, part remained in Moscow and continued to play performances on the stage of the branch. Many artists performed as part of front-line brigades, others went to the front themselves.

On October 22, 1941, at four in the afternoon, a bomb hit the building of the Bolshoi Theater. The blast wave passed obliquely between the columns of the portico, broke through the front wall and caused significant damage in the vestibule. Despite the hardships of wartime and the terrible cold, in the winter of 1942, restoration work began in the theater.

And already in the autumn of 1943, the Bolshoi Theater resumed its activities with a production of M. Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar, which was removed from the stigma of the monarchist and recognized as patriotic and popular, however, for this it was necessary to revise its libretto and give a new trustworthy name - "Ivan Susanin ".

Cosmetic repairs in the theater were carried out annually. More large-scale works were regularly undertaken. But there was still a catastrophic lack of rehearsal space.

In 1960, a large rehearsal hall was built and opened in the theater building - under the very roof, in the premises of the former scenery hall.

In 1975, for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the theater, some restoration work was carried out in the auditorium and Beethoven halls. However, the main problems - the instability of the foundations and the lack of space inside the theater - were not resolved.

Finally, in 1987, by a decree of the Government of the country, a decision was made on the need for an urgent reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater. But it was clear to everyone that in order to preserve the troupe, the theater should not stop its creative activity. We needed a branch. However, eight years passed before the first stone was laid in the foundation of its foundation. And seven more before the New Stage building was completed.

On November 29, 2002, the new stage opened with the premiere of the opera The Snow Maiden by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, a production that fully corresponds to the spirit and purpose of the new building, that is, innovative, experimental.

In 2005, the Bolshoi Theater was closed for restoration and reconstruction. But this is a separate chapter of the annals of the Bolshoi Theater.

To be continued...

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The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, located in the center of the capital, on Theater Square, is one of the symbols of Russia, the brilliant skill of its artists. Its talented performers: vocalists and ballet dancers, composers and conductors, choreographers are known all over the world. More than 800 works have been staged on its stage. These are the first Russian operas and operas of such celebrities as Verdi and Wagner, Bellini and Donizetti, Berlioz and Ravel and other composers. The world premieres of operas by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Arensky took place here. The great Rachmaninoff conducted here.

Bolshoi Theater in Moscow - history

In March 1736, the provincial prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov, began the construction of a theater building on the right bank of the Neglinka River, at the corner of Petrovka. Then he began to be called Petrovsky. But Peter Urusov failed to complete the construction. The building burned down. After the fire, the theater building was completed by his partner, the English businessman Michael Medox. It was the first professional theater. His repertoire included drama, opera and ballet performances. Both singers and dramatic actors took part in opera performances. The Petrovsky Theater was opened on December 30, 1780. On this day, the ballet-pantomime "Magic Shop" staged by J. Paradis was shown. Ballets with a national flavor, such as Village Simplicity, Gypsy Ballet and The Capture of Ochakov, were especially popular with the audience. Mostly, ballet troupe was formed by pupils of the ballet school of the Moscow Orphanage and serf actors of the troupe E. Golovkina. This building has served 25 years. It died in a fire in 1805. The new building, built under the direction of C. Rossi on Arbat Square, also burned down in 1812.

According to the project of A. Mikhailov in 1821-1825. a new theatrical building is being built in the same place. The construction was supervised by the architect O. Bove. It has grown considerably in size. Therefore, at that time it was called the Bolshoi Theater. On January 6, 1825, the performance "The Triumph of the Muses" was given here. After a fire in March 1853, the building was restored for three years. The work was supervised by the architect A. Kavos. As contemporaries wrote, the appearance of the building "captivated the eye with the proportion of parts in which lightness was combined with grandeur." This is how it has come down to our days. In 1937 and in 1976 The theater was awarded the Order of Lenin. During the Great Patriotic War, he was evacuated to the city of Kuibyshev. On November 29, 2002, the New Stage opened with the premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snow Maiden.

Bolshoi Theater - architecture

The building that we can admire now is one of the best examples of Russian classical architecture. It was built in 1856 under the guidance of architect Albert Cavos. During the restoration after the fire, the building was completely rebuilt and decorated with a white-stone portico with eight columns. The architect replaced the four-pitched roof with a two-pitched one with pediments, repeating the shape of the portico pediment along the main façade and removing the arched niche. The Ionic order of the portico was replaced by a complex one. All details of the exterior finish have been changed. Some architects believe that Kavos' alterations reduced the artistic merit of the original building. The building is crowned with the world-famous bronze quadriga of Apollo by Peter Klodt. We see a two-wheeled chariot with four harnessed horses galloping across the sky and the god Apollo driving them. A gypsum double-headed eagle - the state emblem of Russia - was installed on the pediment of the building. On the plafond of the auditorium there are nine muses with Apollo at the head. Thanks to the work of Albert Kavos, the building fits perfectly into the architectural structures surrounding it.

Five tiers of the auditorium can accommodate more than 2100 spectators. According to its acoustic properties, it is considered one of the best in the world. The length of the hall from the orchestra to the back wall is 25 meters, the width is 26.3 meters, and the height is 21 meters. The portal of the stage is 20.5 by 17.8 meters, the depth of the stage is 23.5 meters. This is one of the most beautiful architectural structures of the capital. It was called "a hall of sunshine, gold, purple and snow." The building also hosts important state and public celebrations.

Reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater

In 2005, the reconstruction of the theater began and after 6 years of colossal work, on October 28, 2011, the opening took place main stage countries. The area of ​​the Bolshoi Theater doubled and amounted to 80 thousand square meters, an underground part appeared and the unique acoustics of the hall was restored. The stage now has the volume of a six-story building, all processes in which are computerized. The murals in the White Foyer have been restored. Jacquard fabrics and tapestries in the Round Hall and the Imperial Foyer were restored by hand over the course of 5 years, restoring every centimeter. 156 masters from all over Russia were engaged in gilding interiors with a thickness of 5 microns and an area of ​​981 square meters, which took 4.5 kg of gold.

There were 17 elevators with floor buttons from the 10th to the 4th, and an additional 2 floors located below are occupied by mechanics. Auditorium accommodates 1768 people, before reconstruction - 2100. The theater buffet moved to the 4th floor and this is the only room where windows are located on both sides. Interestingly, the tiles in the central foyer are made in the same factory as in the 19th century. Especially beautiful is the chandelier with a diameter of more than 6 meters with gilded pendants. A double-headed eagle and the word Russia are embroidered on the new curtain.

The modern Bolshoi Theater includes an opera and ballet troupe, a stage and brass band and an orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater. The names of the opera and ballet school are the property of all Russia and all theater world. More than 80 artists were awarded the title People's Artists USSR in Soviet period. The title of Hero of Socialist Labor was given to eight stage masters - I. Arkhipova and Yu. Grigorovich, I. Kozlovsky and E. Nesterenko, E. Svetlanov, as well as world-famous ballerinas - G. Ulanova, M. Plisetskaya and M. Semyonova. Many artists are People's Artists of the Russian Federation.

The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow represents one of the world's major theater scenes. He played an outstanding role in the formation of the Russian musical stage school and in the development of Russian national art, including the famous Russian ballet.

At the mere mention of the Bolshoi, theatergoers all over the world take their breath away and their hearts begin to beat faster. Ticket to his show 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 best singers and dancers of their era.

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, after three years famous architect C. I. Rossi completed the construction of a new building on Arbatskaya Square, but the fiery element did not spare him either. new temple musical art died in a big fire that happened 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 building. musical theater. 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 of great importance the content of the performances. 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 cultural life 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". Second half 19th century marked by 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» Tchaikovsky.

The heyday of the main Moscow theater falls on late XIX- the beginning of the twentieth century. 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.

Soviet era brought many changes to theater stage. 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 Soviet composers on posters and covers of programs flicker more and more often.

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 last years the troupe increasingly resorts to experiments that are not always unambiguously evaluated 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 the subject of fierce debate, and productions are broadcast in cinemas in different countries the world and on Internet channels.

During the existence of the Bolshoi Theater, many interesting events were associated with it. Worked in the theater prominent people of its time, and the main building of the Bolshoi became one of the symbols 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 completed 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 time 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 stage

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 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 " Queen of Spades” Tchaikovsky, “Love for Three Oranges” by Prokofiev and “The Snow Maiden” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov. 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 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. Vigilant labors Medoxa was built in five months Grand Theatre, 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 was held overhaul the building of the theater, after which many wonderful operas were staged in the theater, such as Boris Godunov by M. Mussorgsky, The Maid of Pskov by Rimsky-Korsakov with Chaliapin in the role of 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 ballet and opera troupe, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra and 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 singers over younger generation I. Morozov, P. Glubokoy, Kalinina, Matorin, Shemchuk, Rautio, Tarashchenko, N. Terentyeva, who advanced in the 80-90s, 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. On the stage of the Bolshoi Theater there were tours of the world's leading opera houses People: La Scala (1964, 1974, 1989), Vienna State Opera (1971), 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), "Siegfried" Wagner (1894), "Trojans in Carthage" Berlioz (1899), " Flying Dutchman Wagner (1902), Verdi's Don Carlos (1917), Dream in midsummer night Britten (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 " Miserly knight"(1906), Prokofiev's "Player" (1974), a number of operas by Cui, Arensky and many others.

On turn of XIX and XX centuries, the theater reaches 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 foreign composers. 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.