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 was inaugurated Stone Theater 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 was this period creative life theater is depicted 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(son of the composer) replaced the dome ceiling theater hall flat, 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 in its place A. Kavos built new theater. 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, marking the beginning of a new period female 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 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, "Maid of Orleans", "Enchantress", " Queen of Spades", "Iolanta" Tchaikovsky, "Demon" 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, continued to stage classical performances"Giselle", "Esmeralda", "Corsair". Petipa staged Mariinsky Theater ballets Tchaikovsky“Sleeping Beauty” and in collaboration with Lev Ivanov – “The Nutcracker”. After the death of Tchaikovsky on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater " Swan Lake"has found a second life. 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 perform 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 of 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 He also 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
One of the oldest and leading musical theaters Russia. The history of the theater dates back to 1783, when the Stone Theater was opened, in which drama, opera and ballet troupes performed. Department of opera (singers P.V. Zlov, A.M. Krutitsky, E.S. Sandunova, etc.) and ballet (dancers E.I. Andreyanova, I.I. Valberkh (Lesogorov), A.P. Glushkovsky, A.I. Istomina, E.I. Kolosova, etc.) troupes from the dramatic occurred in 1803. Foreign operas were performed on stage, as well as the first works of Russian composers. In 1836, the opera “A Life for the Tsar” by M.I. Glinka was staged, which opened the classical period of Russian opera. Outstanding Russian singers O.A. Petrov, A.Ya. Petrova, as well as M.M. Stepanova, E.A. Semyonova, S.S. Gulak-Artemovsky sang in the opera troupe. In the 1840s. The Russian opera troupe was pushed aside by the Italian one, which was under the patronage of the court, and transferred to Moscow. Her performances were resumed in St. Petersburg only in the mid-1850s. on the stage of the Circus Theatre, which after a fire in 1859 was rebuilt (architect A.K. Kavos) and opened in 1860 under the name Mariinsky Theater (in 1883-1896 the building was reconstructed under the direction of architect V.A. Schröter). Creative development and the formation of the theater are associated with the performance of operas (as well as ballets) by A.P. Borodin, A.S. Dargomyzhsky, M.P. Mussorgsky, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, P.I. Tchaikovsky (many works for the first time). High musical culture The collective was facilitated by the activities of conductor and composer E.F. Napravnik (1863-1916). Choreographers M.I. Petipa and L.I. Ivanov made a great contribution to the development of ballet art. Singers E.A. Lavrovskaya, D.M. Leonova, I.A. Melnikov, E.K. Mravina, Yu.F. Platonova, F.I. Stravinsky, M.I. performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. and N.N. Figner, F.I. Chaliapin, dancers T.P. Karsavina, M.F. Kshesinskaya, V.F. Nizhinsky, A.P. Pavlova, M.M. Fokin and others. The performances were designed by major artists , including A.Ya. Golovin, K.A. Korovin.
After the October Revolution, the theater became state, and since 1919 - academic. Since 1920 it was called State academic theater opera and ballet, since 1935 - named after Kirov. Along with the classics, the theater staged operas and ballets Soviet composers. A great contribution to the development of musical and theatrical art was made by singers I.V. Ershov, S.I. Migai, S.P. Preobrazhenskaya, N.K. Pechkovsky, ballet dancers T.M. Vecheslova, N.M. Dudinskaya, A. V. Lopukhov, K. M. Sergeev, G. S. Ulanova, V. M. Chabukiani, A. Ya. Shelest, conductors V. A. Dranishnikov, A. M. Pazovsky, B. E. Khaikin, directors V. A. Lossky, S. E. Radlov, N. V. Smolich, I. Yu. Shlepyanov, choreographers A. Ya. Vaganova, L. M. Lavrovsky, F. V. Lopukhov. During the Great Patriotic War, the theater was located in Perm, continuing to work actively (several premieres took place, including the opera “Emelyan Pugachev” by M.V. Koval, 1942). Some theater artists who remained in besieged Leningrad, including Preobrazhenskaya, P.Z. Andreev, performed in concerts, on the radio, and participated in opera performances. In the post-war years, the theater paid great attention Soviet music. The artistic achievements of the theater are associated with the activities of the main conductors S.V. Yeltsin, E.P.Grikurov, A.I.Klimov, K.A.Simeonov, Yu.X.Temirkanov, directors E.N.Sokovnin, R.I.Tikhomirov , choreographers I.A. Belsky, K.M. Sergeev, B.A. Fenster, L.V. Yakobson, artists V.V. Dmitriev, I.V. Sevastyanov, S.B. Virsaladze and others. In the troupe ( 1990): chief conductor V.A.Gergiev, chief choreographer O.I.Vinogradov, singers I.P.Bogacheva, E.E.Gorokhovskaya, G.A.Kovalyova, S.P.Leiferkus, Yu.M.Marusin, V.M.Morozov , N.P. Okhotnikov, K.I. Pluzhnikov, L.P. Filatova, B.G. Shtokolov, ballet dancers S.V. Vikulov, V.N. Gulyaev, I.A. Kolpakova, G.T. Komleva , N.A. Kurgapkina, A.I. Sizova and others. Awarded the Order of Lenin (1939), October Revolution(1983). Large-circulation newspaper “For Soviet Art” (since 1933).
History of the Mariinsky Theater counts from the Bolshoi Theater founded by decree of Catherine II in 1783, which was located on the site of the current Conservatory (Theater Square of St. Petersburg). In 1848, the building of the Mariinsky Theater was erected by the outstanding architect A. Kavas, a prominent representative of late classicism. The name of the theater is associated with the name of the wife of Alexander II, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.
The first performance at the theater took place on October 2, 1860. It was an opera by M.I. Glinka "Life for the Tsar". On the stage of the Mariinsky Theater the premieres of such masterpieces of Russian classics as “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Boris Godunov”, “Khovanshchina” took place, and operas and ballets by Tchaikovsky were staged and presented to the audience. The Mariinsky Theater staged Aida, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Carmen and others for the first time on the Russian stage.
The theater became the center of cultural life in St. Petersburg. Between 1883 and 1896, under the leadership of V. Schröter, a Russian architect German origin, the theater was being reconstructed, mainly the auditorium. Auditorium The Mariinsky Theater is one of the most beautiful in the world. It is decorated with a luxurious three-tier chandelier and a picturesque lampshade made by the painter Fracioli, gilded stucco decorations and sculptures, and the famous curtain of the work Russian artist, set designer A. Golovin.
Listing the names of cultural figures associated with the state academic theater would take an infinite number of pages, let's name just a few of them: M. Petipa, F. Chaliapin, A. Istomina, E. Semenova, V. Nijinsky, L. Sobinov, G. Ulanova, A. Pavlova, R. Nuriev. Soviet period The history of the theater is marked by the fact that in 1919 the Mariinsky Theater - Mariinsky Theater received academic status. In 1935 he was named after S.M. Kirov, which he wore until 1992. During the war, the theater was evacuated to Perm, where it held its performances. Work is currently underway to create a second stage for the theatre. The new building will be located next to historical building, on the other side of the Kryukov Canal. The architect is Frenchman Dominique Perrault. Artistic director and the director of the theater is Valery Abisalovich Gergiev. His productions become a revelation for the world musical community. V. Gergiev is one of the outstanding conductors of the world today.
Historical places, attractions in St. Petersburg:
Mariinsky Theater. MARIINSKY THEATER (named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna), opera and ballet theater in St. Petersburg. Opened in 1860 with the production of the opera “A Life for the Tsar” by M.I. Glinka in the building of the Circus Theater rebuilt in 1859 Theater Square… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
MARIINSKY THEATER- opened in 1783 in St. Petersburg as the Stone (Bolshoi) Theater, from 1860 to modern building(architect A.K. Kavos), then received modern name; in 1919 1991 State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, since 1935 named after. S. M. Kirov, since 1992... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
MARIINSKY THEATER- (named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna), Opera and Ballet Theater in St. Petersburg. Opened in 1860 with the production of the opera Life for the Tsar by M.I. Glinka in the building of the Circus Theater on Teatralnaya Square, rebuilt in 1859 (reconstructed in 1968 1970). One... ...Russian history
Mariinsky Theater- (see Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov). Saint Petersburg. Petrograd. Leningrad: Encyclopedic reference book. M.: Bolshaya Russian Encyclopedia. Ed. board: Belova L.N., Buldakov G.N., Degtyarev A.Ya. et al. 1992 ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)
Mariinsky Theater- Mariinsky Theatre, see Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"
Mariinsky Theater- opened in 1783 in St. Petersburg as the Stone (Bolshoi) Theater, from 1860 in a modern building (architect A.K. Kavos), then it received its modern name; in 1919 1991 State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, since 1935 named after S. M. Kirov ... Encyclopedic Dictionary
Mariinsky Theater Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Mariinsky Theater- in St. Petersburg. open Oct 2 1860 revival of the opera Life for the Tsar. Rebuilt by architect A.K. Kavos from the circus theater that burned down in 1859. IN lately(1894 96) the theater was completely rebuilt. Significant works, in order to improve... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Mariinsky Theater- see Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater... Music Encyclopedia
Mariinsky Theater- MARIINSKY THEATER, see Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater... Ballet. Encyclopedia
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- Bolshoi Theater. Culture and politics. New history, Volkov Solomon. The Bolshoi Theater is one of the most famous brands in Russia. In the West, the word Bolshoi does not need translation. But this was not always the case. For many years, the main musical theater of the empire was considered...
