The most famous theater in Russia and one of the famous theaters in the world is the Bolshoi Theater. Where is the main theater of the country? Well, of course, in the main city - in Moscow. His repertoire includes opera and ballet productions of Russian and foreign classical composers. In addition to the classical repertoire, the theater is constantly experimenting with innovative and modern productions. The history of the Bolshoi Theater is very rich and is associated with the names of people significant for our country. In March 2015, the theater turns 239 years old.
How it all started
The founder of the Bolshoi Theater is considered to be Prince Peter Vasilievich Urusov, he was a provincial prosecutor and at the same time had his own theater troupe. He was the only one who was allowed to organize performances, masquerades, concerts and other entertainments. No one else was allowed to do such a thing, so that the prince did not have competitors. But this privilege imposed on him the obligation to build a beautiful building for the troupe, in which all the performances would take place. The prince had a companion by the name of Medox, who was a foreigner, he taught mathematics to Grand Duke Paul - the future Russian emperor. Having fallen in love with theatrical business, he remained in Russia and closely engaged in the development of the theater. Prince Urusov did not manage to build a theater, because he went bankrupt, the privilege of the theater owner, as well as the obligation to build the building, passed to Medoks, as a result of which he built the Bolshoi Theater. Where is the theater created by Medoks, is known to every second resident of Russia, it is located at the intersection of Theater Square and Petrovka.
Theater construction
For the construction of the theater, Medox chose the site belonging to Prince Rostotsky, which he bought from him. It was a street with the name Petrovskaya, its very beginning, here the Bolshoi Theater was built. The address of the theater now is Theater Square, house 1. The theater was built in record time, in just 5 months, which even for our time with all its modern technologies and building materials is amazing and amazing. Developed a project for the construction of a theater building Christian Rosberg. The theater was magnificent inside, the auditorium was striking in its beauty, and the facade of the building, on the contrary, was modest, unremarkable and practically not decorated. The theater got its first name - Petrovsky.
Theater opening
The building of the Bolshoi Theater was opened in 1780, December 30. On this day, the very first performance of the theater troupe took place in its own building. All the newspapers wrote about the opening, theatrical masters and renowned architects scattered compliments on the building as one, describing it as durable, huge, profitable, beautiful, safe and superior in all respects to most famous European theaters. The governor of the city was so pleased with the construction that the privilege that gave Medox the right to entertain was extended for another 10 years.
Interior decoration
To conduct performances, a round hall was built, the so-called rotunda. The hall was decorated with numerous mirrors and illuminated by forty-two crystal chandeliers. The hall was designed by Medox himself. Near the stage, as expected, was an orchestra pit. Closest to the stage were stools for guests of honor and regular spectators, most of whom were owners of serfs. Their opinion was important for Medox, for this reason they were invited to dress rehearsals, after which they were involved in the discussion of the upcoming production.
In the year the theater showed about 100 performances. It was impossible to buy tickets for one performance; for visiting the theater, spectators purchased an annual subscription.
Over time, theater attendance deteriorated, profits became smaller, actors began to leave the theater, and the building fell into decay. As a result, the Bolshoi Opera House became state and received a new name - the Imperial.
Temporary sunset
The history of the Bolshoi Theater was not always so beautiful; there were also tragic moments in it. In 1805, the theater burned down after 25 years of its existence. Only the bearing walls have survived, and only partially. Reconstruction began only in 1821, when Moscow was rebuilt after the invasion of the Napoleonic troops. The main architect, who was tasked with restoring the central part of the city, including the theater, was Osip Beauvais. He was an innovator, according to his project, the streets began to be built up differently, now the mansions began to go out onto the street, not in the courtyard. Beauvais led the restoration of Red Square, the Alexander Garden, the square near the theater. The reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater was his most successful project. The new building was built in the Empire style. According to contemporaries of the architect, as if the phoenix had risen from the ashes of the Bolshoi Theater.
The metro is very close to the theater, so getting to the theater is very convenient from anywhere in Moscow.
Reconstruction of the theater building
The restoration of the theater began in 1821 and lasted several years. Initially, the plan for the renovated theater building was developed by the famous architect Andrei Mikhailov in St. Petersburg; the Moscow governor approved this plan. Mikhailov designed the theater building in the shape of a rectangle, as well as a portico of eight columns and Apollo in a chariot on top of the portico, the hall was provided for up to two thousand spectators. Osip Bove converted Mikhailov’s project, where the Bolshoi Theater became lower, the proportions of the building changed. Beauvais also decided to refuse to place
trade pavilions on the ground floor
, as he considered this to be unaesthetic. The hall became multi-tiered, the decoration of the hall became rich. The necessary acoustics of the building were observed. Beauvais even had a very original idea - to make a mirror curtain, but to realize such an idea, of course, is unrealistic, since such a curtain would be incredibly heavy.
Second birth
The reconstruction of the theater was completed by the end of 1824, in January 1825 the renovated theater building was inaugurated. The first performance took place, the program of which included the ballet “Sandrilla” and the prologue “The Triumph of Muses” written specially for the opening of the theater by Alyabyev and Verstovsky. Beauvais was in the spotlight, the audience greeted him with thunderous applause in gratitude. The new theater was simply amazing in its beauty. Now the theater is called the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater. All productions of the theater came with constant success. Now the Bolshoi has become even more brilliant.
Metro is the most convenient way to get to the Bolshoi Theater. The closest stations to the theater are the Teatralnaya, Revolution Square, Okhotny Ryad and Aleksandrovsky Sad stations. Which station to choose from depends on the starting point of the route.
Fire again
In the spring of 1853, a fire broke out in the theater again, it was very strong and lasted two days. The sky is so clouded with black smoke that it was visible in all corners of the city. All the snow melted on Theater Square. The building burned down almost completely, only supporting walls and a portico remained. The fire destroyed the scenery, costumes, music library, musical instruments, among which there were rare items. Once again, the Bolshoi Theater suffered from a fire.
It is not difficult to find where the theater is located, it is located on Theater Square and there are a lot of attractions near it: Maly Drama Theater, Youth Theater, Shchepkin Theater School, Metropol Cabaret, House of Unions, Okhotny Ryad, TsUM, in front of the theater there is a monument to Karl To Marx.
Recovery work
The architect, who was engaged in the revival of the theater to life, was Albert Kavos, the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg was built according to his project. Unfortunately, little information has come to this day about this architect. There was not enough money to restore the theater, but the work progressed quickly and took a little more than a year. The theater was opened on August 20, 1856, now it was already called the "Great Imperial Theater". The premiere performance of the restored theater was the opera Puritans by the Italian composer
V. Bellini. The attitude towards the new theater was different. The townspeople considered it magnificent and were proud of it, as for engineers and architects, some of them thought that the reconstruction carried out by Kavos was too different from the way the theater was conceived by Mikhailov and Beauvais, especially with regard to facades and some interiors. It is worth paying tribute to the architect, thanks to his redevelopment of the hall, the acoustics at the Bolshoi Theater became one of the best in the world.
In the theater there were not only performances, balls and masquerades were held in it. That was the Bolshoi Theater. Theater address - Moscow City , Theater Square, 1.
Our days
In the 20th century, the theater entered a fairly dilapidated state, with a settled foundation and cracks on the walls. But several reconstructions carried out in the theater in the 20th century, one of which was completed recently (lasted 6 years), did their job - and now the theater shines with all its facets. The theater’s repertoire, in addition to operas and ballets, also includes operettas. You can also take a tour of the theater - see the hall and several other very interesting rooms. A visitor who wants to visit the Bolshoi Theater, where he is located, may find it difficult to find, although in fact he is in the very center of the city and it will not be difficult to find him, not far from him is another attraction of the capital, which is known to the whole world - Red area.
Reviews of the audience about the Bolshoi Theater
A huge number of spectators visit the Bolshoi Theater. Grateful viewers leave reviews in large quantities, including on the Internet. They write about the beautiful productions of the theater, about the wonderful voices of the singers, about the emotions that arose in their souls after visiting the theater, express their enthusiasm for the acting, admire the beautiful costumes and scenery. The theater is visited not only by Russians, among foreign tourists it is also one of the most popular places where they rush to get when they come to Moscow. An adherent of the classics and an innovator - all this is the Bolshoi Theater.
How to get to the theater by car? It all depends on where to go. There are several options for the path: you can get through Mokhovaya Street - it leads directly to Theater Square; either through Tverskaya; and if you move along Petrovka, you can drive right up to the door of the theater.