Where is the Bolshoi Theater? History of the Bolshoi Theater

The most famous theater in Russia and one of the famous theaters of 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 performances by Russian and foreign classical composers. In addition to the classical repertoire, the theater is constantly experimenting with innovative modern productions. The history of the Bolshoi Theater is very rich and connected with the names of people of significance to our country. In March 2015, the theater is already 239 years old.

How it all began

The founder of the Bolshoi Theater is Prince Peter Vasilievich Urusov, he was a provincial prosecutor and at the same time had his own theatrical troupe. He was the only one who was allowed to organize performances, masquerades, concerts and other amusements. No one else was allowed to do such a thing, so that the prince did not have competitors. But this privilege imposed on him and the obligation - to build for the company a beautiful building in which all the performances would pass. The prince had a companion named Medox, who was a foreigner, he taught mathematics to the Grand Duke Paul - the future Russian emperor. Falling in love with the theatrical work, he stayed in Russia and took up the development of the theater. Prince Urusov failed to build a theater, as he was ruined, the privilege of the theater's owner, like the obligation to build the building, passed to Medox, as a result of which it was he who built the Bolshoi Theater. Where is the theater, created by Medox, is known to every second inhabitant of Russia, he is located at the intersection of Teatralnaya Square and Petrovka.

Theater construction

Under the construction of the theater, Medox chose a site owned by Prince Rostotsky, who bought it from him. It was a street with the name Petrovskaya, its very beginning, and here the Bolshoi Theater was built. The address of the theater is now - Teatralnaya 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 terrific. He developed a project to build a theatrical building of Christian Rosberg. The theater was magnificent inside, the auditorium impressed with its beauty, and the facade of the building, on the other hand, was modest, unremarkable and almost unadorned. The theater got its first name - Petrovsky.

Opening of the theater

The building of the Bolshoi Theater was opened in 1780, on December 30. On this day, the very first performance of the theatrical company took place in its own building. All the newspapers only wrote about the opening, theatrical masters and famous architects scattered compliments to the building, describing it as a solid, huge, profitable, beautiful, safe and superior in most respects most of the famous theaters in Europe. The governor of the city was so pleased with the construction that the privilege that gave Medocca the right to carry out the amusements was extended for another 10 years.

Interior decoration

For the presentations, a round hall was built, the so-called rotunda. The hall was decorated with numerous mirrors and illuminated forty-two crystal chandeliers. The hall was designed by Medox himself. Next to the stage, as expected, was an orchestra pit. Closest to the stage were stools for the guests of honor of the theater and regular viewers, most of whom were owners of serf troupes. Their opinion was important for Medox, for this reason they were invited to the 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 not possible to buy tickets for one performance, to view the theater, viewers purchased an annual subscription.

Over time, attendance at the theater deteriorated, profits became less, actors began to leave the theater, and the building fell into decay. As a result, the Bolshoi Opera Theater became a state theater and received a new name - the Imperial.

Temporary sunset

The history of the Bolshoi Theater was not always so beautiful, there were tragic moments in it. In 1805 the theater burned down after 25 years of its existence. Only the load-bearing walls are preserved, and then partially. Reconstruction began only in 1821, when Moscow was rebuilt after the invasion of the Napoleonic troops. The main architect, who was commissioned to restore the central part of the city, including the theater, was Osip Bove. He was an innovator, according to his project, the streets began to be built in a different way, now the mansions began to go out onto the street, not into the courtyard. Bove led the restoration of the Red Square, the Alexander Garden, the square near the theater. Reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater was his most successful project. The new building was erected in Empire style. According to contemporaries of the architect, like the phoenix rebelled 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 for several years. Initially, the plan for the renovated theater building was developed by the architect Andrei Mikhailov, well-known in St. Petersburg, the governor of Moscow approved this plan. Mikhailov developed a theater-shaped building in the form of a rectangle, as well as a portico of eight columns and Apollo in a chariot on the top of the portico, the room was designed for up to two thousand spectators. Osip Bove revised Mikhailov's project, where the Bolshoi Theater became lower, the proportions of the building changed. Also, Beauvais decided not to place the pavilions on the first floor , since he considered that it was not aesthetic. The hall became multilevel, the decoration of the hall was rich. The necessary acoustics of the building was observed. Bove had even 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 solemnly opened. The first performance took place, the program included the ballet "Sandrillon" and the prologue "The Triumph of the Muses" specially written for the opening of the theater by Alyabiev and Verstovsky. Beauvais was in the center of attention, the audience welcomed him with a storm of applause in gratitude. The new theater was simply amazing in its beauty. Now the theater has received the name "Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater". All the productions of the theater went with unchanged success. Now the Bolshoi Theater became even more brilliant.

Metro is the most convenient way to get to the Bolshoi Theater. The nearest stations to the theater are Teatralnaya, Ploshchad Revolutsii, Okhotny Ryad and Aleksandrovsky Sad. Which station from them to choose depends on the starting point of the route.

And again the fire

In the spring of 1853, a fire broke out again in the theater, it was very strong and lasted for two days. The sky was so clouded with black smoke that it was visible in all corners of the city. On the Theater Square, all the snow melted. The building burned down almost completely, there were only bearing walls and a portico. The fire destroyed scenery, costumes, a music library, musical instruments, among which were rare specimens. Once again the Great Theater suffered from the fire.

Where the theater is located, it is easy to find, it is located on the Theater Square and close to it there are a lot of attractions: Maly Drama Theater, Youth Theater, Shchepkin Theater School, Cabaret Metropol, House of Unions, Okhotny Ryad, TSUM, To Marx.

Restoration work

The architect who revived the theater for life was Albert Kavos, according to his project the Mariinsky Theater was built in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, little information has been received about this architect until our days. Money to rebuild the theater was not enough, but the work progressed quickly and took a little more than a year. The theater was opened on August 20, 1856, now it was called the Bolshoi Imperial Theater. The premiere performance of the restored theater was the opera Puritani by the Italian composer V. Bellini. To the new theater the attitude has developed different. The townspeople considered him magnificent and proud of him, as for engineers and architects, some of them believed that the reconstruction carried out by Kavos was too different from what the theater was conceived by Mikhailov and Bove, especially for facades and some interiors. It is worth to give the architect due, thanks to his re-planning of the hall acoustics in the Bolshoi Theater has become one of the best in the world.

Not only performances were performed in the theater, balls and masquerades were arranged in it. This became the Bolshoi Theater. Theater address - Moscow, Teatralnaya 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, held in the theater in the 20 century, one of which ended recently (lasted 6 years), have done their work - and now the theater shines with all its facets. The repertoire of the theater, in addition to operas and ballets, includes operettas. And also you can make a tour of the theater - see the hall and a few other very interesting rooms. A person who wants to visit the Bolshoi Theater, where he is, may be troubled to find, although in fact he is in the center of the city and find it is easy, near it is another sight of the capital, which is known throughout the world - the Red area.

Reviews of the audience about the Bolshoi Theater

A huge number of spectators visit the Bolshoi Theater. Reviews grateful spectators leave 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 have arisen in their souls after attending the theater, express their enthusiasm for the acting, admire the beautiful costumes and decorations. The theater is visited not only by Russians, among foreign tourists it is also one of the most popular places where they hasten to get to, having arrived to Moscow. Adherent of the classics and 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 ways to go: you can get across the street Mokhovaya - it directly leads to the Theater Square; Either through Tverskaya; And if you move along Petrovka, you can drive directly to the theater doors.