Description of the architectural monument Bolshoi Theater. Bolshoi Theater in different architectural styles. Infographics. Nizhny Novgorod Drama Theater

They say that there is only one first impression, but with the Bolshoi Theater, it turned out somehow differently. Studying at the theater studio, I began to take an interest in performances, and attending the ballet at the Bolshoi became a real dream, which was destined to come true in one New Year... Tickets to the Nutcracker were a gift from my parents, and the magic of ballet won me over. We sat quite high, but I clearly distinguished all the dancers, looked at the scenery with pleasure: a snow cover made of flying shiny fabric, giant picturesque branches of a spruce, fabulous frosty patterns ... we really enjoyed every step he performed. This was the first time I visited the Bolshoi and forever filled it in as Magic world classical theater.

Only when I took up this text, I suddenly realized that this memory - "The Nutcracker", a New Year's fairy tale - is not my first impression of the Bolshoi Theater. The fact is that I saw him before, walking around Moscow when I was 7 or 8 years old. True, we did not go inside the theater and examined it simply as an architectural monument. He did not impress me at all then: "Well, think about it, Bolshoi, only in size it differs from our city theater", - then I decided to myself, and remained completely indifferent to the theater. Indeed, I still cannot say that the building of the Bolshoi Theater is especially beautiful or unique, but it is one of the most recognizable architectural monuments in Moscow. If only because each of us regularly sees it on a 100-ruble bill.

The architecture of the Bolshoi Theater

Most tourists also see the Bolshoi only from the outside, so let's see what makes it so significant from an architectural point of view. The theater owes its present appearance to two architects - Osip, who created the classicist ensemble of the entire Theater Square in the 1820s, and Albert Kavos, who directed the restoration of the theater building after the fire of 1853.

The facade of the theater still remains one of the brightest examples of classicism in Moscow architecture: perfect symmetry in everything, numerous borrowings from the classical antique architecture, including eight columns, a triangular portico, sculptural composition with Apollo in a chariot drawn by four horses. The building is emphasized solemnly, and looks even more impressive thanks to the large open space of the square. It resembles ancient temples, and it is no coincidence: he assumed that this square would become the compositional center of the capital, as once the main centers of cities were cult and religious buildings.

During the restoration of the building after the fire, Kavos did not make major changes to the facade, however, he finalized some decorative elements, made the theater taller and decorated the side facades with cast-iron galleries. This building was opened in 1856, and from 2005 to 2011. has been completely renovated. There were no external changes, but new significant spaces appeared underground, the interiors of the theater halls and halls were redesigned. It is especially interesting to admire the Bolshoi building during the city festival "Circle of Light", which is held annually in autumn. Various light-visual works of artists from different countries world, so that the facade really comes to life, undergoing metamorphosis. You can find out about the dates of the festival this year on its official website, and in the video you can admire an excerpt from the 2016 show.

Theater interiors

The main hall of the Bolshoi Theater

The interiors of the Bolshoi Theater are of much greater interest. At the time of its opening in 1825, this theater was one of the largest and most luxurious in the world, second only to La Scalla in Paris in terms of richness of decoration and spaciousness of halls. After the reconstruction of the theater in the 2000s, many elements of the original decor were returned, so today we can appreciate all the splendor of the decoration. The most famous is the historical stage of the Bolshoi. Red velvet and gold are the main materials used in the decoration of the hall and stage. The parterre, the amphitheater, the benoir lodge, the linen floor and 4 tiers allow 2,500 spectators to freely sit in the hall.

Of course, the most expensive are the seats in the stalls and the benoir box, but it seems to me that sitting on the balcony is much more interesting. Looking at the theater from above, you will surely see many others. interesting details: all the railings and columns separating the boxes and balconies inside the tiers are decorated with exquisite carvings, and above each box there are rows of candelabra lamps. Today this is just an imitation of candles, but just imagine how magnificent the hall looked in the soft flickering light of real candles.

The upper floors offer an excellent view of the huge chandelier: the crystal tiers are striking in their size - 6.5 meters (this is three times the ceiling height in a standard apartment!) And literally shine thanks to artificial candles. The ceiling in the main hall is also remarkable and emphasizes the similarity of the theater to the temple. As in a real temple of arts, it is painted: against a sky-blue background around the chandelier, the patron saints of various arts are circling in a round dance.

Special lodges

The royal box also deserves special attention: located in the very center of the hall and occupying a height of two floors, it immediately attracted the eyes of all theater visitors. The majestic balcony with lush curtains is "held" on their shoulders by the Atlanteans, and this box is crowned with rowing Russian Empire- two-headed eagle. However, it was not only and not so much the rulers who had the privilege of sitting in these places of honor, but also the guests of honor and foreign diplomats and politicians. Such an advantageous place allowed important guests to enjoy the performance, and to examine the hall, and to show themselves, because the most brilliant society used to gather at the performances, and everyone wanted to stand out with their outfit, emphasize their wealth and social status.

Two other important lodges were located on both sides of the stage. On the left is the government box, which was occupied by the imperial family and later Soviet leaders. It is curious that in the Soviet years the box was slightly changed: Stalin loved to visit the theater, but he wanted to remain unnoticed, so a partition was added especially for him in the box, which allowed him to comfortably sit near the stage, remaining unnoticed. The box on the right is traditionally reserved for the theater director and teachers, who can follow the work of the actors (and, apparently, make comments to them after the performances).

It is curious that at the royal bed there is also a special rest room. Such small areas were previously arranged near all boxes for the noble guests of the theater. So that guests from the upper class would not be in the same premises with the general public, small lounges were arranged in the most advantageously located (and also the most expensive) boxes: here ladies and gentlemen could sit on sofas to discuss what they saw or receive visitors.

In the foyer of the theater

From the parterre and upper tiers we find ourselves in the corridors, where everything looks simple and without pretensions: plain walls, neat candelabra, small stucco molding along the ceiling. During the intermission, you can walk to the White Foyer, after the reconstruction its historical appearance was restored: the walls acquired a peach-pink hue, the paintings of both portals and the ceiling returned.

From here, a staircase leads to the Beethoven Hall, also created during the last reconstruction of the theater. The underground room, created using the latest technologies, is equipped with a transforming stage, which allows it to change its shape depending on the type of event and increase the number of seats up to 330. An important technological feature of this hall is a special soundproofing system that allows concerts here to be held simultaneously with performances at scene. When not in use for performances, it serves as another foyer for guests, but during our last visits, the entrance here was always closed, so we were able to inspect this new space only from the doorway.

An excellent virtual tour of the historical stage and foyer of the Bolshoi Theater was created by the journalists of the Moscow News. You can view the 3d-model of the Bolshoi premises.

Issue price: tickets, excursions, buffet

We buy tickets

Contrary to the popular myth about the high cost of the Bolshoi Theater, visiting it is more accessible than many people think. Ticket prices for the upper tiers of the historical stage start at 1,200 rubles, while on the theater's website you can check how limited the view opens from one place or another (a diagram with a limited view is available at the link). But you should hurry: inexpensive tickets are sold out almost instantly, so that even in two or two and a half months, the cheapest tickets on sale may no longer be available. And keep in mind that ballets are almost always more popular than operas, so they sell out cheap tickets very quickly.

How to save

There are several ways to try to save on tickets:

1. At first, The Bolshoi Theatre strive to attract young viewers, so they launched the “Big to Young” program, within the framework of which tickets are allocated for a number of performances at special prices - from 100 rubles for people aged 18 to 25 years. You can familiarize yourself with the terms of the program.
2. The second option is student tickets for standing places for 100 rubles. They can be purchased day after day upon presentation of the student ID in person at the theater box office. Please note that the sale of tickets for morning performances opens at 10:00, daytime - at 12:00, and evening performances - at 15:00. Within an hour and a half, a queue begins to form at the box office, because no more than 84 tickets are allocated for each performance on the historical stage. I note right away that if you decide to use this option, do not be too lazy to come earlier and take the queue so as to get tickets to the first or second standing rows, otherwise the visibility will drop to almost zero. Although the standing rows are organized in tiers, for people of small stature, the elevation of the third or fourth rows is not large enough, so that the heads in front of them cover the entire view.
3. The third option is for those who are lucky: from time to time, a couple of days before the performance, unrealized distributors, as well as return tickets, end up at the theater box office. They are sold at a discounted price, so who knows, maybe you will be lucky enough to be at the premiere at the Bolshoi in the stalls for a ridiculous 500 rubles?

Guided theater walk

By the way, in addition to tickets for performances, the Bolshoi sells tickets for theater tours, so if you are not a fan of opera or ballet, but dream of visiting the main theater of the country, do not miss the chance to look into all the halls, behind the scenes and in the dressing rooms.

Tickets for excursions are sold day to day:

• a Russian-language tour costs 500 rubles - 250 rubles for students and schoolchildren from 14 years old and older,
• excursion to English language will cost 1300 rubles.

Theater walks are held three times a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, starting at 11:10 am. You can read about the excursion and the rules for buying tickets.

Intermission - buffet time

The last financial aspect of visiting the Bolshoi is the prices at the buffet. It is often joked that you can leave your entire salary here, but in reality the local buffet turns out to be far from the most expensive in Moscow. Tea here will cost only 80 rubles, coffee - from 100, cakes from 120, about the same price and sandwiches. The most expensive item on the theatrical buffet menu is tartlets with black caviar - 850 rubles. It may not be cheap, but solid.

How to get to the Bolshoi Theater

The Bolshoi Theater is located in the very center of Moscow, a few minutes walk from Red Square, the Government building, Central Department Store. The easiest way to get here is by metro - the Teatralnaya station (number 1 on the map) goes directly to the theater square. It connects with Okhotny Ryad and Ploshchad Revolyutsii stations, so there are three metro lines at your service. From ground transport, you can use buses 144, 101 or 904, minibuses m2 or m10 to the Teatralnaya Ploschad stop (number 2 on the map). For those who get to the theater by their own car, I will attach in this area of ​​Moscow, the price is from 100 rubles per hour, but finding a place can be problematic both on weekdays and on weekends.

***

The Bolshoi Theatre - main theater our country, so no matter whether you are a fan of ballet or opera, you should definitely visit here at least once. If you don't want to watch the show, take a guided tour and maybe the magic of the theater will win you over as you stroll through these beautiful halls, take a behind-the-scenes look and discover some theatrical secrets!

Name: Bolshoi Theater (ru), Bolshoi Theater (en)

Other names: State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia (Bolshoi Theater)

Location: Moscow, Russia)

Creation:

• 1825: the theater was opened according to the project of O. I. Bove, A. A. Mikhailov (square 1818-1824, theater - 1821-1824)
• 1853 - 1856: rebuilt by architect Albert Cavos
• 1886 -1893 : the back side of the theater was rebuilt by the architect E. K. Gernet
• 2005 - 2011: reconstruction

Style: Classicism

Architect (s): O. I. Bove, A. A. Mikhailov

Alexandria Theater Architecture

A source:
G. B. Barkhin "Theaters"
Publishing House of the Academy of Architecture of the USSR
Moscow, 1947

Currently existing Big Opera theatre in Moscow, built by Kavos, is one of the largest theaters in Europe. The construction of this theater was carried out on the same principles as in the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, that is, all the luxury and all the amenities were concentrated on the premises associated with the royal box and the foyer serving this box, as well as the best boxes of the benoir and mezzanine.

The central vestibule, behind the main portico, and the two huge grand staircases adjacent to it, were intended to serve as the entrance to the middle main box only on rare occasions. Entrances for ordinary visitors are designed from the side through very modest side vestibules, from where you can get to the tiers by special stairs. Corner semicircular staircases are less convenient than in the Alexandrinsky Theater. The side foyers and buffets are quite spacious, the auditorium is very well designed. The curve of the auditorium was built by Kavos as the middle between the French and Italian curves. As a result, the auditorium is very successful both acoustically and optically. The portal has a very wide opening (20 m), and until recently the Bolshoi Theater ranked first in Europe in terms of the size of the ramp. The hall has a parterre, a small amphitheater in the back, 6 tiers of boxes and can accommodate 2,300 spectators. The architectural treatment of the hall is rich, but monotonous, which is facilitated by a flat and not interesting in painting shade. In general, however, the huge auditorium, thanks to its successful outline in the plan, rhythmically belted by the barriers of the boxes, with rich decoration with an abundance of gold, painting and red velvet, which decorates all boxes and upholstered the parterre furniture, is very good. The auditorium of the Bolshoi Theater during the performance, flooded with a sea of ​​electricity, with a magnificent orchestra of 100 musicians, with a huge stage revealing an extravaganza of opera and ballet scenery, makes an unusually festive, elegant impression.

The central foyer is richly processed, but ponderous. The stage is very large and has a plan with narrow side rooms open to the stage to accommodate the scenery. The stage is relatively low (24 m), one level with the hall and with a shallow hold (6 m). The stage table is significantly raised above the ground level and has an open rather steep ramp at the back for feeding bulky objects onto the stage. The showrooms are comfortable and conveniently located on either side of the stage.

As for the external architecture, the existing Bolshoi Theater is much lower in quality than the burnt-out Beauvais Theater. But in general, thanks to its huge size. good masses and exceptionally successful scale, the Bolshoi makes a very impressive impression. The columns of the main portico of the Bolshoi Theater are so correctly taken in their absolute dimensions that they serve as a scale when judging all kinds of high-rise elements of modern architecture. The facades of the Bolshoi Theater are also successful in terms of their divisions. The disadvantage of their architecture is the abundance, lack of grinding and dryness of details. The pediment is crowned with a magnificent bronze quadriga with four horses and Apollo in a chariot.

Sources:

• M.G. Barkhin Architecture and the city. Problems of the development of Soviet architecture Science, M. 1979
• The architecture of civil and industrial buildings: Textbook for universities. In 5 volumes / Mosk. engineer-building in-t them. V.V. Kuibyshev; Under total. ed. V. M. Predtechensky. - M .: Stroyizdat, 1975 - T.I. Gulyanitskiy N.F. History of architecture. 2nd ed., Rev. 1978.255 s, 227 ill.
• "History of Russian Architecture" edited by S.V. Bezsonova State publishing house of literature on construction and architecture 1951
• E. B. Novikov "Interior of public buildings (artistic problems)". - M .: Stroyizdat, 1984 .-- 272 p., Ill.

History

The Bolshoi Theater began as a private theater of the provincial prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Urusov. On March 28, 1776, Empress Catherine II signed the prince a "privilege" for the maintenance of performances, masquerades, balls and other amusements for a period of ten years. This date is considered the day of the foundation 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, a large role was played by Moscow University and the gymnasiums established under it, in which a good musical education was given. Theatrical 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 would 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. Paradise to music by J. Starzer. Then the repertoire was formed mainly from Russian and Italian comic operas with ballets and selected ballets.

The Petrovsky Theater, erected in record time - less than six months, became the first public theater building of this magnitude, beauty and convenience built in Moscow. By the time of its opening, Prince Urusov, however, had already been forced to cede his rights to a companion, and later the "privilege" was extended only to Medox alone.

However, he was also expected to be disappointed. Forced to constantly seek 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, Medox's personal privilege expired, so that both the theater and its debts were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees.

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

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

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

In the fall of 1805, the building of the Petrovsky Theater burned down. The troupe began performing 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 died in a fire - during Patriotic War 1812 g.

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

In July 1820, construction began on a new theater building, 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 Teatralnaya Square that was under construction, which contributed much to its decoration.

In the years 1822-23. Moscow theaters were separated from the general Directorate of the 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 modern art, a huge building, made according to all the rules of taste, with a flat roof and a majestic portico, on which the alabaster Apollo rises, standing on one leg in an alabaster chariot, motionlessly driving three alabaster horses and looking with vexation at the Kremlin wall, which jealously separates him 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 named Bolshoi Petrovsky. The prologue "Triumph of the Muses", written specially for the occasion, was performed in verse (M. Dmitriev), with choirs and dances to music by A. Alyabyev, A. Verstovsky and F. Scholz, as well as the ballet "Sandrillon" staged by a dancer and choreographer F .V. Gullen-Sor to the music of her husband F. Sora. The muses triumphed over the fire that destroyed the old theater building, and, led by the Genius of Russia, played by twenty-five-year-old Pavel Mochalov, 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 experiences of the suffering, the triumphal performance was repeated in full the next day.

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

In 1842, Moscow theaters were again subordinated to the general Directorate of Imperial Theaters. The director was then A. Gedeonov, and the manager of the Moscow theater office was appointed famous composer A. Verstovsky. The years when he was "in power" (1842-59) were called "the era of Verstovsky."

And although on the stage of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater they continued to stage dramatic performances, however, an increasing place in his repertoire began to be occupied by operas and ballets. Works by Donizetti, Rossini, Meyerbeer, 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 it could. Theatrical machines, costumes, musical instruments, sheet music, scenery burned down ... The building itself was almost completely destroyed, from which only the charred stone walls and columns of the portico remained.

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

The 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 already opened its doors to the public. This speed was due to the fact that the construction had to be completed in time for the celebrations 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 "Puritans" by V. Bellini.

The overall height of the building has increased by almost four meters. Despite the fact that the porticos with the columns of Beauvais have survived, the appearance of the main facade has changed quite a lot. A second pediment appeared. The horse troika of Apollo was replaced by a quadriga cast in bronze. On the inner field of the pediment, an alabaster bas-relief appeared, representing flying geniuses with a lyre. The frieze and capitals of the columns have changed. Above 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 this he owed to the skill of Albert Cavos, who designed the auditorium as a huge musical instrument... Wooden panels made of resonant spruce were used for wall decoration, instead of an iron ceiling, a wooden one was made, and a picturesque plafond was made of wooden panels - everything in this hall worked for acoustics. Even the decor of the boxes, made of papier-mâché. To improve the acoustics of the hall, Kavos also filled up the rooms under the amphitheater, where the wardrobe was located, and the hangers were moved to the parterre level.

The space of the auditorium has significantly expanded, which made it possible to make avanches - small living rooms furnished to receive visitors from the parterre or boxes located in the neighborhood. The six-story hall could accommodate almost 2,300 spectators. On both sides, near the stage, there were letter boxes intended for the royal family, the ministry of the court and the management of the theater. The ceremonial royal box, slightly protruding into the hall, became its center, opposite to the stage. The barrier of the Tsar's box was supported by consoles in the form of bent Atlanteans. The crimson-golden splendor amazed everyone who entered this hall - both in the early years 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 covered with gold, bright crimson draperies of the inner boxes, various plaster arabesques on each floor and the main effect of the auditorium - a large chandelier of three rows of lamps and crystal chandeliers - all this has earned everyone's approval.
Albert Cavos

The auditorium chandelier was originally lit with 300 oil lamps. To light oil lamps, she was lifted through a hole in the plafond into a special room. Around this hole, a circular composition of the plafond was built, on which the painting "Apollo and the Muses" was made by Academician A. Titov. This painting "with a secret" that opens only to a very attentive eye, which, in addition to everything, should belong to an expert in 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 parade curtain was created by an Italian artist, professor of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy fine arts Kazroe Dusi. Of the three sketches, the one that depicted "The Entry of Minin and Pozharsky to Moscow" was chosen. In 1896 it was replaced by a new one - "View of Moscow from Sparrow Hills" (made by P. Lambin after M. Bocharov's drawing), which was used at the beginning and at the end of the performance. And for the intermissions, one more curtain was made - "Triumph of the Muses" by P. Lambin's sketch (the only curtain of the 19th century that has survived in the theater today).

After the 1917 revolution, the curtains of the imperial theater were sent into exile. In 1920, the theater artist F. Fedorovsky, working on the production of the opera Lohengrin, made a sliding curtain of bronze-painted canvas, which was then 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, with woven state symbols of the USSR, reigned in the theater for half a century.

Like most buildings on Teatralnaya Square, the Bolshoi Theater was built on stilts. Gradually, the building was dilapidated. Drainage works have lowered the water table. Top part the piles rotted and this caused a lot of settlement of the building. In 1895 and 1898. the foundations were repaired, which temporarily helped to halt the ongoing destruction.

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

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

However, in 1922 the Bolshevik government nevertheless found the closure of the theater economically inexpedient. By that time, it was already in full swing "adapting" the building to its needs. The Bolshoi Theater hosted All-Russian Congresses of Soviets, meetings of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and congresses of the Comintern. And the formation of a 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 deploy emergency response work, the head of which was appointed architect I. Rerberg. Then the foundations under the circular walls of the auditorium were strengthened, the wardrobes were restored, the stairs were re-planned, and new rehearsal rooms and dressing rooms were created. In 1938, the stage was also overhauled.

General plan for the reconstruction of Moscow 1940-41 provided for the demolition of all houses behind the Bolshoi Theater up to the Kuznetsky Most. On the vacated territory, it was planned to build the premises necessary for the operation of the theater. And in the theater itself, fire safety and ventilation should have been established. In April 1941 the Bolshoi Theater was closed for necessary repairs. And two months later the Great Patriotic War began.

Part of the Bolshoi Theater collective left for the evacuation to Kuibyshev, some remained in Moscow and continued to play performances on the stage of the branch. Many artists performed in the front-line brigades, others went to the front themselves.

On October 22, 1941, at four o'clock 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 to the lobby. Despite the hardships of war and the terrible cold, in the winter of 1942, restoration work began in the theater.

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

The theater was redecorated annually. More extensive work was also undertaken on a regular basis. But there was still a sorely lack of rehearsal rooms.

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

In 1975, to celebrate 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 premises inside the theater - were not resolved.

Finally, in 1987, by decree of the Government of the country, a decision was made on the urgent need for 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... A branch was needed. However, it took eight years before the first stone was laid in the foundation of its foundation. And seven more before the New Stage was built.

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

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

To be continued...

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On the site of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow previously stood the Petrovsky Theater, which completely burned out on October 8, 1805.

In 1806, the land was bought out with the money of the Russian treasury, and with it the surrounding buildings.

According to the original plans, this was done in order to simply clear large territories to prevent large fires in Moscow.

But even then they began to think about creating a theater square on this place. There was no project, no money at that time, and they returned to the plan only at the beginning of 1816, after the war with Napoleon.

The courtyards of two demolished churches were added to the already approved territory for the creation of Theater Square. And in May, the project was approved by Alexander I.

The history of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow begins in 1817, when the Tsar was presented with a project for a new theater, which was to be built on this site.

Interestingly, the building with its facade already in the project was oriented with the exit to the square (this is how the theater looks now), although the central entrance of the old Petrovsky Theater was from the side of the current Central Department Store. The project was presented to the tsar by the engineer-general Corbigne.

But then the unimaginable happened!

The project somehow disappeared without a trace on the eve of its presentation to the Governor-General of Moscow D.V. Golitsyn. Architect O.I. Beauvais is urgently preparing new blueprints for a building plan with two floors and a sketch of the facade.

In 1820, work began on clearing the territory and the beginning of the construction of the Bolshoi Theater. By this time, the project of the architect A. Mikhailov had already been approved, which retained the concept laid down by the architect O.I. Beauvais.

The appearance of the theater in Moscow was influenced by the project of the Bolshoi St. Petersburg Theater, reconstructed in 1805 by the architect Tom de Thoma. The building also featured a sculptural pediment and Ionic columns.

Simultaneously with the construction of the theater, work was going on to imprison the Neglinnaya river in a pipe (it runs from the corner of the Maly Theater building and goes to the Alexander Garden).

The freed "wild stone", which was covered with the river embankment, as well as the steps of the Kuznetsk bridge, went to the construction of the Bolshoi Theater. It was from stone that the bases of the columns at the central entrance were made.

The building of the Bolshoi Theater turned out to be grandiose.

Only the stage occupied an area equal to the area of ​​the entire former Petrovsky Theater, and the walls left after the fire became the framing of this part of the theater. The auditorium was designed for 2200-3000 seats. The theater boxes were held on cast-iron brackets, the weight of which was more than 1 ton. Enfilades of masquerade rooms stretched along both side facades.

It took a little over 4 years to construct the building.

The opening took place on January 6, 1825 with the performance "Triumph of the Muses", the musical accompaniment to which was written by A. Alyabyev and A. Verstovsky.

In the early years of its development, the Bolshoi Theater was not a purely musical platform. Representatives of all genres could provide an introduction here.

And the name of the Theater Square, on which the Bolshoi Theater stood, did not reflect the essence. At first, it was intended for drill exercises, it was fenced and the entrance to it was severely restricted.

Over the next years, the theater was constantly reconstructed. This is how separate entrances to the tsar's and ministerial boxes appeared, the ceiling of the hall was completely rewritten, and artillery rooms were built in place of the masquerade halls. The main stage was not ignored either.

A fire broke out in the theater in March 1853... It began to burn in one of the closets and the fire quickly engulfed the scenery and the theater curtain. Wooden buildings contributed to the rapid spread of the flame and the force of the elements, which subsided only after a few days.

During the fire, 7 people died. Only thanks to the actions of two ministers was it possible to avoid more victims (they brought out of the fire a group of children who were engaged in main stage theater).

The building was badly damaged by fire.

The roof and back wall of the stage collapsed. The interior is burnt out. The cast-iron columns of the mezzanine boxes melted, and only metal brackets were visible in place of the tiers.

Immediately after the fire, a competition was announced for the restoration of the Bolshoi Theater building. Many famous architects presented their works: A. Nikitin (created projects for many Moscow theaters, took part in the last reconstruction of the building before the fire), K.A. Ton (architect of the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior).

Won the competition A.K. Kavos, who had more experience in the construction of music halls. He also had a deep knowledge of acoustics.

To better reflect the sound, the curvature of the walls of the hall was changed by the architect. The ceiling was flatter and gave the look of a guitar deck. A corridor, which had previously served as a dressing room, was covered under the parterre. The walls were paneled with wood. All this has led to a significant improvement in acoustics, an important component of any theater.

The portal arch of the stage was increased to the width of the hall, the orchestra pit was deepened and widened. We have reduced the width of the corridors and made advance boxes. The height of the tiers became the same on all floors.

During this reconstruction, the royal box was built, which was located opposite the stage. Internal transformations have made the seats more comfortable, but at the same time reduced their number.

The curtain for the theater was painted by the then famous artist Kozroe Dusi. The plot was the theme with Prince Pozharsky at the head, who enters the Moscow Kremlin through the gates of the Spasskaya Tower.

Has undergone changes and appearance building.

The building of the Bolshoi Theater has increased in height. An additional pediment was erected over the main portico, which covered the imposing decoration hall. Klodt's Quadriga was carried forward a little and it began to hang directly over the colonnade. The side porches were decorated with cast-iron awnings.

More sculptural decorations were added to the exterior, decorative niches were built in. The walls were covered with rustication and they ceased to be smoothly plastered as before. The podium in front of the entrance was equipped with a ramp for carriages.

By the way, the most frequent question is: "How many columns does the Bolshoi Theater have?" Their number has not changed even after the reconstruction. There were still 8 of them.

The revived theater stopped staging any performances on its stage, and began to limit its repertoire only to ballet and opera performances.

At the end of the century, noticeable cracks appeared on the building. A thorough examination showed that the building needed major repairs and work to strengthen the foundation.

From 1894 until the first years of the new millennium, a grandiose reconstruction of the Bolshoi was carried out: the lighting became fully electric, the heating was switched to steam, and the ventilation system was improved. At the same time, the first telephones appeared in the theater.

The foundation of the building could be strengthened only during the years of Soviet Power, 1921-1925. The work was supervised by I.I. Rerberg is the architect of the Kievsky railway station and the Central Moscow Telegraph.

Reconstruction in the theater is ongoing. Our time was no exception.

At the beginning of the third millennium, the transformations affected not only the interior decoration and the outer part of the building. The theater began to grow in depth. Under the current Theater Square is a new concert hall.

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On October 28, after a lengthy reconstruction, it opens Historical building State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia.

The date of foundation of the Bolshoi Theater is considered to be March 28 (March 17, O.S.), 1776, when the well-known philanthropist, Moscow prosecutor Prince Peter Urusov received the highest permission "to contain ... all kinds of theatrical performances." Urusov and his companion Mikhail Medox created the first permanent troupe in Moscow. It was organized from the actors of the previously existing Moscow theater troupe, students of the Moscow University and from the newly adopted serf actors.

The theater initially did not have an independent building, so the performances were staged in Vorontsov's private house on Znamenka Street. In 1780, the theater moved to a stone specially built by the project of Christian Rosebergan theater building on the site of the modern Bolshoi Theater. For the construction of the theater building, Medox bought a land plot at the beginning of Petrovskaya Street, which was in the possession of Prince Lobanov Rostotsky. The three-story stone building with a plank roof, the so-called Theater of the Medox, was erected in just five months.

The main facade of the theater was facing Petrovka Street and had almost no decor, while the high auditorium with tiers of boxes and an inclined parterre, on the contrary, was magnificently decorated.

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

The Medox Theater burned down in 1805, its charred ruins stood at the beginning of Petrovka Street until 1815, when, by order of Emperor Alexander I, the reconstruction of the site in front of the theater, later called Theater Square, was started.

According to the project of the Moscow architect Osip Bove, a vast rectangular area was planned, built up with houses of the same type. The construction of a new theater was planned in the northern part of the square. The project of the St. Petersburg architect Andrei Mikhailov won the competition held by the Academy of Arts. He assumed a typical solution in the spirit of the Empire style: a rectangular volume with an eight-column Ionic portico (a part of the building protruding forward, open on one or three sides and formed by columns or arches carrying a ceiling) on ​​the main front facade and its raised middle part, which was decorated with the Apollo quadriga set against the background of a deep arched niche.

Mikhailov's project was significantly revised by the same Bove, who developed the solemn decor and the original design of the auditorium, and somewhat changed the proportions of the entire building (it became lower), and also left rust (embossed masonry), which in Mikhailov's project filled the entire surface of the walls, only in the lower third of the facades. The theater was named Bolshoi Petrovsky.

The opening of the theater took place on January 18 (January 6, O.S.), 1825. The townspeople called the new building "Colosseum". The performances that took place here were invariably successful, gathering high society Moscow society.

During the reconstruction, the historical appearance of the building was completely restored.

The original appearance was returned to the facades of the Bolshoi Theater.

The theater area was more than doubled. The development of the underground space was aimed at meeting the theater's needs for functional areas without changing its external volume. Thanks to this, the theater has new premises, including an underground concert hall located under the Theater Square. In addition to the concert and rehearsal hall itself and the adjoining service rooms, the underground part contains a large number of technical, household and office premises.

An equally important task was to combine the rigorous approach of scientific restoration in the historical zone and the installation of the most modern technological equipment in the stage section and new spaces of the theater.

Particular attention has been paid to restoring the legendary Auditorium acoustics. International experts carried out numerous acoustic studies and strictly followed the implementation of all technical recommendations.

The most modern solutions in the field of stage mechanization have found their application in the project. Technological equipment has been installed in the main building of the Bolshoi Theater and in the new underground concert rehearsal hall. The theater got the opportunity to create the most modern and complex productions. New mechanics made it possible to change the scenery in a matter of minutes.

The reconstruction project also included the restoration of the Khomyakov House of the monument to the first half of the XIX century, transformed into a service building.

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