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55-567: The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are among the oldest and best known ballet and opera companies in the world. It is by far the world's biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers. The theatre is the parent company of The Bolshoi Ballet Academy , a leading school of ballet. It has a branch at the Bolshoi Theater School in Joinville , Brazil . The main building of the theatre, rebuilt and renovated several times during its history,

110-803: A fierce rivalry with the St. Petersburg Heritage Ballet Company, the Mariinsky . Both have developed very different performing styles: the Bolshoi has a more colourful and bold approach, whereas the Mariinsky is associated with more pure and refined classicism. Source: Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male The Bolshoi Ballet operates two troupes of corps de ballet, with approximately 169 dancers in total. In 2013, ballerina Anastasia Volochkova claimed that female dancers were forced to sleep with wealthy patrons, saying: "It mainly happened with

165-582: A figure of $ 1.1 billion. The rebuilding and renovation was funded entirely by the federal government. During the long period of reconstruction, the company continued to mount productions, with performances held on the New Stage and on the stage of the Great Kremlin Palace . The renovation included restoring acoustics to the original quality (which had been lost during the Soviet Era ), as well as restoring

220-448: A performance of the catalan Fernando Sor 's ballet, Cendrillon . Initially, it presented only Russian works, but foreign composers entered the repertoire around 1840. In 1843 a large-scale reconstruction of the theatre took place using a design by A. Nikitin, but a fire in 1853 caused extensive damage and so a further reconstruction was carried out, by Alberto Cavos , son of the opera composer Catterino Cavos . On 7 December 1919

275-760: A series of directors, including Boris Akimov, Alexei Ratmansky , Yuri Burlaka and Sergei Filin , brought more modern dance performance ideas to the company. Today the Bolshoi Ballet remains one of the world's foremost ballet companies, in addition to being one of the largest, with approximately 220 dancers. The word "bolshoi" means "big" or "grand" in Russian. The company operates on a hierarchical system, similar to those used by other leading European ballet companies, with senior dancers ranked as principals, and descending in order of importance through lead soloist, first soloist, soloist and finally, corps de ballet. Due to its size,

330-521: Is a repertory theatre , meaning that it draws from a list of productions, any one of which may be performed on a given evening. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there have been a few attempts to reduce the theatre's traditional dependence on large state subsidies. The Bolshoi has been associated from its beginnings with ballet. Tchaikovsky 's ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theatre on 4 March 1877. The chief ballet conductor from 1923 to 1963

385-479: Is a landmark of Moscow and Russia (its iconic neoclassical façade is depicted on the Russian 100-ruble banknote ). On 28 October 2011, the Bolshoi re-opened after an extensive six-year renovation. The official cost of the renovation is 21 billion rubles ($ 688 million). However, other Russian authorities and other people connected to it claimed much more public money was spent. The renovation included restoring acoustics to

440-502: Is considered both the original soundtrack and the best choreography for the legendary Nutcracker . Music director and chief conductor Vassily Sinaisky quit abruptly at the start of December 2013, after a 41-month tenure, citing the need to avoid conflict. General director Vladimir Urin accepted his resignation, and selected Tugan Sokhiev as replacement. Sokhiev's four-year contract, settled on 20 January 2014, and became effective immediately. Sokhiev left his position in connection with

495-492: Is divided by pilasters and richly decorated with carved white-stone platbands in Russian-Byzantine style with double arches in the centre, typical for Russian architecture of the 17th century . Before 1917, the facade of the palace was decorated with five white-stone bas-reliefs in the form of two-headed eagles , above which were the emblems of Moscow , St Petersburg , Kazan , Astrakhan , Poland and Tavrida . After

550-788: Is used today for state and diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies. International treaties are signed in the Vladimirsky Hall, which also leads to the Palace of Facets , the Tsarina's Golden Chamber , the Terem Palace, the Winter Palace, and the Palace of Congresses . Aleksandrovsky Hall and Andreyevsky Hall were combined in Soviet times to be used for meetings and conferences of the Supreme Soviet of

605-430: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . In December 2023, Valery Gergiev was appointed artistic director of the company, with immediate effect, with an initial contract of 5 years. The Bolshoi Theatre attracts large numbers of tourists. As a result, prices can be much higher than in other Russian theatres. Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at

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660-600: The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow , Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies . In the early 20th century, it came to international prominence as Moscow became the capital of Soviet Russia . The Bolshoi has been recognised as one of the foremost ballet companies in the world. It has a branch at the Bolshoi Ballet Theater School in Joinville , Brazil. The earliest iteration of

715-466: The October Revolution , they were replaced with the letters СССР and the coat of arms of the Soviet Union . The palace has a geometric plan characteristic of late classicism . However, the main entrance is not in the centre of the main facade, but in the eastern part of the palace, which was unusual for the architecture of that period. The entranceway is modestly decorated and is highlighted on

770-565: The Russian Empire . It corresponded to the Order of St. Andrew, which Peter the Great established in 1698. The hall was used for ceremonial events and the coronations of Alexander II , Alexander III and Nicholas II were held within its walls. Initially, the centrepiece of the room was the throne of the incumbent monarch, decorated with carvings and precious stones. At the end of the 19th century,

825-579: The Supreme Soviet of the USSR . In 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin ordered the restoration of the historic appearance of the chambers. After the reconstruction, the room was used for solemn meetings and events. Now the hall is used for sessions of the State Council and meetings of foreign ambassadors. The inauguration of the Russian president takes place in the Hall of the Order of St. Andrew. The Hall of

880-704: The Bolshoi Ballet can be found in the creation of a dance school for a Moscow orphanage in 1773. In 1776, dancers from the school were employed by Prince Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov and English theatrical entrepreneur Michael Maddox to form part of their new theatre company. Originally performing in privately owned venues, they later acquired the Petrovsky Theatre, which, as a result of fires and erratic redevelopment, would later be rebuilt as today's Bolshoi Theatre. While some guest dancers come and go from other prestigious ballet companies, such as Mariinsky and American Ballet Theatre , most company dancers are graduates of

935-524: The French invasion of Moscow in 1812. The first instance of the theatre was built between 1821 and 1824, designed and supervised to completion by architect Joseph Bové based upon an initial competition-winning design created by Petersburg-based Russian architect Andrei Mikhailov that was deemed too costly to complete. The new building opened on 18 January 1825 as the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theatre with

990-576: The Great in 1782. Light enters the hall only through a lantern in the centre of the hipped dome from which hangs a tiered chandelier made in a factory in St Petersburg. The three-toned structure was originally placed in The Anteroom, for which it proved too large, and it was later re-hung in The Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir. The room also had four-floor lamps of dark bronze. The spatial composition of

1045-457: The New Stage, went into service on 29 November 2002, constructed to the left of the theatre's historic main stage. Together with auxiliary buildings — a restored 17th-century building, two rehearsal halls, and artists' recreation rooms — it forms a single theatre complex, the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia . The new building is on a natural hill which it shared, until recently, blocks of old houses with communal apartments. From July 2005 to October 2011

1100-455: The Order of St. Catherine served as the throne room for Russian empresses and was named after the Order of St. Catherine , established in 1714. Flanking the entrance are pilasters on massive pillars decorated with malachite mosaic patterns. The walls are decorated with orderly reliefs, made in filigree and decorated with rhinestones. The parquet was designed by Fedor Solntsev . In the 20th century,

1155-457: The Russian Empire. The walls of the room are decorated with gold embossed stars and insignia with the motto "For Service and Bravery" (" Za Sluzhbu i Khrabrost "). The room is covered by a semi-cylindrical coffered ceiling supported by eighteen pylons. At the top, they are decorated with statues symbolising the country's military victories. By order of the emperor, marble plaques with a list of

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1210-639: The USSR ; but they were lavishly restored in accordance with Thon's designs in the 1990s. The Grand Kremlin Palace is 125 metres long and 47 metres high. The total area of the complex exceeds 25,000 square metres. In plan, the Grand Kremlin Palace is presented in the form of a square with a small Cour d'honneur , in the centre of which was the Church of the Saviour on Boru, demolished in the 1930s. The main façade of

1265-535: The academy. In 1989, Michael Shannon was the first American ballet dancer to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and join the Bolshoi Ballet company. Despite staging many famous ballets, it struggled to compete with the reputation of the Imperial Russian Ballet, today's Mariinsky Ballet of St. Petersburg . It was not until the appointment of Alexander Gorsky as Ballet Master in 1900 that

1320-571: The capital of the Russian Empire . Designed by a team of architects under the management of Konstantin Thon , architect of the Kremlin Armoury and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour , the palace was intended to emphasise the greatness of Russian autocracy . The Grand Kremlin Palace serves as the official working residence of the president of Russia and also houses a museum. The Grand Kremlin Palace

1375-587: The collapse of the Soviet Union, sparking rumours about the motivation behind the move. Great Kremlin Palace The Grand Kremlin Palace ( Russian : Большой Кремлёвский дворец , romanized :  Bolshoy Kremlyovskiy dvorets ) is a building in the Moscow Kremlin . For much of the 19th century, it served as the official residence of the Russian emperor in Moscow, which was not then

1430-569: The columns are made of natural Serdobol marble. A staircase leads to the first floor to the vestibule, from where the enfilade of grand double-height halls and ceremonial chambers begins. Next to the main entrance on the ground floor is a marble vestibule with polished granite columns, as well as the Own Half of the Imperial Family. The Grand Kremlin Palace is the current residence of the Russian president, where official events are held. For example,

1485-559: The company began to develop its own unique identity, with acclaimed productions of new or restaged ballets including Don Quixote (1900), Coppélia (1901), Swan Lake (1901), La fille mal gardée (1903), Giselle (1911), Le Corsaire (1912) and La Bayadère (1917). The Soviet leadership's preference for uncomplicated moral themes in the arts was demonstrated in Yuri Grigorovich 's appointment as director in 1964 . Grigorovich held his position until 1995, at which point

1540-426: The company in scandal. Bolshoi dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko was convicted of organizing the attack and was sentenced to six years in prison. Reasons for the attack include corruption within the company. In 2014, 25-year-old ballet dancer Olga Demina mysteriously went missing. In September 2020, Russian investigators announced that they believe Demina may have been killed in a blackmail plot by Malkhaz Dzhavoev, whom she

1595-422: The company operates two troupes of corps de ballet. In 2000, the Bolshoi Ballet opened its first Ballet Academy outside Russia, in Joinville , Brazil. The performance style of the Bolshoi Ballet is typically identified as being colourful and bold, combining technique and athleticism with expressiveness and dramatic intensity. This style is commonly attributed to Alexander Gorsky . Historically there has been

1650-404: The complex and is connected with The Hall of the Order of St. George by massive silver-plated doors with gold ornaments, depicting the Order's ribbons and stars. The rectangular room is 31 metres long, 20 metres wide and 20 metres high. The hall is decorated with the coats of arms of the provinces and districts of the Russian Empire , wall mirrors, four marble fireplaces and candelabrums made in

1705-462: The complex faces the Kremlin embankment, with the palace's Annunciation Entrance overlooking Sobornaya Square . Architect Konstantin Thon repeated the composition of the previous palace complex, consisting of various buildings of different times. Art historians suppose that following the peculiarities of Old Russian architecture the complex was asymmetrical. Presumably, the arcade of the ground floor

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1760-421: The corps du [sic] ballet but also with the soloists. [...] I repeatedly received such propositions to share the beds of oligarchs ." American dancer Joy Womack echoed this concern when she left the company after being told that, to secure solo roles, she must either pay $ 10,000 or "start a relationship with a sponsor." In January 2013, a sulfuric acid attack on art director Sergei Filin once again steeped

1815-472: The factories of the Duke of Leuchtenberg . From above, it is covered by an elliptical dome on four pylons with images of the Order's coats of arms, stars and the monogram of St. Alexander . The parquet is of thirty species of wood. Initially in The Hall of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky six paintings of the artist Feodor Moller, representing the moments from Alexander Nevskiy's life , were placed: his entrance to

1870-472: The first church ever built in Moscow. The palace by Thon is 124 metres long, 47 metres high, and has a total area of about 25,000 square metres. It includes the earlier Terem Palace , nine churches from the 14th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the Holy Vestibule, and over 700 rooms. The buildings of the Palace form a rectangle with an inner courtyard. The building appears to be three storeys, but is actually two;

1925-404: The following years. Bolshoi continues to tour regularly with opera and ballet productions in the post-Soviet era. Until the mid-1990s, most foreign operas were sung in Russian, but Italian and other languages have been heard more frequently on the Bolshoi stage in recent years. In 2024 Bolshoi's Ballet is arguably the best in the world. And it is the production and music of the Bolshoi that

1980-595: The halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace were used for meetings of the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities , as well as various committees during sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR . During World War II , solemn meetings with foreign delegations were organised in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Seventeen events were held within the walls of The Hall of the Order of St. Catherine during this period. Chinese diplomat Soong Ziwen and General Dwight Eisenhower , among others, were present at these receptions. As of 2018,

2035-555: The house was renamed the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre . Only a few days later, however, on 12 December, there was an unsuccessful attempt to shut the institution entirely. Beethoven Hall opened on 18 February 1921. Ivan Rerberg directed further reconstruction of the theatre between 1921 and 1923. A bomb damaged the structure during World War II, but this was repaired. A new stage for the Bolshoi Theatre, called

2090-800: The inauguration of the President of Russia takes place in The Hall of the Order of St. Andrew . Excursions take place during free time from official events according to requests from organisations addressed to the Head of the Commandant's Office of the Moscow Kremlin. Visitors may see the Faceted Chamber , the premises of the Teremnoy Palace, the Private Half of Their Imperial Majesties, and the ceremonial halls of

2145-684: The liberated Pskov , The Battle of the Neva , his marriage with the Polotsk princess, his stay in Golden Horde . In the 1930s the room was reconstructed and became part of the Assembly Hall. The interiors were restored in 1994-1999 and the room was subsequently used for meetings of the State Council . The Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir was named after the Order of St. Vladimir, instituted by Catherine

2200-633: The orders, except for the Catherine Palace. The tour itinerary also does not include the Emperor's study and the Golden Chamber of Tsaritsyno. The Hall of the Order of St. George (Georgievsky Hall) is the first and largest of the staterooms of the palace. It was named after the Order of St. George the Victorious, which was approved by Catherine II in 1769 and which was the highest military decoration of

2255-413: The original Imperial decor of the Bolshoi. After the renovation, the theater has a maximum capacity of 1,740 seats. Finally, on 28 October 2011, the Bolshoi Theatre re-opened with a concert featuring international artists and the ballet and opera companies. The first staged opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila , followed soon after. The Bolshoi has been the site of many historic premieres, including: The Bolshoi

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2310-467: The original quality (which had been lost during the Soviet Era ), as well as restoring the original Imperial decor of the Bolshoi. Presently Bolshoi Theatre is under US and EU sanctions and banned from performing in these countries. The company was founded on 28 March [ O.S. 17 March] 1776, when Catherine II granted Prince Peter Urusov a licence to organise theatrical performances, balls and other forms of entertainment. Urusov set up

2365-408: The outside by a pair of lights hanging on chains. The shape of the doors corresponds to the window openings. The location of the entrance was necessitated by the need to accommodate a straight grand staircase of 66 steps, the length of which would not have allowed the structure to be installed in the centre of the complex. It is made of Revel stone. The walls of the room are made of artificial marble and

2420-526: The pedestal was replaced by three seats for Emperor Nicholas II , Empresses Alexandra Feodorovna and Maria Feodorovna . After the Russian Revolution , the Comintern congresses, conventions and summit meetings were held in the Hall of the Order of St. Andrew. In 1933-1934, the Hall of the Order of St. Andrew and the Hall of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky were merged and rebuilt to hold meetings of

2475-542: The regiments, crews and batteries which had received the St George Colors were installed in the room. In addition, the names of all the holders of the order were engraved on the walls. Initially, civil servants and representatives of the Moscow nobility gathered in St George's Hall during the celebrations. During a reception on the occasion of the 1945 Victory Parade, invited servicemen gathered in St George's Hall. The room

2530-470: The room reminds of a baptistery and is designed as a rotunda with a by-pass gallery and a balustrade on the first-floor level. The room was originally a square in plan with sides of sixteen metres each, but the niches in the corners give it a resemblance to an octagon. The decoration of the room corresponded to the symbols of the Order and was done in a range of white, pink and pale green colours. The walls and pilasters are lined with pink and white marble, and

2585-455: The star-shaped parquet is made of more than twenty kinds of wood. The dome of the hall is decorated with mouldings depicting the Order of St. Vladimir. After 1918, the Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir was used for signing treaties between the USSR and foreign countries. The Hall of the Order of St. Andrew was the main room in the enfilade of official rooms dedicated to the military honours of

2640-632: The theatre in collaboration with English tightrope walker Michael Maddox . Initially, it held performances in a private home, but it acquired the Petrovka Theatre and on 30 December 1780, it began producing plays and operas, thus establishing what would become the Bolshoi Theatre. Fire destroyed the Petrovka Theatre on 8 October 1805, and the New Arbat Imperial Theatre replaced it on 13 April 1808, however it also succumbed to fire during

2695-406: The theatre was closed for restoration. The building, whose architecture combines three different styles , was damaged and a quick renovation seemed to be necessary. Repairs were initially estimated at 15 billion rubles ($ 610 million) but engineers found that more than 75% of the structure was unstable, According to The Moscow Times , the true cost may have been double that, and Der Spiegel quotes

2750-528: The upper floor has high ceilings and two sets of windows. The west building of the Palace held state reception halls and the imperial family's private chambers. Five reception halls (Georgievsky, Vladimirsky, Aleksandrovsky, Andreyevsky, and Ekaterininsky) are named for orders of the Russian Empire: the Orders of St. George , St. Vladimir , St. Alexander , St. Andrew , and St. Catherine . The Georgievsky Hall

2805-556: Was Yuri Fayer . After the death of Joseph Stalin , the company toured internationally and became an important source of cultural prestige, as well as foreign currency earnings. As a result, the "Bolshoi Ballet" became a well-known name in the West. However, the Bolshoi suffered from losses through a series of defections of its dancers. The first occurrence was on 23 August 1979, with Alexander Godunov ; followed by Leonid Kozlov and Valentina Kozlova on 16 September 1979; and other cases in

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2860-487: Was an allegory for the composition of the palace of Ivan III , and the winter garden corresponded to the ancient Kremlin parks. The façades of the complex corresponding to the decoration of the Terem Palace , in particular, the architect repeated the framing of the windows in greatly enlarged dimensions. They are in the form of arches with narrow piers, giving the building a resemblance to an enclosed gallery. The second tier

2915-566: Was built between 1837 and 1849 to serve as the tsar 's Moscow residence, on the site of the estate of the Grand Princes , which had been established in the 14th century on Borovitsky Hill ; its construction involved the demolition of the previous Baroque palace on the site, designed by Rastrelli , and the 16th century Church of St. John the Baptist, constructed to a design by Aloisio the New in place of

2970-406: Was dating and was allegedly her "manager". In July 2017, the Bolshoi Theatre cancelled the premiere of a ballet about openly gay Soviet dancer Rudolf Nureyev . The Director General claimed that it was due to poor dancing quality; however, principal dancer Maria Alexandrova claimed it was the first sign of a 'new era' of censorship. It was the first time a show has been pulled in such a way since

3025-406: Was subsequently used for the presentation of military awards, decorations and prizes to figures of science and culture, as well as meetings of party representatives with civilians. The Hall of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was named after the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, established by Catherine I in 1725. The room is situated in the central part of the first floor on the south façade of

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