Mikhailovsky Theater

The Mikhailovsky Theater is a famous musical theater, a true pearl of St. Petersburg.

Here classical traditions are combined with the spirit of innovation and bold creative searches. Opera and ballet performances on the stage of the theater will bring true pleasure to connoisseurs of high art. The Mikhailovsky Theater was opened in 1833 by decree of Emperor Nicholas I and was one of the privileged imperial theaters.

The theater building was built according to the design of Alexander Bryullov, the facades were created according to the sketches of Karl Rossi. The theater owes its name to Grand Duke Mikhail, the emperor’s brother. Initially, the theater was intended for the imperial family, court and entourage, and even when it was opened to the general public, it retained a high-society atmosphere. On the Mikhailovsky stage, French and German troupes alternately gave performances, and famous guest performers performed.

Here, the waltz king Johann Strauss completed his 30-year St. Petersburg seasons with the operetta “The Gypsy Baron.” The great Fyodor Chaliapin sang and staged plays on the theater stage. Since 1918, the Imperial Mikhailovsky Theater was transformed into the state Maly Opera House.

Outstanding musicians, opera and ballet artists supported and developed a high theatrical culture within its walls. The theater becomes a “laboratory for the creation of Soviet opera.” On its stage the operas “The Nose” and “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by Dmitry Shostakovich were staged for the first time, the innovative “Queen of Spades” staged by Vsevolod Meyerhold was released, and the world premiere of Sergei Prokofiev’s opera “War and Peace” took place here. The ballet troupe was created and headed by the outstanding dancer and choreographer Fyodor Lopukhov, whose successors were later Igor Belsky, Oleg Vinogradov, Nikolai Boyarchikov. In 2001, the Mikhailovsky Theater regained its historical name, and in 2007 - the glory of the most secular musical theater in St. Petersburg.

Today, the theater, while remaining faithful to the centuries-old traditions of Russian musical theater, strives to keep its finger on the pulse of the modern world theatrical process. The theater has formed a unique repertoire that can be compared to a collection of jewelry.

Some of the famous classical ballets come in versions that have not been presented on any other stage. This, for example, is “Swan Lake” - the so-called “Old Moscow” production, the play by Alexander Gorsky - Asaf Messerer, revised by Mikhail Messerer, “Giselle” revised by Nikita Dolgushin, “Corsair” revised by Konstantin Sergeev, “Laurencia” choreographed by Vakhtang Chabukiani, “Flames of Paris”, choreography by Vasily Vainonen. A separate chapter in the ballet repertoire is the choreographic works of the famous Spanish maestro Nacho Duato. In total, he staged more than 10 ballets at the Mikhailovsky Theater, where he headed the ballet troupe for 3 seasons. Among them are the full-length “Romeo and Juliet”, “Multifaceted. Forms of Silence and Emptiness”, and captivating versions of Tchaikovsky’s ballets “The Sleeping Beauty” and “The Nutcracker”, combining respect for tradition and modernity. The operatic repertoire provides an interesting cross-section of world and Russian musical classics.

On the stage of the Mikhailovsky Theater, classical productions of Russian operas, such as The Queen of Spades, and radical versions of modern directors coexist, for example, Eugene Onegin directed by Andriy Zholdak - the best opera performance according to the Golden Mask. Western classics are represented by the operas “L'elisir d'amore”, “La Traviata”, “Pagliacci”, “Honor Rusticana”, “Tosca”, “La Bohème”, “Manon Lescaut”, “The Flying Dutchman”, Dvorak’s “Rusalka” and others. Recent premieres pay tribute to the great Mozart: “The Magic Flute” and “The Marriage of Figaro” have become events in the musical life of St. Petersburg. The Mikhailovsky Theater troupe brings together a constellation of outstanding dancers, singers, and musicians. The musical director and conductor of the theater is the charismatic young maestro Mikhail Tatarnikov, who worthily continues the best traditions of the St. Petersburg conducting school.