Mariinsky (Kirov) opera and ballet theatre Address: 1, Teatralnaya Square
The opera and ballet companies are famous all over the world. The repertoire includes such classics as Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin", "Swan Lake" and works by Mozart, Verdi and Rossini. Other popular works are Massenet's ballet "Manon" and the operas "Don Juan" by Mozart, "War and Peace" by Prokofiev and Wagner's "Das Rheingold". The latest works are Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" (with scenery by Mikhail Shemyakin), Puccini's "La Boheme" and Verdi's "Macbeth". The history of the Mariinsky theatre started in 1783 when the Bolshoi (Stone) Theatre was opened in Petersburg. Dramatic opera and ballet performances were staged there. Now there is the Saint-Petersburg Conservatoire. By the declare of Ekaterina II the Bolshoi (Stone) theatre was built on the site of that building, surpassed the great European theatres by its brilliance and luxury. In 1849 in the building, constructed by the project of Alberto Kavos, opposite the Bolshoy theatre, the circus was opened by a horse festive performance. It was designed to be used as a theatrical placing as well. On the night of 26 January 1859 the circus burnt. On its site, by the project of the same architect a new theatre was built. It was designed for music and drama performances. The name of the Mariinsky theatre was given in honour of the Emperor Alexander's II wife - Maria Alexandrovna. Russian opera and then ballet troupes of the Bolshoi Theatre came here. The theatre was opened on 2 October 1860 by Michail Glinka's opera "Life for Tsar". Blue and gold colours are the symbols of the Mariinsky theatre. Five-circled hall of the theatre remains almost unchanged after the rebuilding by Alberto Kavos in 1859. The hall is defined by emphasized festivity; it was designed as a hall of the leading theatre of Russian Empire. In 1935-1992 it was named after C.M.Kirov. The World premieres of many Russian opera masterpieces of classics were staged there, including Glinka's "Life for Tsar", "Ruslan and Ludmila", Musorgskiy's "Khovanshina" and "Boris Godunov", Borodin's "Prince Igor", Rimsky-Korsako's "Tale about Invisible Kitezh City and maiden Fevronia", P.I.Chaikovsky's "Queen of Spades". The original national vocal school was formed in the Mariinsky theatre. The fortunes of many world opera art stars. Great Fjodor Shaljapin, Ivan Ershov, Nikolai Figner, Leonid Sobinov, Felija Litvin, later Nikolay Peskovsky, Sophia Preobrazhenskaya, Mark Reyzen, Georgyi Nelepp sang on the stage. The Mariinsky theatre has always had piety to classic traditions. Beside that there were performances in XX century, that became epoch-making, turning point for the development of new aesthetics for opera theatre. Alexander Benua, Konstantin Korovin, Alexander Golovin and Valentin Serov discovered new possibilities of theatrical drawing to the world. Vsevolod Meyerhold staged his genius performances here. They were of great interest all over the world later on. The theatre repertoire includes the "golden fund" works of opera classics. For the last years the theatre has staged performances together with the greatest world opera stages: Covent Garden, Opera de Bastil, La Scala, La Fenice, Tel-Aviv Opera and San-Francisco Opera.
	Musorgsky Opera and Ballet Theatre Address: 1, Square of the Arts
The theatre has been established in 1918 as an affiliate of the Mariinsky Theatre. It is most known for its premieres of pieces by contemporary composers, such as S. Prokofyev, D. Shostakovich, A. Khachaturyan, R. Schedrin and others. The theatre created its own troupe during 1931-1933. Today this theatre is the only one in the city , that stages such plays as "Fadetta", "Tsar Boris", "The White Knight" and "MacBeth". It occupies the building of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, named after Nicholas I's brother prince Mikhail Pavlovich. The theatre's capacity is 1,151 seats. French drama and comedy has been presented in it for privileged audiences. A French opera troupe has also been performing here for a long period of time. The building was constructed in 1831-33 on the Mikhailovskaya Square (presently called the Arts Square) by the architect A.P. Bryullov.
	The Theatre of Musical Comedy and Ballet Address: 13, Italyanskaya Street
Leningrad State Musical Comedy Theatre existed in summer 1929 as a merge of two theatrical companies: Kharkov and Leningrad ones. 17th September 1929 is considered to be it's birthday when "Kholopka" performance by N. Strel'nikov opened the new season at the State People's House stage. The mansion on 13 Italyanskaya street serves as the theatre's premises since September 1938. The theatre was oriented to create the Soviet operetta genre by having classics as the main part of the repertoire. It could be called a “test laboratory” of this genre. Dunayevsky is considered to be the "Founder of Soviet Operetta". He was the first one, who showed operetta songs to the mass. It helped to reform the genre and prevented it from the vaudeville conventionalism and melodramatic romance style. The theatre staged the shows which became the milestones in "Soviet Classics" genre development. They were: "The Golden Valley" and "The Road to Happiness" by I. Dunayevskiy, "The Wedding in Malinovka" by B. Aleksandrov, "Girls' Hurly-Burly" and "Chanita's Kiss" by Yu. Milyutin, "The Sorochintsy Fair" by A. Ryabov, "Akulina" etc. During the World War II the Musical Comedy Theatre was the only theatrical company which didn't interrupt it's work during all 900 days of the siege. 20 premieres were staged those days. 1 300 000 spectators came to the shows. The theatre was constantly sold out. The tickets used to be resold for a daily ration of bread. The soloists of the theatre gave more than 1000 free of charge concerts at the front line, at the hospitals and industrial facilities. During the hardest days of the siege the theatre was the only island of happiness for the siege-weary citizens and military men. These names will always be in the world’s theatre history: Manager G. S. Maximov; directors: A. N. Feona, N. L. Yanet, G. M. Polyachek; conductors: G. V. Furman, A. A. Loginov, M. P. Volovats, V. N. Astrov (died of rat attack); choreographers L. G. Beyselman, R. O. Gerbek; dancers N. V. Peltser, A. A. Komkov, L. M. Lidina; a brilliant constellation of actors: N. I. Boldyreva, E. S. Brill', K. M. Bondarenko, Z. D. Gabrielyants, I. V. Kedrov, L. A. Kolesnikova, A. V. Korolkevich, E. D. Mikhailov, A. A. Orlov, G. P. Pavlotskaya, V. I. Sviderskiy, N. Ya. Yanet, V. N. Khristianova, A. G. Slonimskiy. When V. Vorobyov came to the theatre in 1972, the repertoire was to include comic opera, operetta, musical comedy and ballet. During those years a new generation of actors appeared: V. Vasilieva, V. Krivonos, V. Kostetskiy, V. Matvyev, V. Sviridova, E. Driatskaya, V. Artyukh, B. Smolkin, E. Tilicheev.
	Alexandrinsky Theatre Address: 2, Ostrovsky Square
The Alexandrinsky Theatre building, created by K.I.Rossi is one of the most outstanding samples of Russian Classicism. It plays the main part in the ensemble of Ostrovskogo Square. During the replanning of the Anichkov estate in 1817-1818 a big city square appeared between the Public Library and the Garden of the Anichkov Palace. For more than 10 years (from 1816 to1827), Rossi designed a number of projects of reconstruction and building of this square, planned the constructions of a city theatre there. The final variant of the project was established on 5 April 1828. Its ceremonial unveiling took place on 31 August 1832. The theatre building is located in the heart of the square and its main facade faces Nevsky Prospect. The rusticated walls of the ground floor serve as a kind of a socle for the majestic colonnades decorating the facades. The six-column colonnade of the main facade stands out against the wall, placed further backwards. The traditional protruding classical portico is replaced here with an impressive loggia. The semicircular niches hold the figures of the Muses - Terpsichore and Melpomene - and are ended by a wide sculpture brieze, rounded the building. The attic is decorated with the figures of the glories in crown with Apollo's carriage, symbolizing the success of the national art. The side facades of the theatre and the South facade closing the perspective of the Zodchego Rossi street are ceremonial and effective. Rossi concentrated his attention on the volume and area decision, its monumentality and expressivity of its exterior. Inside the building the hall is the most interesting place. Its propositions are well found. The elements of the first texture decoration were saved here, including a decorative golden carving of boxes nearby the scene. The circle barriers are decorated by golden ornaments, made in the 19th century. Sculpture plays an important role in facade decoration. It was made by S.S Pimenov, V.I.Demut-Malinovsky and A.Triskorin. Apollo's carriage was chased from sheet copper to a model by S.Pimenov at Alexandrovsky Iron foundry. By the order of the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna the Russian Theatre for comedies and tragedies was established on 30 August 1756. According to the order of the Court office the name became shorter: the Russian Theatre (since 6 January 1759).”Court” word was added to the name of the theatre since 20 December 1766 bt the order of the Empress Ekaterina II. On 9 February 1937 the theatre was named “the Pushkin State Academic Drama Theatre” after a hundred anniversary of Pushkin's death. The Alexandrovsky title is well-known according to the title of the building: a new building in the center of the capital was named in honor of Alexandra Fiodorovna, the wife of Nikolai I by his decree on 13 August 1832. The increasing popularity of the Petersburg Drama Troupe made the government to construct a special building, named “Alexandrinsky” theatre. The best Rissian and foreign performances of drama art were staged there as well as the best actors such as: V.Karatygin, A.Martynov, E.Semionova, V.Strelkaya, P.Strepetova, V.Asenkova, M.Dalskiy, M.Savina, V.Kommisarzhevskaya, V.Davydov, Y.Yurjev, E.Korchagina-Alexandrovskaya were indulged in the plays. Pushkin, Belinskiy, Turgenev and Blok used to sit and watch performances in that hall. Ostrovskiy came out to the spectators after the premieres of almost all of his plays here. Chekchov was pleased to perform his play"Ivanov". Hundreds of other noble people, whose names adorn the Russian history were the admirers of the art of this theatre.
	Hermitage Ballet Theatre Address: 32, Dvortsovaya Embankment
The theatre was designed by the architect Giacomo Quarenghi and was constructed between the years of 1783-1787. It was originally destined to be Catherine the Great’s private theatre. It is located in the corner of the Palace Embankment and the Winter Canal Embankment. The Hermitage Theatre is an outstanding architectural monument of the Russian classicism of the 1780s. In fact the theatre is one of the best Chamber music theatres in the world. The Hermitage theatre is presently intented for the lecture hall of the State Hermitage Museum, the stage for the ballet and opera performances as well as chamber music concerts. The Hermitage Theatre - is the oldest building of the Winter Palace Complex. The theatre building is functionally independent, faces its facade on Dvortsovaya Embankment and is connected with the main palace building by means of an arch over the canal, connecting Moika river with Neva river - "Zimniaya Kanavka". This building was constructed in 1721-1723, though the theatre itself was built later - in 1783-85 to a design of the architect Gakomo Quarneghi and finished in 1802. The theatre and hall decoration is unique and represents a classical masterpiece of palace architecture of the 17th century. The performances of the best Petersburg and Moscow ballet dancers and troupes take place in one of the most beautiful theatres- the Hermitage theatre. The ballet repertoire contains such masterpieces as "Giselle", "Swan lake","Chopiniana" etc. There are ballet Gala-evenings, which represent different fragments of world-known ballets such as "The sleeping beauty", "Giselle", "Raymonda", "La Sylphide", "La Esmeralda" "Corsair", "Don Quixote", "Spartak", "Carmen", "Legend of love” etc. World famous leading soloists and ballet artists are engaged in the performances of the Hermitage theatre.
	The Cossacks Folk show Address: 6, Proletarskoy Diktatury square. The Concert hall “Smolnensky”.
In St.Petersburg from the date it was founded representatives of all kinds of Cossack forces lived, worked, studied, taught and performed. Many generations of Cossacks made significant contributions into art, culture and science of our city. Young and talented Cossack Ensemble «Bagatitsa» set up in 2005 in St.Petersburg carefully keeps and successfully pre-sents centuries-old traditions of the great nation. Exciting Cossack songs and dances, the energy and humor, amazing Cos-sack costumes, high quality of performance bring joy to every person in the audience. This is proved by extreme popularity of Cossack shows in Russia and abroad. There is no other Show like this in the world!
	Folklore Show in the Anichkov Palace Address: 39, Nevsky Prospect The Anichkov Palace, Concert Hall "Carnival"
The Anichkov Palace is an architectural monument, a complex in the center of Saint Petersburg. It was originally a country estate located in the former Preobrazhensky regiment yard. The Anichkov Palace was built in 1741-1750 (by architects M.Zemtsov and G.Dmitriev) and completed in 1754 (by architect B.Rastrelli) in Baroque style. Beautiful main facade viewed the Fontanka River and was connected with the palace by means of a canal. In 1778-79 the architect I.Starov reconstructed the palace in Classicism style. In 1817-19 the architect C.Rossi erected two pavilions in the garden and put up a metal railing. The first owner of the Anichkov Palace was Empress Elizabeth's favourite Earl A.Razumovsky. In the 1770th Empress Catherine II presented it to Duke G.Potiomkin. In the end of the XVIIIth century the palace was taken over by the Treasury, in the early XIXth century it was accommodated His Majesty's, the Emperor's Cabinet (State institution that ran Emperor's property). In the middle of the 1860th Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich (the future Emperor Alexander III) became the owner of the palace. In 1881-94 the Anichkov Palace was the residence of the Emperor Alexander III, who didn't like Winter palace. Later the palace was possessed by his widow Empress Maria Fiodorovna. From 1918 up to 1935 the palace housed the Museum of the City (the predecessor of the Leningrad History Museum). In 1936-37 the palace was reconstructed to house the Palace of Young Pioneers (by architects A.Gegello and D.Krichevsky). Now there is a Concert Hall "Carnival" in the complex of old buildings. Professional folklore groups, well-known all over the world give performances in "Carnival" Concert Hall. The number of people, performing at the stage of a Concert Hall "Carnival" is about 70-100 members including dancers, singers and musicians. The Treasure of national Russian art and cultural traditions are introduced by means of music, dancing and singing. You will enjoy popular folk songs: "Katiusha", "Kalinka" and many others. The dancing group will whirl you in the circle of Russian folk dances. You will dip into unforgettable and mysterious atmosphere of Russian holiday! Each program consists of two parts 45 minutes long. During 15-minute break guests will be offered a buffet with vodka, caviar and champagne.