The glorious history of the Bolshoi Theatre

Fluctuations

As an iconic landmark of Moscow, the Bolshoi Theatre has weathered many storms. Constantly plagued by fires, the theatre has been rebuilt numerous times and has survived many regime changes in Russia. Despite this, it remains one of the oldest and greatest theatres in the world.

In March 1776, with permission from Empress Catherine II the Great, Prince Pyotr Urusov began construction of the Bolshoi Theatre with the goal of beautifying the city and serving the cultural and artistic needs of its people. Unfortunately, the newly built building burned down, and the project was handed over to Michael Maddox, a mathematician and businessman in the theatre industry.

Despite the successful construction, Michael Maddox exceeded the budget by 50,000 rubles and was unable to escape debt. Therefore, the board of directors entrusted Prince Volkonsky with the responsibility of managing the theater.

Following the Patriotic War of 1812, another Russian architect of Italian descent, Joseph Bove, was chosen to oversee the reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theatre. The architect used only the remaining walls from Maddox's work to build the 37-meter-high structure that stands today. In 1824, the theatre, reborn from ruins, was inaugurated with the play "Triumph of the Muses," introducing the legend of Russian Romanticism, Pavel Mochalov.

When the building was once again attacked by fire in 1805, the Russian-Italian architect Carlo Rossi had a new wooden building constructed to replace the old one on Arbatskaya Square. However, it too was destroyed in the Great Fire of Moscow in 1812.

Later, architects built a building for the arts on the old site. This new Bolshoi Theatre also survived another major fire in 1853.

Throughout its 200-year history, marked by numerous ups and downs, this venue has been associated with many famous artists in the world of music and ballet. In 2005, the Russian government decided to renovate the theater, upgrading the sound and lighting systems and refurbishing the old interior furnishings.

Elements of the Russian Imperial building, according to the original design, were gradually restored. The foundations and supporting structures of the building were completely rebuilt. Improvements to the theater's acoustics were also addressed. French and Soviet cultural elements were removed.

The furniture and decorative elements were clad in rare pine wood and gilded with gold instead of the cement and copper used previously. The embroidered carpets were re-woven, the glass pieces in the enormous two-ton chandelier were replaced or repaired, and the balconies were covered in gold leaf. In total, more than 5 kg of gold was used for 150 gilded works inside the theater.

The old stage curtain with its Soviet-style decorative motifs was removed and replaced with a new curtain, approximately 20 meters high and weighing nearly 900 kg, featuring the initials of the Russian Federation and the eagle motif, as it had been since 1856.

After six years of restoration and upgrades costing nearly 25.5 billion rubles (700 million USD), the Bolshoi Theatre reopened on October 28, 2011.

Interesting facts

Aside from its turbulent history, the Bolshoi Theatre also has many interesting points. Maddox's Bolshoi Theatre boasts an auditorium with 1,000 seats, a stage, and an orchestra pit. Just above the stage are boxes where "concert lovers" sit, most of whom belong to the aristocracy.

They also gave signals to certain "audiences." For example, if they raised two fingers, everyone had to cheer enthusiastically. These nobles could be considered the masters of the "applauding orchestra," or people hired to clap at certain points in the performance.

The original Bolshoi Theatre troupe had only 42 members, including 8 actresses, 13 actors, 13 musicians, three male dancers, and 4 female dancers.

King Alexander III and his family considered the Bolshoi Theatre one of their favorite venues. They often went there to see ballet performances or new operas, even though the Russian capital and the Imperial Palace were located in St. Petersburg at the time.

During World War II, the Bolshoi Theatre, like many other iconic Moscow landmarks, was disguised as an ordinary house. In this way, the authorities attempted to protect the monument from bombing.

Every year, the Moscow authorities plant more tulips in front of the Bolshoi Theatre. This tradition was started by a Dutchman named Lefeber. After his first visit to the theatre in the 1950s, Lefeber was so impressed by the performances of the Russian ballet dancers that he gave the theatre two new tulip varieties named "Bolshoi Theatre" and "Galina Ulanova" (after a famous Russian ballet dancer).

Throughout the theater's long history, its stage has featured over 700 ballet dancers, actors, and opera singers.

Scandals

In 2013, the Bolshoi Theatre shocked the entire country with an acid attack on Sergei Filin, the theatre's artistic director. Following the incident, Filin revealed the dark underbelly beneath the theatre's glamorous facade.

The attack may have stemmed from internal conflicts within the theater, rivalries over roles, and this situation is nothing new, having existed for decades.

Also in 2013, Anastasia Volochkova, a former Boshoi dancer who was dismissed in 2003 for being too large, spoke out, accusing the theater of being a "large brothel" where young female ballet dancers were often forced to attend lavish parties and have sexual relations with wealthy patrons.

In response, the theater's general director, Anatoly Iksanov, asserted that Volochkova's accusations were "filthy and insane," completely unfounded.

Huong Thao