Visiting the Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre has been built at the address 1, Teatralnaya Ploshad, Moscow, 103009, and is very easy to locate via the Moscow subway system. The theatre can be easily accessed from the Ploshad Revolutsii Metro Station, Teatralnaya Metro Station and the Okhotnyi Ryad Metro Station.
To purchase the tickets one can head to the box office. The box office remains open throughout the week from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM, however it is closed between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM.
Tracing the History Of The Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre Company was established in the year 1776 by Prince Peter Urusov and Michael Maddox. The theatre was originally intended for the purpose of showcasing performances and events for private viewing in a home only. In the year 1780, the company came into ownership of the Petrovka Theatre. After this acquisition, the company started creating and showing operas and plays.
The present building of the Bolshoi Theatre was established on the Theatre Square in the year 1824. The new theatre was put into place as a replacement of the original Petrovka Theatre, which had been ruined in a fire in the year 1805. The current building was designed by the architect Andrei Mikhailov.
The historic name of the Bolshoi Theatre was the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow. A theatre by a similar name was also built in St. Petersburg (the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theatre), and was formally known as the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre.
On 18th January 1825 the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow was inaugurated with the ballet Cendrillon, based on Fernando Sor’s work.
The theatre originally only showcased Russian plays and ballets, but then its boundaries were expanded to include works from composers hailing from outside Russia as well.
After the fire, the theatre was partly destroyed, and hence massive reconstruction and restoration was required to return the theatre to a proper state. It was once again opened to the public in the year 1856. During the Second World War, a bomb exploded at the theatre and hence destroyed portions of it. However, restoration was carried out quickly and effectively.
The Bolshoi theatre has been home to various premiers of international cultural importance, such as Aleko and Francesca da Rimini by Rachmaninoff, and The Voyevoda and Mazeppa by Tchaikovsky.