The Bolshoi Theater is one of the brightest and most recognizable symbols of Moscow, widely known not only in Russia, but also beyond its borders. Every real theater-goer must at least once in his life visit here, in this ancient building, thoroughly impregnated with history.
Theater Square in Moscow got its name because of the Bolshoi Theater.
Initially, the Bolshoi Theater was called “Petrovsky”.
The first building of the theater was never finished – it was burned down as a result of a fire, so the construction had to start anew.
The current building of the Bolshoi Theater – the fourth in the account, it was erected in 1835. The second and third buildings suffered the same fate as the first – they burned to the ground.
On the stage of the Bolshoi Theater for all the time that it exists, more than 800 different performances have been staged.
The first actor’s troupe of the Bolshoi Theater included only 43 people.
In St. Petersburg, too, was the Bolshoi Theater. It was opened four years after its Moscow colleague, but in 1886 it was closed.
Russian emperors often visited the Bolshoi Theater, in spite of the fact that St. Petersburg was the capital at that time, and the way to the theater was not close.
During the Second World War, the building of the Bolshoi Theater was disguised as an ordinary dwelling house to save it from sighting bombardment. Nevertheless, in 1941 one bomb hit the building.
During the above-described incident with the bomb, the fragile ancient crystal chandeliers of the Bolshoi Theater miraculously survived, as they were taken to the restoration the day before.
