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Take a tour of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia
The Bolshoi Theatre is world-renowned for both ballet and opera performances, but also features a fascinating museum and gift shop. The theatre underwent major renovations, which were completed in 2011 and after delays, reopened in style with its gold leaf and plush red seating looking brand-new. A brief history of the Bolshoi TheatreThe Bolshoi Theatre has quite a history. Dating back to 1776, permission was granted to Prince Pyotr Urusov by Catherine II to offer all types of theatre performances there, including balls, masquerades and varied entertainment, over a period of ten years. Since those days, the Bolshoi building which houses the theatre has become one of the main sights of Moscow, leading to the theatre being officially opened for public performances on 20 October, 1856, the date of Tsar Alexander II’s coronation.
The massive refurbishment took several years to completeA new stage was added to the theatre in 2002, while the original, historic stage underwent massive refurbishment and reconstruction. The work ended up taking until 28 October 2011 to be completed. After the refurbishment, the Bolshoi Theatre has become one of the best-equipped theaters in the world.The building and its interior have become a symbol for Russia and a fascinating site to visit, whether attending a ballet or opera performance, or enjoying a tour of the Bolshoi Theatre.
The Bolshoi Theatre MuseumA museum was created to display exhibits of archival materials from performances, including program books and posters. This museum has grown to include educational work and is often visited during the intermission of a ballet or opera performance. Fascinating costumes and sketches of the scenery are on display, dating back to the XIX to XXI centuries, including the costumes and private belongings of prominent ballet and opera stars.Many of the costumes were worn by some of the brightest stars who have performed at the Bolshoi Theatre, making them of particular interest. There are also portraits of theatrical figures, along with lithographs, drawings and manuscripts from various periods. There is also an impressive collection of photos, with many taken during the period from 1860 through to the 1910s. There are also regular, temporary exhibits by the museum held in the theatre’s lobby.
The theatre
also houses a gift shop, with many beautiful gifts and souvenirs, including
t-shirts, postcards and magnets. It is also possible to purchase video
and audio recordings of major performances at the Bolshoi Theatre along
with books about the theatre. The gift shop is open from 11:00 a.m.
to 17:00 p.m. via entrance 9-a and is also open for theatre audiences attending
opera and ballet performances from 6:00 p.m. right through to the end of
intermission.
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The
gift shop at the Bolshoi Theatre