Mikhailovsky Theater

The Mikhailovsky Theatre is an opera and ballet theater in St. Petersburg, proudly considered one of Russia's most significant musical theaters. The institution opened in 1833 by decree of Emperor Nicholas I. The complex is located in a historic building on Arts Square, and is visited not only by Russian citizens but also by tourists from around the world.

Brief History

The opening of the Mikhailovsky Theatre was a landmark event. It was hailed by society as the emergence of Russian architecture and theater arts to a new level, deserving special attention. Thanks in part to the work of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Russia has become increasingly associated with the arts. Architect Alexander Bryullov oversaw the construction and design of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. After the 1917 Revolution, actors of foreign bourgeois origin were politely asked to leave the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the borders of a renewed Russia, where the proletariat—workers and peasants—now ran everything, including theatrical art. Interestingly, the Mikhailovsky did not have its own troupe until 1918.

Characteristics of the Mikhailovsky Theatre

To erase the memory of the tsarist autocracy, in 1920, by decision of the new government, all theatres bearing the title "imperial" were ordered to be called "academic." The Mikhailovsky Theatre is officially known as the St. Petersburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after M. P. Mussorgsky. Since December 2020, Alexander Solovyov has been the theater's principal conductor, and since 2022, he will be the music director and principal conductor. Among the theater's landmark opera premieres of recent years are: "Il Trovatore" by G. Verdi;