In an interview with Radio Mayak, a popular radio station, Shangin said the Bolshoi could only open and work normally after a full restoration and reconstruction effort to build underground space, new stage equipment and to revamp the main hall, the entrance hall and the central white lobby.
'This is the minimum of work required for the theater to reopen," Shangin said.
On March 15, head of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography Mikhail Shvydkoi told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to the Bolshoi that the theater's reconstruction required about 25 billion rubles (about $880 million).
On August 1, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry promised to allocate 9 billion rubles (about $317 million) for the theater's revamp, but three days later, the minister, German Gref told a news conference that this figure was too high and spending on the Bolshoi project had to be optimized.
Shangin said the revamp effort needed about $700 million.
"This is a large sum but the state can find it," he said.
