The new stage of the Mariinsky Theater opened in St. Petersburg on Thursday with a gala concert.
The new stage of the Mariinsky Theater opened in St. Petersburg on Thursday with a gala concert. Photo: A scene from La Bayadere, ballet by Ludwig Minkus.
The star-studded gala opening was conducted Valery Gergiev, the worldwide renowned artistic director of the theater, and was attended by a select number of guests, including President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Putin and Gergiev before the gala concert.
The new 2,000-seat theater, reportedly the most expensive cultural construction in modern Russia, cost $700 million. Photo: A scene of the coronation from Boris Godunov, opera by Modest Musorgsky.
The final opening followed almost eight years of construction work accompanied by heated debate over the whole ambitious project. Photo: Diana Vishneva performing Habanera dance from Carmen Suite, a one-act ballet by Rodion Shchedrin.
The new theater was designed by Toronto-based architect Jack Diamond. Photo: Dancers Ulyana Lopatkina and Viktor Baranov.
Olga Yesina and Alexander Sergeyev performing Leda and The Swan dance to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The new building stands close to the 19th century Mariinsky Theatre, one of the most famous Russian stages, which is suffering from age and is set to be closed for renovation. Photo: Dancer Yelena Kondaurova and violinist Yury Bashmet.
A scene from The Rite of Spring, an opera by Igor Stravinsky.
Anna Netrebko (center) singing the part of Donna Anna from Mozart's opera Don Giovanni.
Spanish tenor Placido Domingo singing Siegmund's aria from Richard Wagner's opera The Valkyrie.
Pianist Denis Matsuyev performing at the Mariinsky II opening gala.
