On September 17, participants of the InteRussia fellowship in theatre arts visited the Bolshoi Theatre, which celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026. The young actors toured the building, saw its stages and learned how the country's main theatre took shape over two and a half centuries.
The history of the Bolshoi began in March 1776, when Empress Catherine II signed a decree that laid the foundation of the theatre. It was meant to become both a temple of art and an ornament of the city. Its first home was a building on Petrovka Street, and later a theatre was built on Arbat. Fires destroyed the buildings more than once, and each time the theatre was rebuilt. The theatre that stands on Theatre Square today opened in 1856.
The fellows also learned about the architecture of the building. Its early nineteenth-century design by Osip Bove is a fine example of Russian Empire style, with its strict lines and solemn proportions.
The tour included several of the Bolshoi's stages. The greatest impression was made by the Historic Stage, where red and gold create an atmosphere of celebration and ceremony. Participants looked at the famous chandelier. It was originally lit by gas, and only in the 1890s it was converted to electricity. The guides also drew attention to the figure of Apollo, whose author remains unknown, and took the group to the theatre's underground spaces, which visitors rarely see.
For many participants the visit became a first meeting with the Russian theatre tradition on its own ground. They saw how the stage, the building and the history of the country are connected, and how the theatre has kept its role at the centre of cultural life for 250 years.
The InteRussia Fellowship in Theatre Arts is implemented by Mezhdunarodniki Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation in cooperation with the Gorchakov Fund, GITIS and TV BRICS International Media Network. The programme is implemented as part of Rossotrudnichestvo’s flagship New Generation initiative with grant support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.