Eremitage-Theater

Ballet at the Imperial Hermitage theatre
The address of theatre: St.-Petersburg, Palace quay, 34

Ballet performances at the Imperial Hermitage theatre of the State Hermitage are important events in the theatrical life of St. Petersburg.
The stage of this theatre is distinguished by a special beauty, graceful decorations, and a unique historical tie to the Imperial past of the Hermitage that hosted performances attended by Catherine the Great. Today the best artists of the St. Petersburg and the Moscow ballet perform annually from April till October. Almost every evening the curtain rises and the ballet performances begin. The performances are known for their adherance to the past glory of Russian ballet. Each traditional ballet is truly beautiful and the theater resonates with live music of the great composers perfomed by a fine symphonic orchestra. These presentations boast the participation of masters of the highest order and are treasures of ballet art. The music of great composers, the high level of acting and sincere welcome that greets every patron make every visit to the theater a special event. Auidiences see brilliant artists and react accordingly. It is important to note that the revival of the Hermitage Theater makes it possible to step back in time to see a performance as did the previous crowned heads of state during the days of Imperial Russia. It is all the more remarkable that these ballets are again being performed along the historic Neva Embankment and it is as if the patron has stepped back into a time once thought to have been lost forever. We cordially invite anyone truly interested in world class ballet to attend a performance in our historic jewel of a theater.

The repertoire of ballet performances consist of "Giselle", "Swan lake", "Sleeping Beauty", and also Gala-concerts (Evenings of stars of ballet). Gala Concerts celebrate fragments of famous ballets such as "Sleeping beauty", "Giselle", "Swan lake", "Raymonda", "Silphida", "Esmeralda", "Corsair", "of Don Kihot", "Spartaka", "Markitanka", "the Bahchisaray fountain", "Karmen", "Sheherezada", "Legend of Love", and the masterpiece of Russian ballet - "The Dying Swan" and many others.

Leading soloists and ballet artists of the Mariinsky theatre, the Mussorgsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the Bolshoy theatre (in Moscow) and other theatres of ballet of St.-Petersburg take part in our performances.

THE HERMITAGE THEATRE - HISTORICAL INFORMATION

The word "Hermitage" is firmly identified with the complex of the world famous Winter Palace in the centre of historic St. Petersburg. The Winter Palace is a masterpiece of architecture and serves as the main ornament of the city on the Neva. It houses a huge museum of world wide fame. The Hermitage might just be the most famous art museum in the world. It is surely the most beautiful former royal palace of any European state. The Winter Palace is not simply a building containing art; it is an integral part of the state museum, The Hermitage, consists of a total of nine palaces and is a national property and the pride of the Russian people. It is also one of the most heavily visited tourist sites in the world. Inarguably it ranks as the Number One tourist site in St.-Petersburg.

Today the State Hermitage complex consists of five majestic buildings created from XVIII-XIX by famous architects and is located in the centre of St. Petersburg.
During it''s existence many millions of art patrons have visited the Hermitage. Tourists, both Russian, and foreign, visiting this "Venice of the North" aspire to visit this treasury of art by all means, to look invaluable collections, to join to perfect, to get a part of inspiration and spiritual perfection. Make your trip complete with a visit to Catherine''s personal theater and a ballet performance.

No visit to the Hermitage Art Museum should be considered complete without a visit to the personal theater of Catherine the Great. It has been painstakingly restored to its former granduer and it is worth a visit to Russia just to see it and attend a performance there. Everyone knows of the theater''s existence but only a privileged few have ever seen it. Become one of the few to have enjoyed this special treasure of architeture in the heart of Imperial St. Petersburg.

The Hermitage Theatre is the oldest building in the complex of theWinter Palace preserved to our time. It was built on the site of the former Winter Palace of Peter I. The construction of the theatre is functionaly independent and is connected to the basic court building by an arch. The arch is built over the channel that connects the Moika River to the river Neva. The arch is called the "Winter flute". The theater building, which sometimes is called as fourth Winter the Palace, was constructed between 1711-1723. The theatre was built later in 1783-1785 during the reign of Catherine the Great. The architect was Jakomo Kvarengi, who built around 30 of the most beautiful buildings and structures in the city.

The decoration of theatre and his halls is unique and represents a classical masterpiece of palace architecture of XXVII century. The small court theatre counted on 250 spectators was intended for the imperial family and selected court noblesse, that has defined the forms, capacity of the hall and disposition of rows of spectators. Auditorium, the main premise of the theatre, differs by grace and magnificence of the decoration and furniture. A deep amphitheatre of the auditorium conceived by an antique principle, in the proportions is harmoniously combined with lines of marble half-columns framing a semicircular hall. A small pit of three rows at seven armchairs each for the honorary guests is arranged before a stage. Behind a balustrade separating the stage from the auditorium, there are some more lines of benches and two lateral boxes. Walls of the auditorium are trimmed with marble and are decorated with classical sculptures of Appolon and nine muses. The bas-reliefs with image of known poets and musicians are established.

The seats of armchairs are upholstered by red velvet; floors are covered with carpet coverings. Unique lusters softly illuminating the hall are lowered with a ceiling. The architectural decision of the auditorium of the Hermitage has the strict classical forms included in the canons of world building art. Venerable architects of many countries of the world come to study immortal works of the great master Jakomo Kvarengi.

Before the stage an open orchestral hole separated from the hall by the balustrade is arranged. The geometrical parities of area of the hall and depth of scenic space have not equal to themselves. At small width - the stage is rather deep and it allows arranging of various sets and gives to actors necessary and large in the area space, sufficient for staging of ballet performances. The auditorium is unique, it is small in volume and is located so, that does not require using of theatrical field glasses. Everything occurring on the stage is visible well from any place. The hall has natural perfect acoustics, sounds of music precise and it is clear are transferred without distortions, that is of doubtless and bright advantage. A combination of the architectural forms and achievement of the special acoustic properties of a premise - is unique feature and natural flair of the architect.

HERMITAGE THEATRE TODAY
Today a hall of the Hermitage theatre and all premises are reconstructed completely. Ornamentation of the hall, lines of armchairs, a ceiling, a system of illumination and acoustics are restored exactly. Modern scenic equipment, sound amplifier and light installations with computer usage, perfect, gracefully weaved curtain are arranged. The basic restoration works were completed to 1989. Today the additional restoration works are carried out at the theatre and it accepts visitors, spectators and tourists sparkling by the magnificence again. The Hermitage theatre - is a large pearl in a necklace of treasures of the Hermitage.

The Hermitage theatre is included into the third millennium updated and accepts for grateful spectators actively. By the course of small capacity of the auditorium the cost of the tickets is rather high, however, it is unfairly lower than the cost of he tickets in the auditoria of European theatres.