The Mikhailovsky Theatre () is one of Russia's oldest opera and ballet houses. It was founded in 1833 and is situated in a historical building on 1, Arts Square in Saint Petersburg. It is named after Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia. Since 1989, it has borne the Modest Mussorgsky name. Since 1991 it has officially been named The St Petersburg Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre—Mikhailovsky Theatre.

History

Before 1871
The theatre was established in 1833 by decree of Tsar Nicholas I.

Before the 1917 Revolution, the Mikhailovsky did not have its own resident company. Performances were given either by a French company, hired by the Russian Imperial Theatres, or at the end of the century by the Mariinsky Theatre and Alexandrinsky Theatre companies.

When the Bolsheviks took power the French company was forced to leave Russia, and in 1917 the Mikhailovsky Theatre was closed.

Communist era 

On 6 March 1918 the theatre was reopened as an opera theatre. Shortly afterwards the Mikhailovsky started changing its names: in 1918–20 it was called the Ex-Mikhailovsky Theatre, in 1920 it was renamed to the State Academic Comic Opera Theatre, in 1921 the theatre changed its name to the Maly Operny Teatr (Little Opera Theatre), in 1926 it got the name of the Leningrad State Academic Maly Opera Theatre, MALEGOT for short. New management and artists followed. From 1920 to 1930 the Maly Operny Teatr established itself as one of the leading experimental stages in Russian new musical theatre. Shostakovich made his debut at the Maly Operny: Samuil Samosud conducted world premiere performances of his The Nose and Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, the famous Vsevolod Meyerhold production of The Queen of Spades was staged there, and the world premiere of Prokofiev's epic opera War and Peace took place on the theatre's stage on 12 June 1946.

1930: Creation of the Ballet Company 

In 1930s Russian choreographer Fyodor Lopukhov founded the ballet company of the Theatre. The first ballet premiere, Harlequinade, choreographed by Lopukhov, took place on 6 June 1933.

The 2000s revival 

From 1989 to 2007, the theatre bore the name of Modest Mussorgsky, subsequently returning to its original name the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

In 2007, in what was seen as a controversial move, Russian businessman Vladimir Kekhman was appointed as General Director of the theatre. Vladimir Kekhman's strategy was to spend prolific amounts of money on ballet stars to build the Theatre's popularity.

He built a business-based organizational structures to the Ballet, donated 1 billion roubles ($40m US) for renovation of the building, and invited Elena Obraztsova and Farouk Ruzimatov to coordinate the artistic revival of the Mikhailovsky. In 2007, Elena Obraztsova was appointed Artistic Director of the Mikhailovsky Opera and Farouk Ruzimatov became Artistic Director of the Mikhailovsky Ballet. However, Obraztsova resigned in 2008 and Ruzimatov in 2009.

The ballet company of the Mikhailovsky Theatre made its London debut in July 2008 in London Coliseum arranged by the British ex-dancer Gavin Roebuck. This season helped bring the company international recognition and led to a nomination for the Best Foreign Dance Company Award at the National Dance Awards in 2008, though Mikhailovsky lost out to the New York City Ballet.

Also in 2013, the Mikhailovsky Opera made its debut at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, and, in November 2014, the Mikhailovsky Ballet debuted in the US at New York's Lincoln Center.

In October 2012, Vladimir Kekhman was declared bankrupt at London's High Court of Justice, but he assured that the operation of the Mikhailovsky Theatre was not at risk. In April 2013, top ballet dancer Natalia Osipova left the company to join The Royal Ballet in London, after she had made the headlines in December 2011 for choosing the Mikhailosky Theatre over the Bolshoi Theatre.

In 2015, the tenor Neil Shicoff was appointed Chief of the Mikhailovsky Opera,
and from July 2017 till July 2018, the bass Paata Burchuladze was Chief of the Mikhailovsky Opera.

Mikhail Messerer resigned from the Theatre in 2019.

Ballet company 

Repertoire

 Don Quixote – Mikhail Messerer's version
 Duende – choreography by Nacho Duato
 Giselle – Nikita Dolgushin's version
 Class Concert – choreography by Asaf Messerer
 Le Corsaire – Mikhail Messerer's version
 Laurencia – Mikhail Messerer's version
 Flames of Paris – Mikhail Messerer's version
 Swan Lake – Mikhail Messerer's version
 La Bayadère – Nacho Duato's version
 La Fille mal gardée – choreography by Ashton - staged by Mikhail Messerer and Michael O'Hare
 Cipollino – choreography by Genrikh Mayorov
 Cinderella – Mikhail Messerer's version 
 Nunc Dimittis – choreography by Nacho Duato
 Without Words – choreography by Nacho Duato
 White Darkness – choreography by Nacho Duato
 Bolero – choreography by Ivan Vasiliev
 Coppelia – Mikhail Messerer's version
 The Bronze Idol (based on the Bronze Horseman) – choreography by Lar Lubovitch
 Na Floresta – choreography by Nacho Duato
 Love is All Around – choreography by Ivan Vasiliev
 Multiplicity. Forms of Silence and Emptiness – choreography by Nacho Duato
 Morphine – choreography by Ivan Vasiliev
 Invisible – choreography by Nacho Duato
 Prelude – choreography by Nacho Duato
 La Halte de cavalerie – choreography by Piotr Gusev after Marius Petipa
 A Christmas Carol (based on the book by Charles Dickens) – choreography by Ivan Vasiliev
  Romeo and Juliet – choreography by Nacho Duato
 La Sylphide - choreography by August Bournonville 
 Blind Affair – choreography by Ivan Vasiliev
 The Sleeping Beauty – choreography by Nacho Duato
 The Nutcracker – choreography by Nacho Duato

Awards 

 2013: Best Ballet Company award at the National Dance Awards

References

External links
Official website

1833 establishments in the Russian Empire
Ballet companies in Russia
Music venues completed in 1833
Opera houses in Russia
Theatres completed in 1833
Theatres in Saint Petersburg
Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg