Page 23 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - St. Petersburg

Mariinskiy Theatre ❮❮ 21

NUREYEV’S
DEFECTION
After the 1917
Revolution, many of
the Mariinskiy’s ballet
dan cers defected to
other countries. Rudolf
Nureyev left in 1961.
Having broken the
rules about mingling
with foreign ers and
under pressure from
Façade
6 the KGB for his open
homo sexuality, he
The Neo-
Renaissance façade finally defected while
on tour in France in
(above) was remo delled 1961, becoming an
in 1883–6 by Viktor immediate success
Schröter, who added most in the West.
of the ornamental detail.
Ceiling
Theatre
7 9
Square
Don’t forget to take
Once known as Carousel a look at the Mariinskiy’s
Square, Theatre Square intricate ceil ing. Dating
and the surround ing from 1856 and designed
canal-lined streets have by Italian art ist Enrico
long been home to the Franchioli, it depicts
city’s artistic commu nity. dancing girls and cupids.
Mariinsky II
8
This modernist structure (2013) dwarfs the
original theatre building. It took a decade to build at
a cost of £450 million, ten times the original budget.
Audiences
5
A fine place for
people-spotting, those
with an interest in the
Russian government and
pop culture may be lucky
enough to spot cele brities
from the worlds of
politics and showbiz.
Marii nskiy
NEED TO KNOW • Russians tend to dress 0
Concert Hall
up when attending the
MAP B5 • Teatralnaya Built on the site of the
ploschad 1 • 326 4141 ballet or the opera. While former Set Workshops,
• www.mariinsky.ru a suit and tie or ball room
dress are not strictly which were destroyed by
Performances usually necessary, guests should fire in 2003, this stunning
begin at 11:30am make an effort to fit in. concert hall (above) was
(matinee) or 7pm. • After a show, Sadko (see designed by Xavier Fabre
Tickets are more expensive p82) or Irish bar Shamrock in conjunc tion with
for tourists than Russians (see p84) are good places Japanese acoustics
and can cost anything to discuss the evening’s master Yasuhisa Toyota.
from ₽500 to ₽5,000. per form ance over dinner. It hosts orchestras from
all over the world.

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