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On 14 May the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will present the premiere of a new production of Modest Musorgsky’s comic opera Sorochintsy Fair. Directed and choreographed by Ilya Ustyantsev, the staging features sets by Yekaterina Malinina, costumes by Maria Sedykh and lighting by Vadim Brodsky. The production is conducted by Valery Gergiev.

A striking departure from the grand historical dramas that define much of Musorgsky’s legacy – Boris Godunov, Khovanshchina – Sorochintsy Fair represents one of the composer’s rare forays into lyric-comic opera. Here the tragic weight of national history gives way to the riotous spirit of Gogol’s folkloric carnival.

Musorgsky began work on the opera in 1874, drawing on Gogol’s short story of the same name from the collection Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka. The composer brought Gogol’s vibrant characters to life with musical brilliance, painting scenes of a bustling country fair and fantastical gatherings of spirits with vivid colour. He also infused the score with poetic depictions of nature and tender folk melodies. Yet, despite its promise, the opera was left unfinished at the time of his death.

Over the years, several composers attempted completions – including Rimsky-Korsakov, Lyadov, Karatygin and Cherepnin – but it was Vissarion Shebalin’s 1931–32 version, completed and orchestrated with a deep respect for Musorgsky’s idiom, that has endured. This is the version now being performed at the Mariinsky Theatre.

The opera was first heard in concert on 16 March 1911 in St Petersburg, marking the thirtieth anniversary of Musorgsky’s death. Its first staged performance followed two years later in Moscow at the Svobodny Theatre.

For this new production Ilya Ustyantsev brings both directorial vision and choreographic finesse – skills honed in numerous Mariinsky Theatre productions (The Queen of Spades, A Christmas Tale, Die Fledermaus, The Maid of Orleans, L’elisir d’amore and Adriana Lecouvreur among others). His familiarity with the Concert Hall’s unique acoustics and spatial configuration informs a production that is as musically rich as it is theatrically dynamic.

“Staging a production in this venue – with its exceptional acoustics and the close relationship between stage and audience – is both a challenge and a pleasure,” says Ustyantsev. “It offers the opportunity to stage the action not only on the main platform but across the amphitheatre and atrium, creating a fuller, more immersive experience.”

One of the opera’s most memorable passages is the Dream of the Lad scene – a poetic interlude that combines musical whimsy, lyricism and psychological nuance. Ustyantsev’s choreographic treatment of the moment highlights its surreal, introspective beauty.

The creative team has remained deeply faithful to the spirit of both Musorgsky and Gogol, drawing on the imaginative legacy of these two cultural giants. Their goal: to realise onstage the vivid palette of imagery and emotion that the composer so treasured.

“Modest Petrovich Musorgsky was, without doubt, ahead of his time,” says Ustyantsev. “Today we turn to his music with growing frequency – a testament to its profound relevance. Its richness of content, its emotional integrity, its reflection of both social and inner life, continue to resonate. In developing this production we sought to engage with Musorgsky and Gogol as creative companions. And yet our task wasn’t merely to illustrate their work – it was to explore its inner questions: What matters most to these characters? Is life about profit and gain – or about preserving the soul, and the ties that bind us?”

On 20 April the Mariinsky Ballet Company will perform for the first time at the Erik Sapaev Mari State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yoshkar-Ola. This landmark appearance will serve as the official opening of the All-Russian Competition for Ballet Artists and Choreographers. Audiences will be treated to an evening of celebrated one-act ballets by Michel Fokine: Chopiniana, Le Spectre de la rose, The Dying Swan and Scheherazade, performed by leading soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre.

Chopiniana, set to the music of Frédéric Chopin, is an homage to the Romantic era of ballet – a celebration of the ethereal dance tradition inspired by antique engravings of the first sylph, the legendary Marie Taglioni. The ballet, originally a plotless vignette choreographed by Fokine, premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre on 8 March 1908. Revived by Agrippina Vaganova in 1931, it continues to captivate St Petersburg audiences to this day. The principal roles in Yoshkar-Ola will be danced by Oxana Skorik, Timur Askerov, Camilla Mazzi and Bíborka Lendvai.

The idea for Le Spectre de la rose, choreographed to music by Carl Maria von Weber, came to Fokine after reading a Romantic poem by Théophile Gautier. Created in 1911 for the Ballets Russes, the ballet – a vision of fleeting beauty – became one of the most iconic works of the Diaghilev company.
In the upcoming performance Camilla Mazzi and Ramanbek Beishenaliev will appear in the leading roles.

The briefest of the evening’s works – lasting just four minutes – yet also its most iconic, The Dying Swan became a symbol of modern Russian ballet. Fokine called it “proof that dance should not merely please the eye but touch the soul”.
Created in collaboration with Anna Pavlova to music by Camille Saint-Saëns, the miniature united technical perfection with emotional depth, giving life to the lyrical and tragic image of the white swan. First performed on 22 December 1907 at the Mariinsky Theatre, it continues to mesmerise audiences today.
The role will be performed by Kristina Shapran.

Scheherazade premiered to sensational acclaim during the 1910 Ballets Russes season in Paris. The lush symphonic palette of Rimsky-Korsakov’s music, the rich imagery of The Arabian Nights, the vivid Orientalist designs by Léon Bakst and Fokine’s unprecedented movement vocabulary turned the ballet into an instant phenomenon and a cornerstone of modern ballet history.
At the Mariinsky Theatre today Scheherazade is presented in Andris Liepa’s 1994 reconstruction.
The leading roles in Yoshkar-Ola will be danced by Nadezhda Batoeva, Konstantin Zverev and Soslan Kulaev.

On 25, 26 (at 12:00 and 19:00) and 27 April (at 12:00 and 19:00) the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia will return to Mariinsky II with a series of guest performances. Every visit by the Moscow company is a highlight for St Petersburg audiences, and this time they will be treated to one of the Bolshoi Theatre’s recent opera premieres – Verdi’s Rigoletto, staged by the renowned Italian director Giancarlo del Monaco, who previously captivated local audiences with his production of Aida. Leading roles will be performed by star singers from both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky companies. The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra will be conducted by Anton Grishanin.

The libretto for Rigoletto is based on Victor Hugo’s controversial play Le Roi s’amuse, which was banned by French censors. Verdi foresaw the difficulties such a plot might provoke, yet he refused to abandon it. In a letter to librettist Francesco Maria Piave he wrote: “The subject is immense, powerful; the main character is one of the greatest creations that the theatre – of any time or nation – can boast of.” Verdi saw the dramatic potential of the central figure and considered him worthy of comparison with Shakespearean heroes.

Bringing the work to the stage, however, required tremendous effort. Even before it was completed, the opera faced an outright ban. Characters had to be renamed, and the libretto was revised multiple times to satisfy both the composer and the censors.

The world premiere of Rigoletto took place on 11 March 1851 at Venice’s Teatro La Fenice and was an immediate triumph. Critics praised its bold narrative and musical innovation, and the next day audiences were already singing the Duke’s famous canzone in the streets. The work quickly spread to Bergamo, Treviso, Rome, Trieste and Verona, and by 1852 it had begun its victorious journey across the world.

The Russian premiere was held in St Petersburg on 31 January 1853 at the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre – the forerunner of today’s Mariinsky – performed by the Imperial Italian Opera Company. Three years later, in 1856, it was staged in Moscow. By 1859 it had entered the repertoire of the Imperial Russian Opera Companies in both capitals.

Today Verdi’s Rigoletto remains one of the most beloved operatic masterpieces worldwide. Its unforgettable melodies and emotional intensity continue to inspire directors, offering rich possibilities for reinterpretation – from searing psychological drama to philosophical parable or biting social satire.

In 2024 the Bolshoi Theatre presented a new production directed by Giancarlo del Monaco, marking his debut with the theatre. Scenic design was created by Antonio Romero, a Spanish artist known for his inventive and architectural stage visions. Costumes – inspired by high Italian fashion – were designed by Gabriela Salaverri. This creative team is already familiar to St Petersburg audiences: the same trio delivered the Mariinsky Theatre’s lavish new staging of Aida, premiered in February this year.

Del Monaco has set the action in the present day. “This is a story that could happen at any time, in any era,” says the director. “What mattered to me most was to show real, contemporary people on stage – flesh and blood – so that audiences might recognise themselves in them.”

Cast highlights for the St Petersburg performances:

25 April
Elchin Azizov, Guzel Sharipova, Alexey Tatarintsev, Yuri Vlasov, Alina Csertás, Mikhail Kazakov

26 April, 12:00
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Yekaterina Savinkova, Roman Shirokikh, Alexander Borodin, Daria Belousova, Denis Makarov

26 April, 19:00
Elchin Azizov, Guzel Sharipova, Sergei Skorokhodov, Yuri Vlasov, Yulia Mazurova, Mikhail Kazakov

27 April, 12:00
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Yekaterina Savinkova, Pavel Petrov, Daniil Akimov, Daria Belousova, Denis Makarov

27 April, 19:00
Vladislav Sulimsky, Guzel Sharipova, Alexey Tatarintsev, Yuri Vlasov, Alina Csertás, Vladislav Popov

This April and May the prestigious Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre will tour Russia with performances on the two foremost stages of the country – the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. The celebrated Chinese company will present its original dance drama, Wing Chun, Legend of Kung-Fu Master, to audiences in both capitals.

Performances will take place on 25 and 26 April (at 12:00 and 19:00) at the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre and on 30 April and 1 May (at 12:00 and 18:00) at Mariinsky II. These appearances mark a significant cultural event for both Russia and China, strengthening bonds of friendship and supporting an active cultural exchange during the 2025 Cross Year of Culture declared by the two countries.

Wing Chun, Legend of Kung-Fu Master is a dance drama that merges martial arts with choreography. This visually striking production combines choreographed combat, dynamic movement and sweeping storytelling across eras – transporting the audience from the late 20^th century to the depths of China’s cultural legacy.

The performance unfolds along two parallel storylines. One follows the life of Master Yip Man, who travels to Hong Kong to spread his martial art style. The other immerses the audience in the world of the 1990s Shenzhen Film Studio, where a movie inspired by Yip Man’s legacy is being produced.

While centred on a Chinese hero, the production also pays tribute to everyday people. It is a tale of striving toward ideals – one that unites the expressive beauty of dance with the mesmerising precision of traditional martial arts, making for a truly distinctive work of theatre.

The world premiere of Wing Chun took place in China in late 2022. Since then the production has been performed 242 times across 47 cities and 57 theatres worldwide – including prestigious venues such as Sadler’s Wells in London and the Palais des Congrès de Paris.

Founded on 28 March 2018, the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre includes an opera company, a dance troupe and a chorus – comprising a total of 140 artists. The ensemble has participated in numerous major events, including the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Spring Festival gala concerts broadcast by China Central Television (2019), the Shenzhen Spring Festival Gala (2019–2024) and celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (2020).

Today the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre is regarded as one of China’s most respected cultural institutions, seamlessly blending traditional Chinese aesthetics with the latest trends in global performing arts. Among its original productions are the operas Daughter of the Earth and The Pioneer and the contemporary dance drama Dream Hunter as well as Wing Chun, which will soon be unveiled to audiences in Russia’s two great cultural capitals.

On 9 and 10 April the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage will host the first ballet premiere of the season – Dance Scenes, set to music by Stravinsky. The production features a choreographic interpretation of the composer’s famed Symphony in C, brought to life by Honoured Artist of Russia Vyacheslav Samodurov. Arseny Shupliakov will conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra.

Stravinsky’s Symphony in C was first performed eighty-five years ago, on 7 November 1940, by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the composer’s baton. Over the decades the work has lost none of its appeal and continues to be performed regularly in concert programmes, including at the Mariinsky Theatre. However, choreographic interpretations of the symphony remain rare, despite the continued interest of contemporary choreographers in Stravinsky’s music. The last time the Mariinsky Theatre presented a ballet to this score was in 2007 – Aria Interrupted by Peter Quanz.

Now Vyacheslav Samodurov rises to the musical challenge. One of Russia’s most in-demand choreographers, he brings Dance Scenes to the Mariinsky Theatre’s stage as both his debut production at the theatre and a homecoming – from 1992 to 2001 he danced leading roles here, both in classical works and in modern productions.
“This is only the second time I’ve worked with Stravinsky’s music as a choreographer,” Samodurov says. “For me, it feels like a challenge. The music is extremely complex, but I feel close to it. It’s sharp, pointed – even exaggeratedly so in places – and I like that. I’m also drawn to how intricately it’s constructed. It wasn’t easy to grasp at first, but that made the process of mastering it even more rewarding. Among Stravinsky’s works, the Symphony in C stands apart – it’s music for connoisseurs.”

The title Dance Scenes is intended to highlight the contrast between the symphony and its physical embodiment on stage.
The production’s musical director is Valery Gergiev. Alexey Kondratyev is responsible for set design, Irena Belousova for costumes, and Konstantin Binkin for lighting. To Alexey Kondratyev, the Symphony in C sounds strikingly relevant and modern. He notes that even in the absence of words or a literary plot, a story is still present – told through the language of theatrical convention. For the visual environment, he created a large-scale lighting installation shaped by diverse associations and sensory impressions:

“At times it feels like a steel rain, falling from the sky like a sinister waterfall, before dissolving into a gentle, romantic St Petersburg mist where love stories are born and fade. Endless translucent drapes divide the stage into several layers. These are the strata of our memory, through which we try to glimpse the life we’ve lived – but from a different vantage point. It should be frightening, tragic, and tender all at once – full of contrast, just like life and just like this astonishing music,” Kondratyev explains.

Dance Scenes will serve as both the final note and the emotional climax of an evening of one-act ballets to music by Stravinsky. The programme also includes Petrouchka, in Michel Fokine’s original 1911 choreography, and Concert Dances by Alexander Sergeev.

From 2 to 13 April the Mariinsky Theatre will present the 9^th International Flute and Harp Music Festival Virtuosi of the Flute & Northern Lyre, initiated by Denis Lupachev and Sofia Kiprskaya. A rich and diverse programme awaits the public: premieres written specifically for the festival, masterpieces of the world repertoire, and works that will receive their Russian premieres. Top musicians from Russia, China, Hungary, France, Belarus and Spain will demonstrate their mastery.

The artists invite listeners to embark on a musical journey, to hear music from around the world and to discover unique instruments: the medieval hurdy-gurdy, the Japanese koto and Khakas national instruments of ancient storytellers – the chatkhan, khobyrakh and khomys.

Before the festival, on 30 March, the Rachmaninoff Hall will host a children’s concert where talented young musicians will share a spring mood. On 2 and 13 April gala programmes featuring the Mariinsky Orchestra, conducted by Christian Knapp and Arseny Shuplyakov, will fill the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre.

5 April will feature a concert in memory of the outstanding Japanese harpist and patron Yoko Nagae Ceschina. Valery Gergiev will conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra. On 7 April the new Stravinsky Hall at Mariinsky-2 will host the Musical Klondike concert, and on 11 April the Concert Hall will present Ethno-Tale with multi-instrumentalists.

The festival programme also includes chamber concerts by flute virtuosi: Ma Yong (Shanghai) will perform at the Concert Hall on 5 April, and Vincent Lucas (Paris) will play at the Rachmaninoff Hall on 12 April.

The festival will also feature open masterclasses by renowned musicians, allowing the public to meet future flute and harp virtuosi.

The Genius of Place festival, a musical homage to great Russian composers, is set to return. This year, from 20 to 23 March, Valery Gergiev and the combined forces of Russia’s two leading musical theatres – the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi – will perform in the birthplaces of Modest Musorgsky (Pskov), Sergei Rachmaninoff (Veliky Novgorod) and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Tikhvin).

The musical tributes will begin in Pskov, with four events scheduled over two days at the Pskov Regional Philharmonic’s Grand Concert Hall. 20 March will be dedicated to the Mariinsky for Children project. Soloists from the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers will present short operas for young listeners, accompanied by piano. At 15:00 Sergei Banevich’s The Brave Hare will be performed, followed by Gennady Gladkov’s musical fantasy Town Musicians of Bremen at 18:00.

On 21 March, on Modest Musorgsky’s birthday, a combined symphony orchestra of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, conducted by Valery Gergiev, will appear at 15:00 on the stage of the Pskov Regional Philharmonic’s Grand Concert Hall. At 19:00 maestro Gergiev will return to the podium for a gala concert featuring opera soloists. The programme will include works by Musorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin.

The following day, 22 March, the company will travel to Veliky Novgorod to pay musical tribute to Sergei Rachmaninoff. The morning concert will feature a combined symphony orchestra of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, conducted by Valery Gergiev, playing the Symphonic Dances and the Second Piano Concerto.

The evening of 22 March will feature a performance in Tikhvin, the birthplace of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. At 18:30 the Rimsky-Korsakov Palace of Culture will host the composer’s quintessential spring fairytale, the beautiful Russian opera The Snow Maiden. The performance will feature soloists, the Mariinsky Chorus and supernumeraries and a combined symphony orchestra of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

On 23 March at 15:00 the Regimental Church will host a chamber vocal concert with piano accompaniment, featuring soloists from the Mariinsky Opera Company. At 18:00 the Rimsky-Korsakov Palace of Culture will host another performance of The Snow Maiden, once again conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Last season maestro Gergiev and artists from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres visited the birthplaces of five great Russian composers, presenting their works in nearly thirty concerts and performances. Concerts and productions, where the combined creative forces of Russia’s two leading stages appear, traditionally sell out. The Genius of Place festival is one of the most eagerly awaited events of spring, for artists and audiences alike.

The Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres are set to welcome spring with a series of major events, including their most extensive exchange programme in recent years. Wagner’s monumental Der Ring des Nibelungen will travel to Moscow, where it will be presented twice on the Bolshoi Theatre’s Historic Stage. In return the Bolshoi Theatre will bring its acclaimed production of Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims to St Petersburg, followed by the ballet The Master and Margarita, set to music by Schnittke and Lazar. Later in the month, the two companies will join forces for performances in Tikhvin, the birthplace of Rimsky-Korsakov, and Pskov, where they will honour the legacy of Musorgsky.

The first cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen will take place at the Bolshoi Theatre from 5 to 9 March, with the second cycle following from 13 to 16 March. Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre forces will present newly revitalised stagings of the operas, featuring striking lighting design and breathtaking sets that match the grandeur of Wagner’s vision. One of the highlights of the March programme will be concerts by a combined symphony orchestra drawn from both theatres, conducted by Valery Gergiev. These concerts will take place on the Bolshoi Theatre’s Historic Stage on 11 and 12 March.

St Petersburg’s March calendar also boasts a wealth of unique events. On 1 March the chamber Prokofiev Hall will host the premiere of Rustam Sagdiev’s opera for children, Ayoga. From 4 to 8 March audiences can experience a new run of performances of Verdi’s Aida, staged by the renowned Italian director Giancarlo del Monaco. This production is a visual feast, featuring monumental ten-metre-high columns, imposing nine-metre statues, four hundred costumes, one hundred shields, one hundred masks and a vast array of props.

From 14 to 16 March St Petersburg audiences will have the opportunity to see the Bolshoi Theatre’s production of Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, a co-production with the Dutch National Opera, the Royal Danish Theatre and Opera Australia. This vibrant production, which has graced the Bolshoi Theatre’s stage since 2018, is renowned for its striking and unconventional scenography.

Throughout March various Mariinsky stages will host events celebrating composers born in this month: Bach, Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov. The Mariinsky Stradivarius Ensemble will also give concerts. On 5 March Alexander Klyuchko, 1^st prize and Gold Medal winner at the Rachmaninoff International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors, will perform works by Chopin.

St Petersburg audiences can also look forward to exceptional ballet performances featuring international stars. Highlights include Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, Minkus’ Don Quixote, Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Glazunov’s Raymonda, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Yarullin’s Shurale and Delibes’ Coppélia. Principal roles will be performed by Viktoria Tereshkina, Roman Belyakov, Renata Shakirova, Kimin Kim, Oxana Skorik, Andrei Yermakov, Nadezhda Batoeva, Timur Askerov, Ekaterina Kondaurova and Olesya Novikova. On 5 and 11 March the Mariinsky Theatre will present ballets choreographed by Michel Fokine, featuring a stellar cast of dancers, including Ekaterina Kondaurova, Andrei Yermakov, Philipp Stepin, Diana Vishneva, Oxana Skorik and Timur Askerov.

The Mariinsky Theatre will resonate with some of the finest voices in the world throughout March. Ekaterina Semenchuk will sing the title role in Puccini’s Turandot. On 10 March a concert featuring laureates of the International Glinka Competition of Vocalists will take place, with Albina Shagimuratova among the performers. The following day the brilliant Hibla Gerzmava will star as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello. The renowned Italian baritone Ambrogio Maestri returns to the Mariinsky Theatre in March to sing the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff on two occasions. A rare treat for opera lovers, Massenet’s Werther, will be presented in concert on 22 March, with Ekaterina Semenchuk and Najmiddin Mavlyanov in the leading roles.

At the end of the month the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres will once again join forces. Following tradition, Valery Gergiev will lead artists from both companies on a pilgrimage to Tikhvin, the birthplace of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and to Pskov, where they will perform works by Modest Musorgsky. These annual concerts and performances, featuring artists from both companies, are always eagerly anticipated and guarantee a warm reception from audiences and performers alike.

The Mariinsky Theatre is set to unveil a fascinating rarity – scenes from Modest Musorgsky’s unfinished opera Salammbô. This early work, a captivating glimpse into the composer’s burgeoning genius, receives its premiere on the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage on 22 and 23 February (at 13:00 and 19:00).

Musorgsky embarked on Salammbô at the tender age of twenty-four, right at the start of his professional journey. Composed between 1863 and 1866, it offers a compelling insight into his lifelong preoccupation with themes of national identity and his extraordinary ability to weave a grand historical narrative through the personal struggles of individuals.

The opera draws its inspiration from Gustave Flaubert’s eponymous novel, which chronicles the conflict between Carthage and its rebellious mercenary army. Musorgsky adapted and expanded upon Flaubert’s plot, envisioning a four-act opera. However, the work’s path was fraught with challenges from the outset. Lacking support from his fellow composers in the Mighty Handful, Musorgsky eventually abandoned the project, leaving behind a tantalising collection of incomplete musical fragments.

The resurrection of this operatic rarity is largely due to the Mariinsky Theatre’s commitment to championing lesser-known works. In 1989 the theatre commissioned the renowned St Petersburg composer Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn to create a performing edition of the opera. This edition incorporates numbers orchestrated by Musorgsky himself, along with orchestrations by Rimsky-Korsakov and Vissarion Shebalin. In 1991 the edition was expanded to include several related works by Musorgsky, and the Mariinsky Theatre presented this version later that year at the atmospheric setting of the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Mérida, Spain.

Now, in 2025, scenes from Salammbô will be presented at the Mariinsky Theatre in a new production by stage director Sergei Novikov, with evocative designs by Rostislav Protasov. This production was recently acclaimed at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, where it received two successful performances in late 2024.

“This was a fascinating challenge for me as a director,” says Novikov. “We had to weave together these disparate musical fragments to create a coherent narrative. To achieve this, we introduced a narrator, Hamilcar, the ruler of Carthage and father of Salammbô. This role is performed by the esteemed actor Vladimir Steklov, People’s Artist of Russia. We also added a duet for Salammbô and her spiritual mentor, Shahabarim, drawing on musical sketches that Musorgsky later developed into the duet for Marina Mnisheck and Rangoni in Boris Godunov.”

Novikov’s production reveals a lesser-known facet of Musorgsky’s genius – his capacity for profound lyricism. The opera poignantly captures the emotional turmoil of a young woman torn between love and duty.

The production interweaves historical and battle scenes with captivating mythological narratives, including the theft of sacred fish and the legend of the Zaïmph, the sacred veil of the goddess Tanit, believed to protect Carthage from harm. Protasov’s designs reflect the interplay between the earthly and the celestial through striking colour contrasts, shimmering gold accents in the costumes and sets, flowing fabrics and opulent brocades.

On 9 February, the birthday of Honoured Artist of Russia Vladimir Shklyarov, the Mariinsky Theatre will host an evening dedicated to the memory of the brilliant danseur noble on its Historic Stage. Stars of both the Mariinsky and Bolshoi ballets will participate in this special event. Arseny Shuplyakov will conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra.

For the many admirers of this exceptional artist who are unable to attend in person, the Mariinsky Theatre will live stream The Magic of Vladimir Shklyarov on its official VKontakte community and the Mariinsky.tv website.

The programme includes:
Act III of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Sleeping Beauty. Choreography by Marius Petipa (reconstruction of the 1890 production), staged by Sergei Vikharev. Principal roles will be danced by Renata Shakirova and Philipp Stepin.
Gala programme featuring soloists from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi ballets. The programme includes choreographic masterpieces from across the years, reflecting the magic of Vladimir Shklyarov’s transformations – roles in which he shone as a soloist. Close colleagues from different generations will pose questions to Vladimir about his craft, his roles, and, of course, about happiness, and the audience will see video responses from their beloved danseur noble.
Kingdom of the Shades scene from Ludwig Minkus’ ballet La Bayadère. Choreography by Marius Petipa (1877) in the version by Vladimir Ponomarev and Vakhtang Chabukiani (1941). Principal roles will be performed by Viktoria Tereshkina and Kimin Kim.

The concept for the evening was conceived by Yuri Smekalov, with video projections by Andrey Sevbo.