A Cultural Feast At The St.Petersburg’s, Mariinsky Theater.

Ballet, Vodka, and Matryoshka dolls,  What’s the first thing that comes to mind “Russia”, A place that cherishes its Culture and Art to supreme extents. St.Petersburg is the port city of Russia located on the Baltic sea. It was established in the year 1703 by Peter the Great who is the legend of the city’s ideal “Bronze Horseman” statue.

This place has a numerous variety of things to offer and there is something substantially Russian about the Ballet as well. When you speak about Russian Ballet the only place that pops up is, St.Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater, where the art wasn’t precisely originated but was definitely developed to perfection. This theatre was inaugurated on the 2nd of October in the year 1860 by the architect Alberto Cavos. The opening act of this theatre was with the best performance of “A Life for the Tsar”. The design and architect of this building are breathtaking. Mariinsky is the most distinguished and prestigious theatres in the history of Russian art.

Historical Significance

Mariinsky theatre was originated in the 19th century and since then it developed into a predominant Music Theater. It was initially meant for both theatrical and circus performances but unfortunately in the year 1859, a massive fire erupted that devastated the original building. The premieres for Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov have also occurred here. Mariinsky Theater consists of two buildings Old and New.  The new building is known as the Mariinsky-2 which was constructed in May 2013. This building was constructed to have a seating capacity of 1,625 people and is also built-in a U- shaped Italian style to provide comfort and a great view to its audience. This building is also named Mariinsky after its kingly patroness Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

Mariinsky Theatre Nutcracker

The Mariinsky Theatre has two or three Ballet acts and a summation performance called the Nutcracker with the music given by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The 3 act ballet consists of 2 intervals with a duration of 2 hours 45 minutes long and 2 act ballet consists of 1 interval and is 2 hours 10 minutes long. Children above the age of 6 years along with adults are allowed.

How to get here?

The hassle-free way to get here is to use Public Transportation. The Busses and Metro’s are always accessible and pocket friendly. Below are a few Busses and train routes that can help us reach our destination. The Theatre operates from Monday – Sunday from 11:00 am- 07:00 pm and since this place is always crowded its advisable to reach there 15 min prior. A very important thing to keep in mind is to purchase the tickets either from the theatre’s box-offices, the official website www.mariinsky.ru.

1.From metro stations Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor and Admiratleiskaya

• Buses No 3, No 22 and No 27

2. Stations Sadovaya, Sennaya Ploshchad and Spasskaya

• Minibus taxis No K-1, No K-124, No K-169, No K-186 and No K-350
• Buses No 70 and No 71

3. Station Tekhnologichesky Institut

• Buses No 70 and No 71
• Minibus taxis No K-124 and No K-350

4. Station Baltiiskaya

• Minibus taxis No K-62 and No K-186
• Buses No 70 and No 71

5. Station Narvskaya

• Minibus taxis No K-1, No K-2, No K-6k, No K-154, No K-169, No K-306 and No K-306а

What to wear while you are here

Russians usually prefer dressing up formally for events like the Opera and ballet, just avoid shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, and even jeans for that matter. The ladies you must be wondering what is that you can pull off for an amazing evening? Don’t worry a lovely dress is all you need and you are all set to go.

Pack your bags and get ready to lose yourself in the beauty of the Mariinsky Theatre. Visit PickYourTrail to book your Russia package with us and have a remarkable vacation!