National academic theatre of Opera and ballet

The National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus was established in 1933 as the State Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus on the basis of the Belarusian Opera and Ballet Studio. Since 1940 — Big, since 1964 — academic.

The history of the theater begins in the 1920s on the stage of the first State Drama Theatre, which included opera soloists, choral and ballet groups and a small symphony orchestra. For three years, the studio trained a whole galaxy of professional artists and staged operas: The «Golden Cockerel» by N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1931) and «Carmen» by G. Bizet (1932).

The State Opera and Ballet Theater in Minsk was opened with the opera Carmen on May 25, 1933 with the great Belarusian singer Larisa Alexandrovskaya in the title role.

The Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus considered the creation of a national repertoire to be one of its main tasks. And March 10, 1939 the premiere of the opera by the Belarusian composer Yevgeny Tikotsky «Mykhas Padgorny» marked the opening of the own theater building on Troitskaya Hill, built according to the project of the famous architect Joseph Langbard. The first ballet performance presented on the new stage directed by the famous choreographer Kasyan Goleizovsky was The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by B. Asafiev, which opened the new season of 1939–1940.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Opera and Ballet Theater was evacuated to the Volga region of Russia (the cities of Gorky and Kovrov), where it continued its active creative activity. The occupants removed the museum, all the furniture, musical instruments, scenery, wardrobe for 23 opera and ballet performances, electrical equipment, and a music library from the theater. A stable was built in the surviving premises.

Immediately after the liberation of the capital, the team returned to Minsk and in December 1944 opened the season with the premiere of the opera «Alesya» by E. Tikotsky (conductor-producer — M. E. Shneiderman, director — production designer — B. A. Pokrovsky, production designer — S. F. Nikolaev). This event marked the revival of the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus. After the repair and reconstruction of the theater building damaged by the bombing, its work resumed, and very soon the theater became one of the recognized leaders in the cultural space of the former Soviet Union.

Bright events in the history of the national theatrical art of the post-war period were the premieres of the ballet «Prince-Vozera» by V. Zolotarev and the opera «Kastus Kalinouski» by Dm. Lucas (1949). In addition, in the 1950s, significant achievements of the Belarusian theater were associated with interpretations of Russian and foreign opera classics. At the same time, an important part of the creative process was the staging of works by Soviet and national composers. In subsequent years, until the collapse of the USSR, the Belarusian theater had a stable reputation as one of the brightest and most creatively viable groups. The activities of the ballet troupe in the 80–90s are characterized by the continuous enrichment of the repertoire with classic masterpieces, the further development of the vocabulary of modern choreography. Currently, new opera and ballet performances are being prepared in the renovated theater building.

In 2009 the building was completely renovated. Its facade was decorated with sculptural compositions of Apollo with flying nymphs, as well as the patroness of theatrical art — Melpomene, the patroness of poets-writers of hymns — Polyhymnia, epic poetry — Calliope and dance — Terpsichore.

reveal all text