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Maxim Shipenkov / EPA
A view of the main hall of the renovated Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia, Oct. 8 The reconstruction and restoration works of the Bolshoi Theatre took six years; the Grand Opening is scheduled for Oct. 28.
Anton Golubev / Reuters
The foyer of Moscow's Bolshoi theatre Oct. 24.
Maxim Shipenkov / EPA
The main hall of the renovated Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Oct.8.
Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images
The so-called 'Czar's Box' in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, on Oct. 8. The restored Moscow landmark built in the 1820s is due to reopen on October 28.
Anton Golubev / Reuters
Visitors walk in the newly refurbished foyer of Moscow's Bolshoi theatre Oct. 24. Moscow's historic theatre is set to reopen with a gala performance on Friday after six years of closure for renovation.
Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images
People take photos in front of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, on Sep. 27.
I went to this theater once before the refurbishing and I thought it was beautiful then. I can't imagine how exciting it must be for Moscow residents to see this wonderful place restored and reopened after such a long time. The theater, home of the famous Bolshoi Ballet, has survived three fires, bombing during WWII and at one time was set over an underground river. Full story.
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I sure hope they put in new bathrooms in the Bolshoi Theater. I was there just before the renovation. You don't want to know. . . .
Beautiful work!
Bravo!
Ballet's home is fantastico!
Yep - The washrooms are/were disgusting. I hope they have been updated and cleaned regularly.
Magnificent. I would love to visit Russia, and the Bolshoi would be my first choice of landmarks.
2nd stop, the Hermitage.
lawful1...Russia is a great trip just remember to spend more time in St. Petersburg than Moscow. St. Petersburg is a magnificent city.
Though I appreciate a good restoration, I'm willing to bet that the money could have been put to better use.
What better use than using such wealth to benefit the rich at the expense of everyone else? After all, the rich need to enjoy themselves in luxury so that they don't have to think about the rest of us.
Give me a break.... it's preserving thier heritage. Using that logic we should just let the Washington Monument collapse from earthquake damage because the money could be spent on something for the people.
Duh.
WRONG:
Unemployment in Moscow....nope....
http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/219586.html
Moscow’s unemployment rate may be below 1% in 2011
They've got building cranes EVERYWHERE....so much so that in the very near future, Moscow is doubling its' size.
The Russians love the arts.....they honor it in their hearts, their homes, their lives.
Save the cynacism and enjoy the show.
BTW: The Metropolitan OPERA tickets are quite pricey here in the USA...but MET OPERA HD offers beautiful operas at theaters....go see one.
Not a very good comparison since the Washington Monument is open to all while very few Russians can afford to go to Bolshoi.
Mike is right. Who but only the rich can enjoy this. Just another display of pageantry. And really RI, do you think that there is no other good use of money other than to cover everything with gold? Nothing at all? Really?
If Russia is so good, why aren't you moving there?
Mike & Dave...bet you never get into NYC to see the Met Opera...good seats are the same price as R/T tickets to Europe.
Don't jab at this uplifting happy celebration of this refurbished ballet home...it makes you look petty.
If either one of you have better ideas for spending Russia's money...tell them to Putin....I'm sure he'll find your wisdom "astounding".
In the meantime...chillax.
Well whine whine whine Mike and Dave. I'm sure you know better who am I to disagree.
So how do you make wine with sour grapes?
Yo Dave T,
"Why aren't you moving there?"
The answer is simple. No one in the US is moving anywhere. No one in the US can sell their house. Moreover, if they could find a buyer, how would they deal with the negative equity in their home?
RI Mom, hint "InNY"
I live in NYC and walking distance from the Lincoln Center. (for those that don't know it is 3 ugly building and the center one is the Metropolitan Opera House.) I have been to the Met several times. The interior is quite nice but not filled with gold. My satirical comment on the Bolshoi was not to deprive Russians of opera but the opulence at federally funded money that went into it. Parting from satire the disparity of wealth in Russia is fast approaching pre revolution. So, spending $700 Million dollars to fill the Bolshoi with gold of government money so that the rich can enjoy opera in luxury seems a bit excessive to me.
Side note: Lincoln Center of today was built by a consortium of civic leaders and other let by John D Rockefeller III. This was part of an urban renewal project to fix up what was once the worst part of NYC. If anyone has seen the original motion picture, "West Side Story" it was film in that location before they tore it down to rebuild that area. Basically, it was kick the poor out so the rich could have a performing art center.
WTF are you talking about? You think it was rich people who did all of that work? Sounds like a hell of a lot of jobs were created. The idea that only rich people benefited from this project is asinine. Some people will bitch and cry about anything that involves "rich" people.
Hey mike when was the last time you whined about all of the "rich" people who go to NFL football games? Oh wait, NFL stadiums are full of average people. At 98 bucks a ticket, ballets at this theater are right on par with NFL tickets. Guess it's not just "rich" people who will enjoy this experience.
"So, spending $700 Million dollars to fill the Bolshoi with gold of government money so that the rich can enjoy opera in luxury seems a bit excessive to me."
I agree, Mike. This is far from being petty. They could be using to improve their country, or help the poor. But, as it goes it this world with the rich, they have no fears now flaunting it. There is nothing humble about the rich.
Occupy the Bolshoi Mokowvites.
One thing for sure, the Russians know how to renovate just about anything. Maybe the US could have the Russians renovate the US infrastructure. The US economy. The Right Wing of the Republican Party. The Washington Monument. Lower Manhattan. All of Boston & Philadelphia.
The unemployment rate in Russia was last reported at 6 percent in September of 2011.
Russia spans 11 time zones....in Moscow, unemployment is below 1%.....
What are the Russians doing?
Repairing infrastructure and investing in the 21st C with high speed trains.
And what are americans doing. Camping and whining in center cities. Wanting people to feel sorry for them. Sorry they missing my vote.
Wow, very impressive and vivid...wish I could go. Wonder how much tickets are for the Czar's Box?
The tickets are priceless but the crowd ready to execute you is free! :)
Beautiful. Congrats Moscow on preserving your history.
BEAUTIFUL!
I was an exchange student at the University of Moscow in 1983 and was offered many privileges -- one of which was tickets to the Bolshoi, which I always gratefully accepted. The baroque grandeur of the Bolshoi made an impression on my twenty-one year old mind which has remained with me. I'm happy to see that this wonderful "grande dame" of Moscow's Imperial past has been returned to her glory!
Yeah...nothing like a little imperialism to stir up the rowdy peasants!
That was a good investment of Russian money. Here in the USA we have spent billions, bailing out banks, and big corporations and trillions of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan and nothing to show for, except over 5,000 dead soldiers.
If I have to choose between Solyndra or Bolshoi I will chose Bolshoi. If I have to choose between F16 and Bolshoi I will still choose Bolshoi. I don't care about Putin and I don't like Republicans, I am saying this because that is how I see it.
So?
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Bolshoi was a beautiful place during the Communist Days. The goverment saw that even farm peasnts could attend. I saw a number of them in rubber boots and overalls when my wife and I attended the theater on a Pan American Air tour back around 1976.
Ah yes! The old worm in the apple story. Why is it that something so intrinsically beautiful as the restoration of a bit of architectural splendor brings out the worms who must attempt to put the effort down to their level, which is beneath contempt. These worms must have nothing better to do since they have not the brain to appreciate the human effort it takes to conceptualize, design and build, to say nothing of restoring, anything. All they do is complain and blame. This is not the place to politicize human effort. If you have a beef with our government's priorities, then get off of your butt and do something about it; don't waste everyone's time with your petty and vicious whining.
700 Million! Really? Seems a little steep.
The Russians have proved that they can squander money just as easily as American bureaucrats. Nice job though.
There's your
workersgangsters paradise.To those who believe the restoration should not have been done because average Russians can not afford to go... You are incorrect. I attended the Bolshoi Ballet just before it closed for restoration. A ticket were about the same as a ticket to a movie at Cinemax. People should remember that the balet is beloved by the commmon Russian person. We could use a little of that culture here. You will have to think of another reason for not doing the restoration. If you put this to a vote of Russian citizens, I am sure they overwhelmingly would have approved the restoration.
Oh stop... Get your hand off your dick.
It looks really gradeur, so magificiant and so classic.
КРАСИВО!
Go Russia....I love Russian imperial architecture. I also love the Orthodox churches. Russian culture is a syncretic mix of Greek Roman Slavic Nordic Asian Steppe Cossak and Turkish. We have many Russian friends. I would love to visit one day.
The Russian (Christian) Holocaust was a cultural event?
Anyone know how much a ticket to the Bolshoi Theatre costs? Actually they start at around 68 in US dollars for the small theatre and go up from there. So although the average person could go and see it would probably not be a whenever they wanted kind of experience for most Russians. It is very beautiful and I love the Ballet. As long as their people are good with the restoration then I think it is fine. But given the USSR history of suppressing political dissent I doubt we will hear any complaints if there are any in Russia. Their art collections are among the finest in the world. I would love to go to Russia and see all the Art and Theatre.
That's cheap...would have cost twice that if it was done by the Chicago Democrat machine.
I live in Moscow, i'm not rich (so far ;) and i'll visit reopened Bolshoi for sure. Love the place and miracle in there. Love just walking around. I'm happy Bolshoi now is more Russian and less Soviet.
"But given the USSR history of suppressing political dissent..." - oh please... We have plenty of dissent-stuff - of all colors and flavours, and no one cares to "suppress" it ;) As long as Putin serves well as watchdog - he'll be reelected. If he will fail to reduce top-level corruption during next term - noithing will save him from defeat.