The epic battle for the reconstruction of the historical building of Russia’s trademark theater, the Bolshoi, is finally coming to a foreseeable end. After six long years, the theater’s main stage will reopen with a gala-concert on October 28.
The announcement was made by the representative of the general contractor Mikhail Sidorov on Wednesday, Interfax reports.
“I would like to inform you that the official opening is just 100 days away. On October 28 the theater will present its first gala, and further on the performances will be held on regular basis,” Sidorov said.
According to the theater’s artistic director, Sergey Filin, first rehearsals will begin in September. The main rehearsal hall of the Bolshoi with its 22-by-22-meter size has become the largest in the world. This square giant may be named after Russia’s great ballerina Galina Ulanova.
After the reconstruction, the theater’s premises doubled in size and now totals 80,000 square meters. Many of the constructions were taken down while the repair works were in full swing. However now, when there is just a little more than two months left to go, even the Special Commission of UNESCO that observed the reconstruction process highly appreciates the result.
The official opening of one of the most advanced musical stages in the world will take place on October 11.
The theater’s doors have been shut since 2005. The deadlines were numerously moved while the costs kept growing. However the result of work that cost around $800 million, spanned six years and involved international professionals will today satisfy even the most pretentious and demanding critics.