Russia’s landmark Bolshoi Theater is to receive another financial boost after a six-year renovation which cost over $700 million. The Bolshoi is to get $30 million as part of a grant from the President to support the country’s leading theaters.
The grant will be paid over three years and is nearly four times bigger than that earmarked for the Moscow Conservatory. The Bolshoi’s only rival – St Peterburg’s Mariiinsky Theater – is set to receive the same amount of money.
The Bolshoi reopened at the end of October, unveiling a restoration directly supervised by the Kremlin which ranks as the most meticulous and expensive in the history of theater.
However, after the theater was reopened, critical voices were raised over the epic renovations. Among them were the Bolshoi’s soloist, Nikolay Tsiskaridze, who was quoted as saying he had not expected such poor results after six years of repair works. He criticized the acoustics, make up and rehearsal rooms.
Tsiskaridze, who is one of Russia’s most celebrated artists, has recently received an official notice that his contract as a ballet teacher at the Bolshoi might be cut short.