Iolanta

On March 28 (the 17th Old Style), 1776, Catherine II signed a privilege for Prosecutor Prince Pyotr Urusov to maintain performances, masquerades, balls, and other amusements for a period of ten years. This date is considered the founding day of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. The Bolshoi building that has been perceived for many years as one of Moscow's main landmarks opened on August 20, 1856, during the coronation of Alexander II. On October 29, 2002, the theatre company received the New Stage, where its activities unfolded during the years of the large-scale reconstruction of the historical building. This reconstruction lasted from July 1, 2005, to October 28, 2011. It restored many lost features of the famous building's historical appearance and simultaneously placed it among the most technically equipped theatre buildings in the world. The Bolshoi Theatre is an enduring symbol of Russia for all time. It earned this honorary role due to the great contribution it made to the history of Russian art. History continues, and many bright pages in it are still being written by the artists of the Bolshoi Theatre.