Bolshoi Theatre, Opera house in Theatre Square, Moscow, Russia.
The Bolshoi Theatre is an opera and ballet house on Theatre Square in Moscow's Tverskoy District. The neoclassical facade displays a portico with eight columns and the building contains an auditorium with 1740 seats.
Catherine II established the theater in 1776 as a permanent institution for Russian performing arts in Moscow. The current structure opened in 1825 after earlier buildings were destroyed by fires in 1805 and during the Napoleonic invasion.
The name comes from the Russian word for large and reflects the original ambition to create a monumental theater for Moscow. Visitors notice the lavish interior with gilded decorations and crystal chandeliers that underscore the ceremonial character of the house.
Guided tours show the rooms and architecture of the house and take place on several days of the week. Performances run throughout the year and tickets often sell out weeks in advance.
The quadriga on the roof shows Apollo in a chariot drawn by four horses and was renewed after a bombing raid in World War Two. The auditorium sits lower than the forecourt so entering visitors descend a wide staircase.
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