In Photos: 250 Years of the Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre marked its 250th anniversary over the weekend.
Founded as a private troupe on March 28, 1776, by Catherine the Great, the Bolshoi Theatre has since grown into one of the world’s most celebrated opera and ballet stages, surviving fire, revolution, world wars, the Soviet collapse and the rise of Vladimir Putin along the way.
"Without it," the Kommersant business daily wrote in 2025, "Russia as a country (and therefore Russia as an economy) would be different — a step below the rest, let’s say. A country that is home to the Bolshoi Theatre is perceived as an economic partner of a somewhat different caliber."
Today, the Bolshoi Ballet and Opera remain largely cut off from their Western counterparts following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
These photos trace the theater’s history from the 19th century to the present day.
Founded as a private troupe on March 28, 1776, by Catherine the Great, the Bolshoi Theatre has since grown into one of the world’s most celebrated opera and ballet stages, surviving fire, revolution, world wars, the Soviet collapse and the rise of Vladimir Putin along the way.
"Without it," the Kommersant business daily wrote in 2025, "Russia as a country (and therefore Russia as an economy) would be different — a step below the rest, let’s say. A country that is home to the Bolshoi Theatre is perceived as an economic partner of a somewhat different caliber."
Today, the Bolshoi Ballet and Opera remain largely cut off from their Western counterparts following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
These photos trace the theater’s history from the 19th century to the present day.
A present-day view of the Bolshoi Theatre.
The theatre's neoclassical facade is a popular symbol of both Moscow and Russia.
The theatre's neoclassical facade is a popular symbol of both Moscow and Russia.
Alexei Zotov / TASS
A moonlit view of the Bolshoi and surrounding buildings in 1830.
Auguste Cadolle / The New York Public Library
A fire at the Bolshoi Theatre on March 11, 1853.
The 1853 fire raged for three days, burning everything from musical instruments and costumes to the stone structure itself.
The 1853 fire raged for three days, burning everything from musical instruments and costumes to the stone structure itself.
E. Lilye (Public Domain)
A performance at the Bolshoi Theatre for the coronation of Tsar Alexander II in 1856.
Mihály Zichy (Public Domain)
A ceremonial performance at the Bolshoi Theatre marking the coronation of Tsar Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1883.
The artist Alexandrovsky (Public Domain)
A postcard with an image of the Bolshoi Theatre in 1917.
Public Domain
Ballerina Olga Lepeshinskaya in the fitting room in 1944.
mos.ru
Soviet leader Josef Stalin attending the Bolshoi in the mid-1930s.
Archiv Circe-Film Files from the CIRCE-Archiv (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Yuri Gagarin and his wife Valentina Goryacheva applaud the Company of the Teatro alla Scala after its performance of the opera "Turandot" at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1964.
Mondadori Publishers (Public Domain)
A view of Sverdlov Square, today known as Teatralnaya Square, from the roof of the Bolshoi Theatre in 1967.
mos.ru
The Bolshoi during celebrations of 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's birth in 1970.
Boris Kaufman / RIA Novosti archive (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev at an event at the Bolshoi Theatre dedicated to International Women's Day in 1973.
Vladimir Akimov / RIA Novosti archive (CC BY-SA 3.0)
An event at the Bolshoi Theatre dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Soviet cinema in 1979.
Vladimir Vyatkin / RIA Novosti archive (CC BY-SA 3.0)
A portrait of Vladimir Lenin hands from the facade of the Bolshoi in 1986.
Zinneke (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Bolshoi Theatre's interior.
Andrei Filippov (CC BY 2.0)
U.S. President Ronald Reagan, First Lady Nancy Reagan, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and First Lady Raisa Gorbacheva visit the Bolshoi in 1988.
Reagan White House Photographs
The interior of the Bolshoi Theatre.
Andrei Filippov (CC BY 2.0)
Ballet dancers perform at the ArtMasters gala concert at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Sergei Karpukhin / TASS
President Vladimir Putin attends a performance at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2025.
kremlin.ru
The Bolshoi Theatre's interior.
Andrei Filippov (CC BY 2.0)
New Year's decorations at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2025.
Dmitry Belitsky / Moskva News Agency
