Theatre & culture
Mariinsky Theatre
- Mon
- 11:00–19:00
- Tue
- 11:00–19:00
- Wed
- 11:00–19:00
- Thu
- 11:00–19:00
- Fri
- 11:00–19:00
- Sat
- 11:00–19:00
- Sun
- 11:00–19:00
- Hours
- These are the box-office hours; audience entry begins no earlier than 1 hour before a performance or concert.
- How to visit
- A valid ticket is required; electronic tickets must be presented in PDF format. Outerwear is not allowed in the auditorium; photography, video and audio recording of performances are prohibited without special permission.
- Hours
- Ticket required
- Hours
- About 30 min
Why it is worth the detour
Historic opera house known for premiering works by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov.
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia, renowned for its role in premiering masterpieces by famous Russian composers. It is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Opera, and Orchestra.
The people behind this address
Documented connections, not celebrity trivia.
Alexander II of Russia
Imperial theatre opened 1860 during his reign and named Mariinsky for Empress Maria Alexandrovna; court opera/ballet house of Alexander II’s Petersburg.
Alexander Borodin
Prince Igor and other works entered the Mariinsky repertoire.
Alexander Glazunov
His ballet Raymonda, choreographed by Marius Petipa, received its world premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre on 19 January 1898.
Anna Pavlova
Trained at the Imperial Ballet School and made her company debut at the Mariinsky on 19 September 1899 in La Fille mal gardée; rose to prima ballerina before leaving to tour the world.
César Cui
Member of The Five; opera William Ratcliff premiered at the Mariinsky (14/26 Feb 1869); Angelo also premiered there (1876). Served on the Mariinsky opera selection committee until 1883.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Ballets The Golden Age (1930) and The Bolt (1931) were premiered at the Mariinsky (then State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet).
Galina Ulanova
Born in Petersburg to Mariinsky dancers; trained under Agrippina Vaganova and joined the Mariinsky (then GATOB) as a soloist in 1928, becoming the company’s defining ballerina before transferring to the Bolshoi in 1944.
Igor Stravinsky
Grew up by the Kryukov Canal attending the Imperial Opera at the Mariinsky, where his father Fyodor Stravinsky was a leading bass; early Petersburg concerts there and nearby led Diaghilev to commission The Firebird.
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Principal dancer of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet before defecting in 1974 (Wikidata P108 employer).
Mikhail Glinka
A Life for the Tsar opened the new Mariinsky Theatre in 1860 and has remained a cornerstone of the company’s Russian opera repertoire.
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
Operas (e.g. Boris Godunov) staged at the Mariinsky.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conducted and premiered works at the Mariinsky; long Imperial Theatre career.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Major operas and ballets premiered/performed at the Mariinsky (Imperial) Theatre.
Sergei Diaghilev
In 1899 Prince Serge Wolkonsky appointed him to special duties at the Imperial Theatres; he edited the Imperial Theatres Yearbook and worked inside the Mariinsky system before launching the Ballets Russes.
Sergei Prokofiev
As a Conservatory student he was a constant Mariinsky operagoer; in 1916 the Imperial Theatres accepted his opera The Gambler for the Mariinsky (rehearsals halted by the Revolution; company premiere 1991).
Vaslav Nijinsky
Joined the Mariinsky Ballet as a soloist on 14 July 1907 (debut in La Source); danced leading roles in Giselle, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty before starring in Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.
Nicholas Roerich
Designed sets for Diaghilev-era productions tied to the Imperial/Mariinsky stage (Prince Igor, Maid of Pskov designs).
Léon Bakst
Designed sets and costumes for Imperial Mariinsky productions, including the 1903 ballet The Fairy Doll (Die Puppenfee).
Matilda Kschessinska
Prima ballerina of the Imperial Ballet at the Mariinsky.
What else is close by
The nearest places we have written up, with straight-line distance from here.
300 m
Potseluev Bridge
The bridge is known for its panoramic view of Saint Isaac's Cathedral and its romantic folklore.
400 m
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral
A major Baroque Orthodox cathedral closely associated with the Russian Navy.
550 m
Semimostye Seven Bridges Viewpoint
A spot on Pikalov Bridge where you can see seven bridges at once.
700 m
New Holland Island
A historic artificial island in Saint Petersburg, originally a naval port and now a cultural hub.
Walk it with the stories
This address is one stop among many. Our routes and quests link them into a walk that makes sense on the ground.