| The existence of the theatre in the city of | | | | The modeling in the circles is fulfilled with a special |
| Odessa began from the first days of the city's | | | | grace. Side lobbies and along staircases, leading to |
| foundation. The Opera & Ballet Theatre is entitled | | | | the boxes. All kinds of lampions, candelabrums and |
| to be called the elder among a great number of | | | | bronze ornamented inlays are originally and |
| cultural institutions. Odessa strived for the right of | | | | inventively made. Perhaps, in any of the theatres, |
| building the theatre in 1804, and in 1809 it was | | | | there is no so tastefully made curtain, outlined by |
| already built. On the10th of February 1810 the | | | | the prominent theatrical painter - Golovin. The |
| first performance took place - the Russian troupe | | | | area of the stage is 500 Esq. The unique |
| by Fortunatov staged a one -act opera by Fralih | | | | acoustics allows to deliver even a whisper from |
| "A New Family" and a vaudeville "A Consolating | | | | the stage to any part of the hall. |
| Widow". But, unfortunately, in 1873 an old building | | | | The Theatre itself is interesting not only by us |
| was burnt. And it was burnt completely. The | | | | architecture, but by its rich creative biography. |
| restoration was our of the question. It was a | | | | The great merit in the development of musical |
| tragedy, which was relented by one | | | | culture in the south of our country belongs, to this |
| circum-stance - nobody suffered from it. It was | | | | theatre. P.Tchaikovsky, N.Rimsky-Korsakov, |
| suggested to draw up a draft of a new city | | | | S.Rachmaninoff, Ezhen Izai, Pablo Sarasate and |
| theatre to Vienna architects F. Felner Y. Helmer. | | | | others performed their works. There appeared on |
| Eleven years have passed since laying of the first | | | | the stage the actors, who glorified the home art/ |
| brick into the foundation of the new theatre | | | | the great singers: Fyodor Chaliapin, Solomiya |
| building. And the theatre opening took place on | | | | Grushelnitskaya, Antonina Nezhdanova, Leonid |
| the 1st of October 1887. The building of Odessa | | | | Sobinov, Tito Ruffo, Batistini, Jeraldoni sang here, |
| Opera and Ballet House was fulfilled in the style of | | | | Anna Pavlova, the first world ballet-dancer, had |
| Vienna "baroque", which was the main in the | | | | been dancing here. In 1926 the theatre was |
| European art from the end of the XVIth up to | | | | awarded the title of "Academic". The theatre |
| the middle of the XVIIIth century. | | | | ballet group consists of 50 people. Among them |
| There is a sculptural group over the front, | | | | such Honored ballet dances of Ukraine as Andrey |
| portraying one of the muse - a patron of art- | | | | Musorin and Yelenaa Kamenskih - the participants |
| Melpomena. She is sitting in the chariot, harnessed | | | | of the Farewell Tour of Rudolf Nuriyev, and |
| by the four furious panthers, which were | | | | others. "Jizelle", "Sleeping Beauty", "Nut-Cracker", |
| subdued, her. A little bit lower there are sculptural | | | | "Don Quihote", "Chopiniana", "Un Ballo in Maschera", |
| groups from the ancient mythology subjects. At | | | | "Hunchback Horse", "Carmen-Suite" are in the |
| the bottom, near the central entrance, on the high | | | | repertoire of the theatre. |
| pedestals, two sculptural groups are set up, | | | | The ballet dancers were touring in Canada, Japan, |
| personifying Comedy and Tragedy: on the left - a | | | | Vietnam, Ceylon, China, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, |
| fragment from the tragedy by Euripi "Ippolit", on | | | | South Korea, Italy, Spain and Portugal - with Maya |
| the right - an episode from the comedy by | | | | Plisetskaya and in Indonesia, Switzerland, Sweden |
| Aristophanes: "The Birds". | | | | and other countries. The opera singer's troupe |
| Along the pediment of the building in the bays of | | | | consists of 40 people. They are National artists of |
| the upper circle the busts of the brilliant Russian | | | | Ukraine - Lyudmila Shirina, Anatoliy Boyko, |
| art & literature creators. Pushkin, Glinka, | | | | Anatoliy Kapustin and Vladimir Tarasov, the |
| Griboyedov, Gogol are placed. The most beautiful | | | | Honored artists of Ukraine: Anisimova Tatyana, |
| part of the building - is its hall. Its architecture is | | | | Irina Berlizova and Nataja Yutesh, Pavel |
| maintains in "rococo" style. | | | | Yermolenko, Laureates of International Contests. |
| It is luxuriously decorated by various molded | | | | Viktor Mityushkin, Shalva Mukeria, Natlja |
| ornaments, with the fine gilt. The ceiling is of a | | | | Shvchenko, Ruslan Zinevich and others. |
| special interest. Four pictures by Lefler in the form | | | | There are 25 operas, such as "Carmen", "Aida", "Il |
| of a locket (medallion) are in its basis. The scenes | | | | Trovatore", "La Traviata", "Cavaleria Rusticana", "I |
| from the works are Syakespeare: "Hamlet", "A | | | | Pagliacci", "Iolanta", "Madam Butterfly", Rigoletto", |
| Dream in the Summer Night", "The Winter | | | | and others are in the repertoire of theatre. The |
| Fairytale" & "As You like It", is depicted on them. | | | | theatre opera singers were appearing on the |
| A big chandelier in the centre of the ceiling strikes | | | | stages of Spain, Italy, France, Finland, Japan, |
| by its drake of tracery details. There are many | | | | Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Belgium, Greece and |
| different stucco moldings in the hall and in all the | | | | the individual opera soloists - practically in all the |
| circles. | | | | countries of the world. |