Opera and Ballet Theater, Yekaterinburg (must see)

The Ural Opera Ballet opened in 1912 and has played an important role in professional music and stage art in the Ural region. The theater stayed open during wars and political changes, keeping performances going without long breaks. Its stage was an early workplace for major artists, including Sergei Lemeshev and Irina Arkhipova, who appeared here at the beginning of their careers.

The building has a Classical structure with Baroque decorative details. A columned portico marks the main entrance, and stucco ornament and carved brackets decorate the façade. Above the doors, three sculpted Muses symbolize music, dance, and theater. A torch at the top recalls an old tradition of marking the start of performances and now glows again. Inside, the horseshoe-shaped auditorium offers good sightlines and acoustics, with red and gold tones, balconies, plaster decoration, and a central chandelier. Wide foyers and staircases support smooth audience movement.

Today, the theater works under the name Ural Opera Ballet and combines classical works with modern productions. Operas such as Eugene Onegin and La Traviata, and ballets like Swan Lake and Giselle, remain part of the core repertoire. At the same time, the theater presents new operas by contemporary Russian composers and modern ballets that use simple sets, video, and non-traditional movement. It also produces original works for its own ensemble, often shown during the Annual Festival of New Academic Art, which focuses on current trends in opera and ballet.