During a trip to Russia, there are many tourism and leisure programs from which you can arrange your Russia tour. One of the main tourist destinations in Russia is St. Petersburg. This beautiful city, which was the Russian Empire's capital for more than three centuries before the October Revolution, has today become one of the tourist destinations in Russia. St. Petersburg is a city where all tourists with different tastes can arrange and enjoy one of the best itineraries. The many arts, political, cultural, and scientific museums in St. Petersburg can be an essential part of the St. Petersburg tour program. Many magnificent imperial palaces are located in St. Petersburg and its suburbs, which have a unique charm, and many tourists are interested in enjoying its splendor. In particular, the imperial estates with their beautiful garden on St. Petersburg's outskirts, such as Peterhof and the Tsarskoye Selo, now known as Pushkin, are on top of the list of tourists who visit Russia during Russia summer tour. The cultural centers of St. Petersburg are undoubtedly an essential part of the tour to Russia. There are also many entertainment programs in St. Petersburg that can entertain tourists and their families who have chosen St. Petersburg as their tourist destination for their trip to Russia. All these features and opportunities together have been able to provide a complete tour program for travelers. However, one of the most essential St. Petersburg tour programs is the artistic performances tourists can enjoy during their trip. Theatrical and classical music performances, along with world-class concerts and music festivals throughout the city in various well-equipped halls in St. Petersburg, attract a large number of tourists. One of the most important artistic and cultural programs on the St. Petersburg tour is watching Russian Ballet's performance.
Russian Ballet
Russian ballet is undoubtedly one of the cultural and artistic honors of Russia. Although the origin of the ballet was not in Russia, many artists were invited to Russia to establish various forms of art in Russia during the reign of Peter the Great and his successors and after the relocation of the capital to St. Petersburg. As the origins of ballet go back to Italy and France, many artists, ballet dancers, and composers from both countries were invited to St. Petersburg to work in the newly established city. Peter the Great was very interested in Western culture and wanted to add some Western civilization elements, especially in the field of art, to Russian culture. Although there was much controversy at first, Peter the Great was able to turn ballet into a court art in the Russian Empire and attract the aristocrats and members of the imperial family. Jean-Baptiste Landé was a famous French artist and ballet dancer who was invited to St. Petersburg and worked there for the rest of his life. Many other artists from Italy and France worked in the theater and ballet companies of St. Petersburg to gradually form Russian ballet and introduce a new ballet style to the world. Today, Russian ballet is at the forefront of world art performances, and ballet companies in Russia are so renowned that many students from all over the world immigrate to Russia to study at these ballet companies. One of the reasons for the remarkable development of Russian ballet in the world is the presence of famous composers and writers who have been able to make Russian ballet renowned today. One of these prominent artists is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who wrote and arranged many of the world's ballet masterpieces. At Star Travel Company, we suggest our tourists not to miss the opportunity to watch one of the Russian ballet performances during their travel to St. Petersburg. You can also visit our blog to get acquainted with the best theater halls in St. Petersburg.
The Nutcracker
One of the most famous Russian ballet performances in the world and Russia is The Nutcracker. The performance, which has become very popular in recent years in the Christmas season and is performed in most theaters across Russia, initially had little to do with Christmas. However, due to children's presence in this ballet show and the use of different and cheerful colors in the actors' costumes, it gets more attention at Christmas time. The Nutcracker ballet was choreographed by the famous French ballet dancer Marius Petipa and the Russian Lev Ivanov. The most important part of the ballet, its composition, was arranged by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Although the Nutcracker Ballet was not successful initially in the 1890s, it gained worldwide popularity in the 1960s. It became quite trendy during the Christmas season, especially in North America. The Nutcracker is one of the ballets you can see during your Russia tour.
Swan Lake
Another world-famous Tchaikovsky masterpiece is the Swan Lake Ballet. The play, one of Tchaikovsky's first arrangements, was initially a major failure, as was The Nutcracker, and was one of the few plays to be staged at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow instead of the capital of the empire, St. Petersburg. This extraordinary play, taken from Russian and German legends, attracted the attention of the world years after its initial appearance, and today it is known as one of the world's ballet masterpieces. If you have enough time, you should not miss the opportunity to see this beautiful and fantastic show during your St. Petersburg tour.
The Sleeping Beauty
The latest in a series of Tchaikovsky ballet masterpieces trio is The Sleeping Beauty. The ballet was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa, who also choreographed The Nutcracker, and was completed in 1889. The Sleeping Beauty is one of the plays commissioned to Tchaikovsky by the then director of the imperial St. Petersburg Theater. Today, this ballet show has become one of the classic and popular shows in the world. Do not forget that Sleeping Beauty is one of the performances you can see during your travel to Russia.
Spartacus
The Spartacus Ballet is one of the most successful ballet shows in the world, staged during the Soviet era. The play was written by the famous Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian in 1956 and was staged at the Leningrad Theater that same year. Of course, this ballet achieved its success after the performance of 1968, which was choreographed by Yury Grigorovich. This ballet is considered to be one of the most outstanding works of Khachaturian, a Soviet Armenian composer. Tourists can also see this play periodically in some seasons in St. Petersburg. You need to check with your tour operators to see this show during your tour to Russia.
La Bayadere
The last ballet show on our list is La Bayadere, a work by the famous French choreographer Marius Petipa and the famous Austrian composer Ludwig Minkus. The play was first staged at the famous Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theater in St. Petersburg. This play is one of the few ballet performances written exclusively for the famous Russian ballerina Ekaterina Vazem, who plays the leading role in this ballet. This show is also one of the ballets that tourists can enjoy during their trip to Russia.
As you can see, Russian ballet performances are world-renowned and of particular importance in St. Petersburg tour. You can visit our blog to get acquainted with famous theater halls in St. Petersburg, such as the Mariinsky Theater, which is one of the top theaters in St. Petersburg. We have also introduced the top tourist attractions of St. Petersburg that can help tourists during their travel to Russia. In addition to tourist attractions, you can find useful information about the best restaurants in St. Petersburg, the best shopping centers in St. Petersburg, and the best entertainment centers in the city on our blog.
