Musical theater "Helikon-Opera"

At the beginning of November 2015, after a long break, the Moscow Musical Theater “Helikon-Opera” opened. The reconstruction of the historical theater building lasted more than 10 years, as a result of which its area increased from the original 5000 to 13.4 thousand square meters. m, and to the chamber hall of Princess Shakhovskaya with 200 seats and two small musical living rooms, a unique hall for 500 people was added, which took the place of the former courtyard of the Shakhovsky-Glebov-Streshnev estate and received the name of the composer I.F. Stravinsky. In addition to the creation of a new theater hall with a complex of necessary technical and service premises, during the reconstruction process the historical interiors of the estate were restored and recreated using 19th-century technologies.

The theatrical history of the building at 19/16 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street goes back more than one century. In the manor house, built in the mid-18th century, Princess Nastasya Dashkova organized home concerts in 1759–1761. Then the house came into the possession of the Glebov-Streshnev family, and in 1864 it was inherited by Evgenia Shakhovskaya, who was passionate about the theater and ordered the addition of a semicircular hall to the estate (design by architect K. Tersky). After 20 years, she rebuilt the main building, placing a new main hall on the second floor. The square-shaped room was used for concerts and public meetings. After the revolution, from 1917 to the end of 1918, the legendary Chamber Theater of A. Tairov was based here, and in 1919 the building was transferred to the Theater of Revolutionary Satire (Terevsat). Since 1922, the Revolution Theater operated here, headed by V.E. Meyerhold, and since 1937 - the Club of Medical Workers, which became one of the most famous cultural centers in Moscow. In 1990, the complex of buildings was transferred to the collective of the Moscow musical theater "Helikon-Opera" under the direction of Dmitry Bertman.

For the young theater, the existing halls and areas were clearly not enough. It was impossible to stage opera performances on the scale required by this type of theatrical art. After a short time, the theater management turned to the Moscow Government with a proposal to reconstruct the complex. The priority task of updating the complex was to create a full-fledged and spacious hall with a stage box and modern theater equipment. At the same time, the complexity of the task increased many times over due to the extremely crowded area and the status of a historical and cultural monument of federal significance (state conservation No. 683), which the Shakhovsky-Glebov-Streshnev estate has.

In 1997, a team of architects began work on the project under the leadership of A. Bokov and D. Bush from Mosproekt-4, which specialized in cultural and sports facilities. The architects proposed using the only remaining undeveloped part of the complex - the courtyard, in which an amphitheater of the auditorium could be placed, while in order to create a full-fledged stage area with pockets, it was necessary to dismantle part of the buildings adjacent to the building along Kalashny Lane. This proposal was approved by the theater management and all approval authorities, then a project was developed that included dismantling, new construction, reconstruction and scientific restoration of the building facing Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street. In 2007, the long-awaited construction work began. But in 2010 they were suspended due to claims against contractors, repeated historical and architectural examinations and litigation initiated by defenders of historical heritage.

The project was frozen for 4 years. Only in 2014, the Moscow Government instructed Mosinzhproekt JSC to continue the work and complete the reconstruction by the 25th anniversary of the Helikon Opera Theater, which was successfully completed.

In November 2015, the theater opened transformed. The buildings, which survived the bombing during the Great Patriotic War and survived the first phase of reconstruction, were restored. The work in the building facing Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street was especially thorough and meticulous. Using original 19th-century technologies, the lost decorative elements of the state halls, including the Pokrovsky and Obraztsova chamber halls, as well as the vestibule and foyer, were restored. Separate work was carried out to strengthen the wooden structures supporting the unique vaulted ceiling above the Hall of Princess Shakhovskaya. In addition, the construction of three underground levels under the complex required serious strengthening of the historical foundations, under which additional piles and grillages were placed.

The courtyard was covered with large-span structures; in addition, in order to create a slope for the tiers of the auditorium, it had to be deepened almost 5 meters below ground level. The former front porch, made in the Old Russian style, was turned into a “royal box”. The facades of the buildings facing the courtyard were turned into the walls of the hall, and LED panels with LED backlight were inserted into the former window openings, on which video images are broadcast during the performance to create a special effect. Above the hall there is a suspended ceiling with built-in lighting and Swarovski crystals, repeating the position of the stars on April 10, 2015 - the day of the 25th anniversary of Helikon Opera. Specially designed sound-reflecting hemispheres are installed under the ceiling, which, along with the porch box, have become one of the most recognizable symbols of the new theater.

Stage equipment meets the latest technology. The stage itself can be transformed in various ways using lifting mechanisms and a turntable. The orchestra pit can also be raised and lowered depending on the nature of the performance.

The entire visual part of the complex underwent serious transformations. From the side of B. Nikitskaya street. a new lobby was organized on the site of the old drive-through courtyard. There is a special exhibition in it - unique artifacts are presented on the floor under glass: stones brought from iconic places associated with theatrical history and the history of music. In the basement there is a wardrobe and a buffet, decorated in a distinctly grotesque theatrical style.