Four horses soaring into the sky, and the patron of the muses who controls them. Very soon the famous sculptural composition will again appear on the facade of the Bolshoi Theater. The Quadriga of Apollo, as experts call it, is ready, as before, to decorate main theater countries. The restoration of Klodt's sculpture is completely completed. According to the restorers, a tremendous amount of painstaking work was done to restore the symbol of the Bolshoi Theater, the results of which were assessed by journalists today. They tell.
Apollo came into the hands of restorers cleaned of dirt, smudges and corrosion. True, without the fig leaf and laurel wreath. Although the frame has been preserved, time has not been kind to the celestial being.
“A lot of cracks. In particular, there was more than one hole in the lyre, on the fingers, in the head,” complains the head of the group of restorers, Vladimir Nikiforov.
The laurel wreath for Apollo was chosen from five designs. Each leaf - and there are fifty-eight of them - was minted by hand. For almost a hundred years, Apollo did without a fig leaf, but restorers discovered this detail of the toilet in photographs of the 19th century. The sheet was redone.
“Made according to analogues that exist, in particular in Petrodvorets. I spied suitable sheets on the “Adam and Eve” fountain,” notes Vladimir Nikiforov.
After the fire of 1853, the plaster was replaced with copper. In 1941, a bomb hit the facade of the Bolshoi Theater. The horses and Apollo miraculously survived - the thickness of the facade weakened the blow, but a fragment hit Apollo in the head and damaged the chariot. Restorers saved Quadriga... The holes and dents were repaired in 1958. The last restoration took place in 1992. The frame of the Quadriga survived the twentieth century and is well preserved for its age.
“I didn’t want to touch the historical work that had been done. Therefore, it was decided to leave Quadriga in place and carry out the work on site,” explains Alexey Suprunov, head of the Directorate for Reconstruction, Construction and Restoration.
Taking hold of the horses, the restorers were shocked by the accuracy of Klodt’s work. At a height of twenty-five meters this filigree is not visible, but up close every detail plays out.
“Everything was done meticulously down to the last nail, down to the last tooth,” assures Vladimir Nikiforov.
“Elements such as the mouth are made anatomically clearly. The tongue, the bit, even the teeth are worn out,” emphasizes restorer Vadim Markov.
Restorers Erich Kenstler and Vadim Markov did not leave here for four months. The workshop was set up right on the shaky scaffolding. They climbed into the very mouth of the horses. Colleagues called them dentists.
“It was necessary not to touch the old soldering, but at the same time to solder all the losses, and the losses were large,” explains Markov.
“There is a very thin layer of copper in this area. This was done by electroforming and a very thin layer was built up. You touch it and you get a hole,” adds Erich Kenstler.
They worked with four hands. Diagnosed and operated on the spot. Vadim Markov says that the first horse suffered the most. The copper from the chariot, damaged by corrosion, was replaced with new plates. Those dating back to 1856 are already history.
By the day of the city, the protective shell will be removed from Apollo's Quadriga, and then Klodt's masterpiece will appear in all its splendor. This will be the end of the second stage of the Bolshoi restoration. Then all efforts will be devoted to the auditorium and theater technology.
Patriarch Alexy and “Gorbachev’s wife” were mentioned among those present at the opening of the Bolshoi Theater after reconstruction
As the leading Russian news agency RIA Novosti informed the world, “the first concert began after the welcoming speech of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The First Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister arrived at the opening of the theater after reconstruction Alexander Zhukov , Speaker of the Federation Council, head of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov Oleg Tabkov , Mikhail Gorbachev with my wife . Among the guests are ex-Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Minister of Culture, singer Elena Obraztsova, head Bolshoi Theater Bolshoi symphony orchestra Fedoseev, Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II ": http://news.rufox.ru/texts/2011/10/28/216045.htm 00:52 10/29/2011
And let this post be immediately “demolished” from news feed, however, it was he who, as a focal point, absorbed the whole gamut of emotions that overwhelmed the cultural community, which saw the long-awaited opening on the evening of October 28, 2011 after 6 years of reconstruction of the historical (main) stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. The theater administration apparently wanted to make a lot of money, judging by the ticket prices, which reached up to 2 million rubles in the stalls :-) After widespread criticism of this price list in LiveJournal, the theater management announced that “ the most expensive ticket costs 50,000 rubles" The director of the Center was present in the hall opera singing, ballerina Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin, with whom the wife of the first president of the Russian Federation Naina Yeltsin and her family were sitting in the box on the first floor on the left side...
In his speech at the opening, Dmitry Medvedev set another trend, calling the Bolshoi Theater “ main brand" countries: "I am convinced that everything is done according to last word technology, theater technology, the latest approaches to this kind of very complex structures. I am sure that in this sense the theater will be impeccable, but the most important thing is that the spirit of the Bolshoi Theater remained in it" However, before the audience had time to leave the ancient theater building, subjected to a newfangled rebranding, like a stagehand at 10 p.m.... the scenery fell! Moscow law enforcement agencies told frightened journalists that “a stage worker was injured, he suffered a chest contusion and was hospitalized at the Sklifosovsky Institute. An ambulance team was on its way to the scene...
By the way, the highlight of the gala concert on October 28, according to many critics, was a number from the ballet “Spartacus” by Khachaturian, where main party performed by Ivan Vasiliev - the youngest Spartacus in the history of ballet. However, on November 14, 2011 it became known that Prime Minister ballet troupe Bolshoi Theater Ivan Vasiliev and prima ballerina Natalya Osipova wrote a letter of resignation, although both artists are in demand and dance in many performances of the Bolshoi...
Four horses soaring into the sky, and the patron of the muses who controls them. Very soon the famous sculptural composition will again appear on the facade of the Bolshoi Theater. The Quadriga of Apollo, as experts call it, is ready, as before, to decorate the main theater of the country. The restoration of Klodt's sculpture is completely completed. According to the restorers, a tremendous amount of painstaking work was done to restore the symbol of the Bolshoi Theater, the results of which were assessed by journalists today. They tell.
Apollo came into the hands of restorers cleaned of dirt, smudges and corrosion. True, without the fig leaf and laurel wreath. Although the frame has been preserved, time has not been kind to the celestial being.
“A lot of cracks. In particular, there was more than one hole in the lyre, on the fingers, in the head,” complains the head of the group of restorers, Vladimir Nikiforov.
The laurel wreath for Apollo was chosen from five designs. Each leaf - and there are fifty-eight of them - was minted by hand. For almost a hundred years, Apollo did without a fig leaf, but restorers discovered this detail of the toilet in photographs of the 19th century. The sheet was redone.
“Made according to analogues that exist, in particular in Petrodvorets. I spied suitable sheets on the “Adam and Eve” fountain,” notes Vladimir Nikiforov.
After the fire of 1853, the plaster was replaced with copper. In 1941, a bomb hit the facade of the Bolshoi Theater. The horses and Apollo miraculously survived - the thickness of the facade weakened the blow, but a fragment hit Apollo in the head and damaged the chariot. Restorers saved Quadriga... The holes and dents were repaired in 1958. The last restoration took place in 1992. The frame of the Quadriga survived the twentieth century and is well preserved for its age.
“I didn’t want to touch the historical work that had been done. Therefore, it was decided to leave Quadriga in place and carry out the work on site,” explains Alexey Suprunov, head of the Directorate for Reconstruction, Construction and Restoration.
Taking hold of the horses, the restorers were shocked by the accuracy of Klodt’s work. At a height of twenty-five meters this filigree is not visible, but up close every detail plays out.
“Everything was done meticulously down to the last nail, down to the last tooth,” assures Vladimir Nikiforov.
“Elements such as the mouth are made anatomically clearly. The tongue, the bit, even the teeth are worn out,” emphasizes restorer Vadim Markov.
Restorers Erich Kenstler and Vadim Markov did not leave here for four months. The workshop was set up right on the shaky scaffolding. They climbed into the very mouth of the horses. Colleagues called them dentists.
“It was necessary not to touch the old soldering, but at the same time to solder all the losses, and the losses were large,” explains Markov.
“There is a very thin layer of copper in this area. This was done by electroforming and a very thin layer was built up. You touch it and you get a hole,” adds Erich Kenstler.
They worked with four hands. Diagnosed and operated on the spot. Vadim Markov says that the first horse suffered the most. The copper from the chariot, damaged by corrosion, was replaced with new plates. Those dating back to 1856 are already history.
By the day of the city, the protective shell will be removed from Apollo's Quadriga, and then Klodt's masterpiece will appear in all its splendor. This will be the end of the second stage of the Bolshoi restoration. Then all efforts will be devoted to the auditorium and theater technology.
June 5 marks the 210th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Russian sculptor Baron Peter Klodt von Jurgensburg, author of the famous quadriga of Apollo, a symbol of the Bolshoi Theater. If we measure the greatness of a sculptor by the number of his works that have truly gained symbolic meaning, then Klodt, perhaps, has no equal in Russia. His creations during his lifetime became business cards at least three cities, the largest in the Russian Empire.
For a Muscovite, Klodt is the quadriga of Apollo on the pediment of the Bolshoi Theater. For St. Petersburg residents he is the creator sculptural composition on the Anichkov Bridge, as iconic for St. Petersburg as Bronze Horseman or Alexandria pillar. And for a Kievite, Klodt is the creator of the monument to Prince Vladimir on the high Dnieper bank. Klodt's works became an integral part of the image of the three great cities.
There is one more point that says a lot about the significance of Pyotr Karlovich’s legacy: his creations appeared on the banknotes of two countries - Russia and Ukraine. The quadriga of Apollo is depicted on the hundred-ruble Russian banknote, and the monument to Vladimir was featured on the Ukrainian karbovanets that were in circulation in the 90s.
Great self-taught
Surprisingly, Klodt never received vocational education. He grew up in Siberia, in Omsk, where his father, a military general and hero of the War of 1812, served. A portrait of Karl Klodt adorns the 1812 gallery in the Hermitage. By the way, Pyotr Karlovich’s great-great-grandfather was also a general, albeit a Swedish one, and fought in Northern War under the leadership of Charles XII. As a child, the heir to an officer family did not have the opportunity to choose a profession, and he honestly graduated from the Siberian Cadet Corps, and then from the Mikhailovsky Artillery School.
Peter Klodt von Jurgensburg
Photo: www.wikimedia.org
But having fulfilled his duty to the family and received officer rank, he never became a career military man. Since childhood, as soon as he found a free moment, he grabbed a pencil and paper and began to draw horses. It was a passion, a calling given from above. He spent hours watching the horses, studying them, noticing body lines, movements and trying to reflect them on paper. Over time, he began to sculpt horse figurines from clay or carve them from wood. In 1830, already an adult and an officer, he left the service and entered the Academy of Arts as a volunteer.
Reproduction of a postcard from the early 20th century with a view of the monument to Prince Vladimir in Kyiv
Photo: from the collection of Mikhail Blinov / RIA Novosti
As a student, Baron Klodt lived very modestly. I rented a basement, turned into a workshop, and spent the night there. He managed to bring real horses into his home - he needed models. However, poverty did not last long - soon Klodt began to earn good money by selling small figurines of horses. Thus ended the officer dynasty of the barons Klodt von Jugrensburg and began the dynasty of artists, which, by the way, continues to this day.
There is a legend about how the sculptor and Emperor Nicholas the First met. Someone from royal family presented the emperor with a wooden horseman. The king, who adored such things, said: “Lovely. Who is this gifted carver? - “Baron Klodt, Your Majesty. Retired lieutenant." - “Let him cut out a detachment of horse guards for me.” When the emperor received them, he ordered: “Now show me this baron!” From that time on, the baron became the king's favorite sculptor. Nicholas gave him magnificent white horses from the imperial stable both as recognition of his talent and as models for sculptures. First they had to stand on Palace Square, but then they decided that they would be more appropriate on the Anichkov Bridge. But that was later.
Horse tamer. Sculpture on Anichkov Bridge
Klodt received his first major government order in 1832: it was necessary to make six horses for the chariot of Glory, which decorates the Narva triumphal gates. It was risky to entrust such an important work to a young self-taught person, and it could have ended in failure for the sculptor himself, but he took the risk. The horses were a success, and the baron was immediately awarded the title of academician.
They say that it was then that Nikolai made the famous - rude, as was typical for him - joke: “Well, Klodt, you make horses better than a stallion.” From that moment on, Klodt was no longer left without work.
He created the sculptural group of the Anichkov Bridge, the monument to Krylov in the Summer Garden, the monument to Vladimir in Kyiv, participated in the work on high reliefs in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the decoration of St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Marble Palace. His horses are in Berlin and Naples - they came here as gifts from Nicholas Romanov to fellow emperors Friedrich Wilhelm and Ferdinand II. And it is very symbolic that the last great job master became a monument to Nicholas the First on St. Isaac's Square. Final chord and conclusion unusual relationship, connecting the sculptor and his crowned client.
Sculptural portrait of Emperor Nicholas I Romanov. Author Pyotr Karlovich Klodt
Photo: Sergey Kompaniychenko / RIA Novosti
Klodt's Quadriga and its riddles
Klodt's Apollo is not the first image greek god, patron of the arts, at the Bolshoi or Bolshoi Petrovsky, as it was originally called, theatre. The first sculpture appeared above its pediment in 1825, when the famous building was built according to the design of architects Andrei Mikhailov and Osip Bove.
By the way, the authorship of the project still causes a lot of controversy and even some confusion. Let's try to clarify. So, the old Petrovsky Theater of Medox, which stood on the banks of the Neglinka near Petrovka Street, burned down back in 1805. Before the War of 1812, the troupe worked in temporary premises on Arbat Square, and then on Znamenka. After the French invasion and a terrible fire, little remained of Moscow. Osip Ivanovich Bove dealt with the issue of integrated development of the city. But competitions were held for specific buildings. So, the competition for the construction of the theater was won by the project of Academy of Arts professor Andrei Mikhailov. However, the project was considered too expensive, and it was not adapted to the area, which had changed greatly: suffice it to say that the Neglinka River was enclosed in a pipe.
The theater was supposed to face Petrovka, but Bove proposed to create an entire Theater Square on the drained site (at first it was called Petrovskaya), where the Bolshoi was to become the dominant feature. The theater was turned to face the Kremlin, colonnades and other buildings appeared nearby. Beauvais abandoned the idea of shopping arcades on the ground floor of the theater and completely redesigned the decor of the auditorium, foyer and main staircases. That is, we can say that Mikhailov’s project really served as the basis, but it was very significantly altered by Bove. It is no coincidence that on the opening day of the theater, January 6, 1825, it was Osip Ivanovich who the audience called to the stage and gave him an ovation.
There was Apollo on the facade of the Mikhailov-Beauvais Theater, but there was no quadriga. The chariot of the Greek god was harnessed to three horses. The author of that composition is famous master Stepan Pimenov, by the way, is the author of a similar sculpture at the Alexandrinsky Theater and the chariot of Glory on the arch of the General Staff building in St. Petersburg. In confirmation - a quote from a short story Mikhail Lermontov’s “Panorama of Moscow”, a description of the city from the bell tower of Ivan the Great, created by the poet in 1834: “Even closer, on a wide square, rises the Petrovsky Theater, a work the latest art, a huge building, made according to all the rules of taste, with a flat roof and a majestic portico, on which rises an alabaster Apollo, standing on one leg in an alabaster chariot, motionless driving three alabaster horses and looking with annoyance at the Kremlin wall, which jealously separates him from the ancients shrines of Russia!..”
Two horses of Peter Klodt
In 1853, the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater, which was now more often called simply the Bolshoi, burned down. Completely, completely beyond the possibility of recovery. Was announced new competition, which won the design of the chief architect of the Imperial Theaters, Alberto Cavos. In general, it retained the style of the Mikhailov-Beauvais building, although the proportions were slightly changed. The shape of the facade has also changed somewhat. The colonnade and pediment remained, but were brought forward more strongly, and windows, pilasters and niches appeared.
There was also a need for a new sculpture, because the old one had perished. It was here that Kavos turned to the best animal sculptor in Russia, Pyotr Klodt. The sculptor agreed and made a model. But it was not Baron Klodt who cast them in bronze, although he was considered the best specialist in the country and headed the Foundry House of the Academy of Arts. The order was transferred to the factories of the Duke of Lichtenberg. Structurally, the sculpture consists of a load-bearing steel frame and copper sheathing attached to the frame. The figures are hollow inside.
By the way, until recently, Klodt’s authorship was periodically disputed in the scientific community - the sculptor did not indicate this work in the list of his creations. Perhaps the reason for Pyotr Karlovich’s modesty was precisely the fact that he only created the model, and not the entire final sculpture.
During the Great Patriotic War the composition was severely damaged: several fragments fell into it powerful bomb. The figure of Apollo itself was also damaged. The paint that was used to cover it for camouflage purposes also caused significant damage to the sculpture. Restoration was carried out in 1958 and 1992, the last and most serious was undertaken in 2010. Then a completely curious question arose about ... Apollo's manhood.
Divine Dignity of Apollo
Perhaps this is the most curious page in the history of the Bolshoi. The fact is that Apollo reached the 21st century naked and with physiological details quite clearly worked out by the author. And this didn’t bother anyone. But during latest restoration it was decided to cover up the divine nakedness. Moreover, the initiative did not come from the restorers; they were only forced to carry out the authorities’ instructions.
A very hypothetical version has emerged that some photograph from the 19th century seems to show a fig leaf covering the god’s manhood, but it was lost later, along with a laurel wreath, a fibula, a horseshoe and a number of other small details. This version immediately aroused criticism from professionals. First of all, the original vintage photo no one saw and it would be difficult to see anything on it. Secondly, any specialist in ancient sculpture will confirm that if the details of the body are made carefully, as on the statue of Klodt, then this indicates that they were not intended to be hidden. And third, during previous restorations, including 1992, no fastening parts were found. Although they were looking for them.
Head of the group of restorers of the Bolshoi Theater rotunda Vladimir Nikiforov
The head of the work, Vladimir Evgenievich Nikiforov, did not contradict his superiors and made the fig leaf with his own hands. True, I secured it so that it could be easily removed.
Further developments of events are anecdotal in nature. The fact is that Apollo is still without a leaf on the hundred-ruble bill, and this has not escaped the watchful eye of State Duma deputy from the LDPR Roman Khudyakov. The people's representative was outraged by such, in his words, “pornography” and in June last year he demanded that the head of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, change the design of the hundred-ruble note. Moreover, the deputy proposed not only to “cover up the shame” of Apollo, but to completely abandon the image of God and instead depict the newly acquired Sevastopol port on the banknote. Fortunately, the parliamentarian’s demand did not find support, and Klodt’s creation remained unchanged on Russian money.
Georgy Oltarzhevsky
The Bolshoi Theater is located in the center of Moscow at 1.
The official name of the Bolshoi Theater is State academic theater opera and ballet of Russia.
The Bolshoi Theater is called the same as "Bolshoi".
The nearest metro station is Teatralnaya.
The Bolshoi Theater is the largest center of Russian and world musical culture. The Bolshoi Theater is an opera and ballet theater. Here you can watch ballet, opera, operetta. There are no dramatic performances here.
The Bolshoi Theater is a symbol of the capital and Russia. The Bolshoi Theater has been considered a fashionable place for many years. Everyone who has visited Moscow strives to visit the Bolshoi at least once.
The Bolshoi Theater is one of oldest theaters Russia. The founding date of the theater is considered to be (17th Old Style) 1776.
Historical building of the Bolshoi Theater
The historical building of the Bolshoi Theater (no. 1) was opened in 1856 during the coronation of Emperor Alexander II.
The building was built by the architect Albert Kavos, the son of Katerino Kavos, who wrote the opera Ivan Susanin.
The famous quadriga (four horses), driven by Apollo, made by the sculptor Peter Klodt (it was he who created the quadriga on the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg) was installed on the building.
New stage of the Bolshoi Theater
The new stage of the Bolshoi Theater is located next to historical building theater, at the address: Bolshaya Dmitrovka street, building 4, building 2.f.
The new stage of the Bolshoi Theater was officially opened in 2002.
The first performance on the new stage took place in 2002 - N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Snow Maiden”.
The design of the ceiling of the auditorium used sketches by Leon Bakst as edited by Zurab Tsereteli.
Square near the Bolshoi Theater
Near the Bolshoi Theater there is a cozy square with a fountain. In the summer, tulip varieties "Galina Ulanova" and "Bolshoi Theater" (both varieties are red) are planted in the park. These varieties of tulips were developed by the Dutchman Lefebre, who visited Moscow in the 1950s. He was amazed by the Bolshoi Ballet and developed two new varieties in honor of our unique attraction.
Bolshoi and Maly theaters
The Bolshoi Theater is an opera and ballet theater. Located nearby is a drama theater.
For a long time, both troupes of artists were part of the same Imperial Theater. The Maly Theater was opened in 1776. Soon at the Maly base drama theater appeared opera troupe. In the season of 1824-1825. the troupe was divided into two independent groups - drama and opera, and each of them received its own separate building. Big building began to be called the Bolshoi Theater, and the smaller building - the Maly Theater. For a long time, theaters were even connected by an underground passage.
The words “big” and “small” were not even capitalized at first. But soon these words became proper names, and are now heard in Russian in all countries of the world.
Bolshoi Theater on the 100 ruble banknote
The Bolshoi Theater is depicted on the 100 ruble banknote of the 1997 model (Bank of Russia).
The front side depicts a quadriga on the portico of the Bolshoi Theater building.
The back of the banknote depicts the building of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
1) The Bolshoi Theater is depicted on the 100 ruble banknote of the 1997 model. On the front side is the building of the Bolshoi Theater, and on the reverse side is Apollo driving a chariot - a statue located on the front side of the building.
Before the restoration of the Bolshoi Theater in the 2000s, Apollo from the statue on the front side of the building was depicted with uncovered male genitals. It was in this form that this image appeared on the 100 ruble bill of 1997. In 2014, a number of deputies State Duma took the initiative to replace the image on this bill with something else.
2) The Dutchman Lefebre, who visited Moscow in the 1950s, was so shocked by the Bolshoi Theater ballet that he developed new varieties of tulips “Galina Ulanova” and “Bolshoi Theater”. It is these two varieties that are planted every year on Theater Square in front of the Bolshoi building.
3) It is believed that Emperor Alexander II issued a decree according to which the Bolshoi Theater was supported by part of the income from the Moscow Hippodrome.
4) The first dramatic performance in Rus' was the Russian “comedy” “Baba Yaga, the Bone Leg”, staged in 1671
Historical background
The founding date of the Bolshoi Theater is considered to be 1776 (17th Old Style). On this day, Catherine II signed a “privilege” for the prosecutor Prince Peter Urusov to maintain performances, masquerades, balls and other entertainment for a period of ten years.
The main building of the Bolshoi Theater (no. 1) opened in 1856 during the coronation of Emperor Alexander II.
An Englishman (Paul I's teacher of mathematics and physics) played a major role in the creation of the Bolshoi Theater. In 1776 he was accepted as a member of the Moscow Public Theater (at the invitation of Prince Urusov). Medox and Urusov rented this theater (it was located on Vozdvizhenka). But soon the theater burned down. Prince Urusov withdrew from the case and left matters to Medox. The Englishman began construction of a new stone theater building, which was named Petrovsky, on the street that faced main facade buildings. Petrovsky Theater was opened in 1780.
Born in England, he taught mathematics at Oxford University. In 1766 he came to Russia to teach mathematics and physics to the son of Catherine II, Paul (the future Emperor Paul I). In 1776 he became a theater entrepreneur in Moscow.
It should be noted that Medox, having devoted most of his life to the Russian theater, did not earn anything from it. Moreover, when his lease on the theater expired in 1796, his debts were so great that all his property, including his personal home, was sold. He was saved from bankruptcy by Empress Maria Feodorovna, who helped pay off all his debts, gave him 10 thousand rubles at a time and assigned him a pension of 3,000 rubles annually.
Images
The Bolshoi Theater in an engraving from the mid-19th century
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