Russia; Cultural

In the ‘best laid plans’ category falls our experience of the cultural life of Russia.  Russia, like any great country, has many cultural treasures.  In St. Petersburg it has one of the

The Bolshoi, with cranes

world’s great ballet companies.  It used to be known as the Kirov. Since the fall of the Soviet Union it has reverted it to its original name Mariniiski. When we were there, we were tempted.  We visited the theater and enjoyed its grounds, but decided to save ourselves for the Bolshoi in Moscow. Two ballets, in two weeks?  After successfully avoiding the ballet for the last 25 years? I thought, once will be enough. We’ll wait for Moscow.

I should've read that page in the guidebook before we got there. The Bolshoi is closed until 2011. It has been closed since 2005. The building was crumbling from neglect and so they are doing a massive overhaul. Must be great.  The company still exists and still performs. In fact so they could continue to perform, they built (in just six months) a new Bolshoi for them. Only they are not there this week. In their place there is a French company  doing experimental stuff.  We saw it on TV.  Just plain weird.  I'll pass,

Instead we went to an amateur singing contest.  Sort of like ‘Russia’s Got Talent’, only not at all like what we see on TV. Staged downtown at Rachmaninov Hall, a succession of youngish (late twenties to early 40s) singers took to the stage. It was very serious.  The men wore tuxedos, the women gowns. All of them performed opera accompanied by a pianist.  As they were introduced they took the stage to stony silence. No one made a sound.  No welcoming applause. Each singer sang four numbers of their choice, between those songs, silence. Only when they had finished their set did the audience respond. Not exactly the atmosphere of American Idol.  The performances were impressive. Okay I have not been to the opera in 20 years but these singers were every bit as good as the ones who put me to sleep 20 years ago!