Reinhold Glière’s ballet «The Bronze Horseman,» based on Pushkin’s poem, was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1949. Since 2003, the «Hymn to the Great City» from this ballet has served as the official anthem of Saint Petersburg. The story revolves around the tragic fate of a poor official named Yevgeny and his beloved Parasha during the devastating flood of 1824. Sergey Novikov was the stage designer for the original version of the ballet at the Izhevsk Opera and Ballet Theatre (premiered on June 17, 2025), based on Tchaikovsky’s music rather than Glière’s.
The Bronze Horseman
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The Bronze Horseman
Nikolai Markelov's author's performance "The Bronze Horseman" is based on Alexander Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman" and Andrei Bely's novel "Petersburg," with music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
"The Bronze Horseman" is an author's theater at the Udmurtia State Opera and Ballet Theater, a creative statement by a master who uses music and choreography to engage the audience in an intellectual dialogue, encouraging them to reflect and empathize.Read more -
On the shore of the desert waves
The Izhevsk Opera Ballet Theatre hosted the premiere of "The Bronze Horseman" to Tchaikovsky's music.
This is the first new choreographic performance in the capital of the republic in the last five years. The production by the chief ballet master Nikolai Markelov is timed to coincide with the anniversary of Pyotr Ilyich: it is his compositions that became the basis for this version. Here, the symphonic fantasies "The Storm", "Francesca da Rimini", the Coronation March, the Elegy for Samarin, fragments of the Third and Fifth Symphonies, and the First Suite are performed.…Read more -
The Bronze Horseman Ballet
The literary basis of the production is the poem "The Bronze Horseman" by Alexander Pushkin and the novel "Petersburg" by Andrey Bely. These are two great works dedicated to the great city, whose history is inextricably linked to the history of Russia and its role in the world. St. Petersburg is the main character of the production.
Guided by the author's vision, the audience will delve into the depths of time, encountering the builders of the city, its rulers, ordinary citizens, and the geniuses who created it. There will also be a mystical meeting between the Composer and the Poet: in these characters, the audience will easily recognize Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Pushkin.…Read more -
N. Markelov's Ballet "The Bronze Horseman": St. Petersburg Images from Izhevsk
On May 30, as well as on June 1 and 6, 2025, the premiere of Nikolai Markelov's ballet "The Bronze Horseman," inspired by Alexander Pushkin's poem of the same name, Andrey Bely's novel "Petersburg," and Pyotr Tchaikovsky's legacy, which is inextricably linked to the city on the Neva River, took place in Izhevsk. The premiere was timed to coincide with the 185th anniversary of the great Russian composer's birth.Read more -
