The Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after A.S. Pushkin (also - the Opera House) is a Nizhny Novgorod theater founded in 1935 as the Gorky Opera and Ballet Theater. Located in the Soviet district of Nizhny Novgorod. The number of seats in the auditorium is 1152.

History

The resolution on the organization of an opera theater in the city was adopted by the City Council in 1931. It was decided to rebuild the building of the People's House for the theater. The People's House was built in 1903 at the initiative of the Society for the Expansion of Primary Education in the Nizhny Novgorod Province with the assistance of M. Gorky. It was conceived as a "cultural center" in the provincial town (club, library, amateur theater).

The building was constructed according to the project of the architect P.P. Malinovsky with private donations, large of which were made by Countess S.V. Panina and F.I. Shalyapin, who gave a concert in favor of construction at the request of Gorky.

The State Commission signed the Act of Acceptance for Operation of the reconstructed building on May 31, 1935, and on July 1, the tour of the Musical Theater. VI Nemirovich-Danchenko, then the Leningrad Choir Capella and the Kiev Musical Comedy.

By October 24, 1935, the theater prepared its first performance - the opera by A. Borodin "Prince Igor". Opening the season with this piece has become a tradition.

The second performance of the repertoire was "Eugene Onegin". In the first season, a fairly large troupe (45 opera soloists, 50 orchestra musicians, 53 ballet dancers, 57 choir singers) staged (except for the above) the operas Aida, Rigoletto, The Tsar's Bride, The Barber of Seville, "Pagliacci", ballets "Don Quixote", "Swan Lake" and ballet divertissement.

The theater confidently declared itself. The audience's interest and public attention confirmed the historical necessity of opening the State Opera and Ballet Theater in Nizhny Novgorod. This "was the largest event in the musical life of the city of the 1930s."

On February 10, 1937, the theater was named after A.S. Pushkin. In 1994 he received the title of "academic".

In 1986, the First All-Russian Pushkin Festival of Opera and Ballet Art "Boldinskaya Autumn" took place. Since the second festival, which took place in 1988, "Boldinskaya Autumn" has been held annually.

In September 2016, a large-scale reconstruction of the theater, which began in June, was completed. The facade, auditorium and interior have been restored.