About Odessa Opera and Ballet

The Odessa National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet  is the oldest theatre in Odessa, Ukraine. The Theatre and the Potemkin Stairs are the most famous edifices in Odessa.^[The beauty and grandeur of the facade of an old building is amazing, but according to its layout and technical data, it is not inferior to the best in Europe.

No less elegant and interior decoration. The auditorium decorated in the style of late French baroque is not only incredibly beautiful, but also functional:

– excellent acoustics creates a horseshoe-shaped building structure;
– for the special atmosphere and excellent visibility of everything that is happening on the stage, the modern lighting equipment installed during the modernization of the Theater is responsible.

he Saint Petersburg architect Thomas de Thomon designed the first opera theatre, it opened on 10 February 1810. This last theatre is in almost exactly the same spot as the first theatre 200 years ago. The main entrance with its colonnade faced the sea. There was no foyer. The theatre was the first building in Odessa to employ the Edison Company with electric illumination.

A fund raising campaign began immediately. The city announced an international contest for the best theatre design. Forty designs were submitted, but none was chosen. Finally, the project was drafted along the lines of Dresden Semperoper built in 1878, with its nontraditional foyer following the curvatures of auditorium.

Two Viennese architects, Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer began to construct the larger replacement in 1883. The foundation stone was laid on 16 September 1884. On 1 October 1887 the theatre was completed, costing 1,300,000 rubles to build. It was named the Odessa City Theatre