Published on: 2026-08-25
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street stands a building that never had to search for its purpose. It was conceived as a theater house, and for one and a half centuries there has not been a single decade without a stage here. Today, inside these walls, there is a theater “Helikon Opera”, one of Moscow’s most unusual opera projects. Artistic Director Ilya Ilyin and Head of Exhibition Projects Department Anna Gribkova-Tkhostova spoke about how the space preserves the continuity of theatrical life and how music is understood by all peoples without translation.
The estate that has always been a theater
The house’s theatrical history began in the 1880s. Princess Eugenia Shakhovskaya-Glebova-Streshneva — a patron of the arts and a passionate theatergoer who herself performed on stage — transformed the family estate into a theatrical establishment. Since then, the stage has never been empty. And in 1990, a theater settled within these walls, destined to become “Helikon Opera.”
But to understand the spirit of this place, it is worth dwelling on the figure of the princess. Evgenia Shakhovskaya-Glebova-Streshneva did not just finance troupes — she lived for the theater and adored art. In the 1880s, women of her circle and status rarely took to the stage, but Evgenia Fedorovna believed that the stage was the only place where titles didn’t matter, and only talent and passion were important. She used pseudonyms — performing as Shakhovskaya, Glebova, Streshneva in different plays, so that the audience would not be distracted by her noble birth and would judge her acting, not her name. She created her own theatrical ensemble — and performed in it herself, proving that art knows no class boundaries. The same adventurous spirit of the princess manifested itself in construction as well. In 1884–1886, she commissioned reconstruction projects for the building that now houses the “Helikon-Opera” from several of the best architects of her time: Alexander Rezanov, Konstantin Tersky, Fyodor Kolbe, and others. Each worked on their own version, unaware of the others. Then Evgenia Fedorovna, like a collage, assembled the final decision from different architectural proposals; therefore, the mansion’s facade does not align with the yard, and the second floor is arranged unusually.
“She asked herself: what will we surprise with?” — Anna Gribkova-Tkhostova recounts. — “Long before Konstantin Stanislavsky, she was looking for unconventional approaches, breaking usual patterns. This spirit of experimentation is still preserved in the house today.”
The main theater was built by the princess right here, in the adjacent wing of the estate — today this building Mayakovsky Theater. The facade design in the pseudo-Russian style was created by the young Fyodor Shekhtel, and the construction was overseen by Konstantin Tersky. Thus, a unified theatrical ensemble formed on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, where the stage was never empty.
The revolution threatened the estate: like many noble residences, it could have been nationalized and repurposed, and its collections plundered. Anatoly Lunacharsky—the first People’s Commissar for Education, a theater critic, and writer who knew the princess personally—stood up to protect it. He made great efforts to preserve the palace and allowed theatrical and cinematographic institutions to move in. The Chamber Theater of Alexander Tairov worked here, films by Sergei Eisenstein and Dziga Vertov were shown, and debates about the future of cinema took place. Later, the mansion housed the International Friendship Club, agitation brigades, and after the Great Patriotic War—the Central House of Medical Workers. Life flourished there: symphony orchestras, opera studios, jazz, and bards.
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In the 1980s, the House of the Medic was headed by Alexander Bertman — an honored cultural figure, an excellent organizer, musician, poet, bard, and the father of the future founder of the Helikon Opera, Dmitry Bertman. It was here that Mark Rozovsky began his path — his amateur studio grew into a theater. “Near Nikitsky Gate”. And in 1990, in a 12-meter room rented by Dmitry Bertman, a theater settled that later became known as the ‘Helikon-Opera’.
Walls that remember names
Today, each hall of the estate bears the name of a person who left a mark on its history. The main hall is called “Stravinsky”: the theater began with Igor Stravinsky’s opera “Mavra.” The white-columned hall is named after Princess Shakhovskaya. The foyer is named after Sergey Zimin, the creator of the private opera. There are halls dedicated to Boris Pokrovsky, Elena Obraztsova, Kirill Tikhonov — those who defined 20th-century opera theater. The dressing rooms and rehearsal rooms bear the names of Irina Arkhipova, Galina Vishnevskaya, Arthur Eisen.
After the restoration of the estate, the walls facing Kalashny Lane were dismantled brick by brick and rebuilt. A hall named “Stravinsky” was constructed in the courtyard. The estate has preserved its historical appearance but gained a modern stage. All this can be seen on three tours. The historical tour lasts 2.5 hours and allows you to examine every detail. The technical tour provides the opportunity to descend into the holds and other rooms. The tour of the dressing rooms is intimate and quite rare, immersing visitors in the special atmosphere of the opera backstage.
Exhibitions as an extension of the performance
The same thirst to amaze that drove the princess lives on in the Helikon Opera. The exhibition projects department prepares a special exhibition for each performance. In the theater, they usually remain a secondary addition, but not in this case.
“I want the audience, even before entering the auditorium, to be immersed in the atmosphere,” says Anna Gribkova-Thostova. “This is not a background, it is part of the performance, its first act.”
For the season opening and performances of the play “Prince Igor” Anna Gribkova-Tkhostova invited Grekov artists — masters from the M.B. Grekov Studio of Military Artists, who work in combat zones, capturing reality without embellishment.
“Their works do not illustrate events — they document them. When a viewer goes to a play, they have already passed through this atmosphere,” she explains.
There are exhibitions where Vasily Tropinin and Marc Chagall stand side by side, old masters and contemporary artists. The lobby space, stage decorations, lighting, costumes, exposition — everything is thought out down to the smallest detail. The past and the present do not compete, but complement each other, just like in the projects of architects once invited by Princess Shakhovskaya.
Opera as a universal language
But the main action unfolds on the stage. Here the word belongs to the artistic director Ilya Ilyin, who came to the theater 33 years ago as a choir artist. Today, he shapes the repertoire and directs productions. Ilya Ilyin knows that opera intimidates many spectators. It seems that you need to know the language and understand scores to grasp what is happening.
“Music is not a human language,” asserts Ilya Ilyin. “Russian, English, Chinese—they separate. And music is given to unite. When an artist sings, the audience does not understand the words—they read the intonation, the movement of the soul, the energy. Opera is accessible to everyone. In this sense, it is the language of the world, understandable without translation.”
He calls the opera theater the pinnacle of human creativity because it combines drama, vocals, movement, and visual arts. “In dramatic theater, music is an adjective. Here, it is the subject,” adds Ilya Ilyin. Reflecting on why audiences so persistently gravitate towards operas of the past — works by Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Pyotr Tchaikovsky — he notes: tens of thousands of operas have been written, but theater repertoires include only about 300.
“Because there is something eternal in them. People intuitively feel it. They don’t come for the music — they come for the treasure. Verdi’s music speaks of passion, of love, of death — of what never changes. And everyone hears this, even if they are stepping into the opera house for the first time,” reflects Ilya Ilyin.
Behind this accessibility are years of artist training: school, college, conservatory, graduate school. And the path to the stage is thorny; many musicians hear: “No vacancies. We won’t accept you.” If there is a place and the artist joins the troupe, they start not working, but serving. “The perfect formula for success,” smiles Ilya Ilyin. “Pleasure for which you even get paid.”
At “Helikon Opera” there is a method unique to musical theater — the “table period.” Before going on stage, the director and performers sit down at a table and analyze the score: every note, every word, every internal monologue.
“We are looking for why the hero sings one thing but thinks another. This is normal in dramatic theater, but it almost never happens in opera. Yet we have it,” explains the artistic director.
The performers here are called synthetic: they sing, move, and possess physical expressiveness. Ilyin emphasizes, “We are not prosecutors, we are lawyers. Every character, even the villain, has a reason why they became that way. Finding it is our task. To look deeper and think broader. Without this, the play will not be alive.”
The main principle conveyed by the theatre’s founder Dmitry Bertman: “Do not spread evil. If negativity comes to you — do not pass it on.” Apparently, this principle is the main strength of the Helikon troupe — to be an advocate for the characters on stage and to be a peacemaker offstage, when it is important to maintain the climate and mood in the theatre.
New season
The 37th season of the Helikon Opera opened on August 18. On September 26 — a premiere conceived 15 years ago. Dmitry Bertman dreamed of combining “The Tale of the Silly Little Mouse” and the music for the cartoon “The Tale of the Priest and His Worker Balda” by Dmitry Shostakovich. The result is a performance “Shostakovich’s Tales” in cooperation with the Moscow Puppet Theater.
“When the puppets were brought and we started rehearsals, I myself, like a child, looked at and studied them with interest and attention,” admits Ilya Ilyin. “It’s a miracle, unlike anything else.”
The central event of November is the premiere of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “Standard” directed by Dmitry Bertman. On November 25, the audience will see a performance created by an international team: the conductor is Fabio Mastrangelo, the artist is Hartmut Schorghofer from Austria.
“The appearance of ‘Norma’ in the repertoire is a huge event for our theater,” says Ilya Ilyin.
In December, the birthday of the legendary “Carmen”: the play, which has toured the world, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The theater is preparing an exclusive series of four performances with an exhibition dedicated to an entire generation of actors who have been part of this production.
Another innovation: on December 31, the theater will not close for the first time. “Helikon-Opera” will present the premiere of the play “New Year’s Ball of Princess Shakhovskaya” — a mystical festive opera show that will be updated every year. “Tickets are already sold out,” smiles Ilya Ilyin. “But this is just the beginning of the tradition.”
Right after New Year — a renewed musical fairy tale for children “New Year in Lukomorye” with the orchestra and soloists.
“The Christmas trees at ‘Helikon Opera’ are unusual,” says Ilya Ilyin. “It’s not just the entrance of the performers. We always have an orchestra, soloists, and stunning decorations.”
“Helikon” — the land of love
Every premiere, every anniversary performance is just the visible part of what happens within these walls. Behind the scenes remains the main thing — the people who come here not for a season or two. Ilya Ilyin explains what is most important for him in work and theater: “Communication. I wake up for the sake of communicating with people. And creativity. Once it becomes routine, the theater ceases to be theater. I will do everything to keep this spirit alive.” He smiles and adds: “The main thing is that a miracle happens every evening. And it does happen.”
Anna Gribkova-Tkhostova talks about what she comes to work for every day: “Helikon is a land of love. Dmitry Alexandrovich created it that way. We gather here not only for performances. We gather for happiness.”
“Helikon-Opera” is an amazing place in the very heart of Moscow. When visiting the theater, spectators enter another reality; leaving it, they find themselves again on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, see the lights going out in the windows, and hear voices coming from inside: orchestra musicians dispersing after the performance. It becomes clear: in this mansion, they really don’t work, here they serve. And in this service is the very love that Anna Gribkova-Thostova and Ilya Ilyin speak about. You can see this for yourself at performances, concerts, or tours. Tickets are available on the service. “Mosbilet”.
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