Theatrocracy. Catherine II and opera

The State Museum-Reserve "Tsaritsyno" presents an exhibition project on the formation of the Russian musical theater in the XVIII century "Theatrocracy. Catherine II and the Opera".

The exhibition includes historical materials and works of art from 27 Russian museums, as well as two theatrical premieres and a rich public programme for a wide and professional audience.

Visitors will penetrate "behind the scenes" of Catherine II's visionary theatre and will be able to appreciate her talents as a political technologist, author, censor, director, critic and spectator. "Opera as Politics", "Opera as Illusion", "Opera as Pleasure", "Opera as Education", "Opera as Passion", "Opera as Death", "Opera as Home" - these are the sections of the exhibition, the space of which was decorated by the artist and architect Alexei Tregubov. In the last hall the visitor himself appears on the stage of baroque theatre, and the final part of the journey will be a VR performance based on Russian and Italian operas, loved by Catherine II or written by her order.

For the first time the Grand Palace Tsaritsyno will showcase materials related to Catherine the Great Opera that have never been exhibited in such volume before, provided by the State Hermitage Museum, the State Historical Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Kuskovo Estate Museum, the Pushkin State Museum-Reserve, the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Reserve, the State Central Theatre Museum named after A.A. Bakhrushin, the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve and many others. The State Central Theatre Museum named after A.A. Bakhrushin, the State Museum-Reserve Peterhof, the A.V. Shchusev Museum of Architecture and many others.

Prepared according to the materials of the official website State Museum-Reserve Tsaritsyno.