The Mariinsky Theater is probably better known as the Kirov Theater, as which it was known in the Soviet era and which it still tours as in the West.
The Mariinsky Theater, named in honor of Maria Fedorovna, the wife of Emperor Alexander II, was built by architect Cavos in 1859-1860. The building was constructed on Teatralnaya Square, and since then the square was recognized as the center of the cultural life of Petersburg. The hall of the Mariinsky Theater is one of the most beautiful in the world. It is decorated with splendid three-circled chandelier and vivid plafond, designed by master Frachioli, famous curtain by Alexander Golovin, and gilded decorations and statues. The opera and ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater is famous all over the world for its professionalism, talent and mastery. The repertoire includes such classics as Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, the Nutcracker, the Swan Lake, works by Mozart, Verdi and Rossini, operas Don Juan by Mozart and War and Peace by Prokofiev. Among the performances that were recently staged are the Jewels by Balanchin, La Boheme by Puccini and Macbeth by Verdi. Each new performance at the Mariinsky Theater is a real event in the cultural life of Saint Petersburg.