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On December 20 and 21, 2025, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will present Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s suite of character pieces The Seasons in its entirety for the first time. The performances will take part in the Chamber Hall.

This year, the music world is widely celebrating the 185^th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will conclude the series of tribute events with a chamber work by the composer previously unheard at the Theatre.

Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons come in line with the romantic tradition where vivid impressions are described in the form of a suite of short character pieces; they are also part of a series of artistic attempts to connect the changing seasons with the inner world. The orchestral version of the cycle, created by composer and conductor Pavel Smelkov, allows one to hear the hidden symphonic quality of this chamber music. Familiar images, such as the comfort of a fireside, the song of a lark, autumn melancholy, and a dashing troika, take on new colors. The sound of the orchestra highlights both the subtle lyricism and the vivid pictorial quality of these short character pieces, allowing one to appreciate the depth of the original concept anew.

The concert will be rounded up with a major composition based on The Nutcracker, one of the most recognizable and beloved ballets by Tchaikovsky. In this orchestral composition, the ballet’s famous melodies find a unified, dynamic development.

As a reminder, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre has been exploring Pyotr Ilyich’s masterpieces throughout the year. The Great Hall of the Theatre has featured performances of the Piano Concerto No. 1 (soloist Sergey Davydchenko), Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, Symphony No. 4, the Violin Concerto (soloist Ravil Islyamov), and romances for piano and soloists with orchestra. Also, a major concert of the composer’s selected spiritual music has been presented by the Mariinsky Chorus of the Primorsky Stage under the direction of Larisa Shveikovskaya, Honored Artist of Russia.

From December 11 to 14, 2025, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will present a lavish ballet programme of the X International Mariinsky Far East Festival with the participation of the top dancers from the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres. The programme will feature dazzling prima ballerinas, principal dancers, and soloists from the Mariinsky Theatre: Ekaterina Kondaurova, Renata Shakirova, Maria Iliushkina, Konstantin Zverev, Elena Yevseyeva, Nikita Korneyev, Even Capitaine, and Ryoma Hudzeleu, and from the Bolshoi Theatre: Ekaterina Krysanova, Vladislav Lantratov, Igor Tsvirko, Maria Vinogradova, Olga Marchenkova, Mark Chino, Makar Mikhalkin, and Maria Koshkaryova. The Bolshoi Theatre soloists will appear at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre for the first time.

The ballet programme of the Festival will open on December 11, 2025 with a grand Gala concert, complemented by the legendary production of Carmen Suite, performed by Bolshoi Theatre soloists.

On December 12, 2025, the Mariinsky Theatre soloists will perform the lead parts in the ballet Carmen Suite. The Gala concert programmes will consist of choreographic miniatures and concert numbers to music by Auber, Pärt, Pugni, Moszkowski, and Khachaturian which will be performed for the first time in the Far East. The night of December 12, 2025 will be adorned by The Bells choreographed by Yuri Possokhov. All Festival performances will feature soloists and dancers from the Ballet Company of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.

The events of December 11 and 12, 2025 are dedicated to Maya Plisetskaya’s centennial anniversary. In anticipation of the opening of the Festival ballet programme on December 11, 2025, the audiences will have the chance to see a large exhibition of portraits, performance photographs, and photographs featuring the life of the outstanding ballet dancer, previously stored in the photo archives of the Russian News Agency TASS.

The photo exhibition will be located in the auditorium foyers on the 3^rd and 4^th floors of the Great Hall of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre and will be open to the audiences of all Festival and repertoire performances. It will include rare archival photographs capturing the unique movement, character, and creative path of Maya Plisetskaya, one of the most iconic figures in the world ballet.

On December 13, 2025, the anniversary Mariinsky Festival in Vladivostok will continue with a performance of Don Quixote, featuring Bolshoi Theatre principal dancer Igor Tsvirko and first soloist Maria Koshkaryova.

The Festival will end on December 14, 2025 with Amirov’s A Thousand and One Nights, a performance included into the Golden Pool of the Russian Theatrical Productions. This original production, once staged for the Primorsky Ballet Company, has become the Theatre’s most-toured production. It has already been performed at the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres, the Tatar Musa Jalil State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Kazan, and also in Qatar, Oman, Belarus, and China. On December 14, 2025, the leading parts will be performed by Mariinsky Theatre principal dancers Renata Shakirova and Nikita Korneyev, and Primorsky Stage principal dancer Lilia Berezhnova.

As a reminder, the opera programme of the X International Mariinsky Far East Festival was held on October 10 and 11, 2025. Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra presented in Vladivostok outstanding works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Gustav Mahler, composers whose anniversaries are celebrated this year. The recent high-profile premiere of the Primorsky Opera Company, Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore, was also performed.

From December 11 to 14, 2025, leading soloists from the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres will perform on the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in Vladivostok in a vibrant ballet program of the X International Mariinsky Far East Festival. Dazzling prima ballerinas, principal dancers and soloists from the Mariinsky Theatre: Ekaterina Kondaurova, Renata Shakirova, Maria Iliushkina, Konstantin Zverev, Elena Yevseyeva, Nikita Korneyev, Even Capitaine, and Ryoma Hudzeleu will adorn the program, together with brilliant principal dancers and soloists from the Bolshoi Theatre: Ekaterina Krysanova, Vladislav Lantratov, Igor Tsvirko, Maria Vinogradova, Olga Marchenkova, Mark Chino, Makar Mikhalkin, and Maria Koshkaryova. The Bolshoi Theatre soloists will appear at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre for the first time.

The ballet program of the Festival will open on December 11, 2025 with a grand Gala concert, taking over the chain of commemorative events marking the 100^th anniversary of Maya Plisetskaya’s birth. A performance of Bizet – Shchedrin’s legendary ballet Carmen Suite will come as its centerpiece. The leading parts will be performed by Ekaterina Krysanova, Vladislav Lantratov, and Makar Mikhalkin. The night will continue with a divertissement featuring the brilliant soloists of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres. Maria Vinogradova and Igor Tsvirko will perform the Monologue and Adagio from Khachaturian’s Spartacus, while Olga Marchenkova and Mark Chino will perform the Pas de deux from Pugni’s La Fille du pharaon. The Far East audiences will for the first time enjoy A Flashback to music by Pärt, presented by Ekaterina Kondaurova and Konstantin Zverev. Maria Iliushkina and Even Capitaine will present the Grand pas de deux classique by Auber. Elena Yevseyeva and Nikita Korneyev will present Valse by Moszkowski; Renata Shakirova and Ryoma Hudzeleu will present the Pas de deux from Adam’s ballet Le Corsaire.

On December 12, 2025, audiences will be treated to Carmen Suite performed by the unrivaled Ekaterina Kondaurova, Nikita Korneyev, and Konstantin Zverev. Ekaterina Krysanova and Vladislav Lantratov will present The Bells to music by Rachmaninoff, which will be performed in Vladivostok exclusively on that night. The Gala concert will also feature Renata Shakirova, Igor Tsvirko, Maria Iliushkina, Maria Vinogradova, Konstantin Zverev, Mark Chino, Even Capitaine, Elena Yevseyeva, and Ryoma Hudzeleu.

On December 13, 2025, the Festival program will feature Don Quixote by Minkus, with Maria Koshkaryova and Igor Tsvirko performing the lead parts.

The Festival will culminate on December 14, 2025 with Amirov’s Oriental fairy tale A Thousand and One Nights, featuring Renata Shakirova and Nikita Korneyev. Lilia Berezhnova, principal dancer of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, will also perform.

Let us remind you that the opera portion of the X International Mariinsky Far East Festival took place on October 10 and 11, 2025. In Vladivostok, Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra presented outstanding works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Gustav Mahler, composers whose anniversaries are celebrated this year. The Primorsky opera company’s recent high-profile premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore also took place.

The Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre presents its December program, to close out the year 2025. The playbill features opera classics, ballet masterpieces, and special events, including festival evenings and premieres. A series of festive New Year’s performances will culminate the month, creating a faerie atmosphere for audiences of all ages. 

The International Mariinsky Far East Festival will come as the centerpiece of the month; from December 11 to 14, 2025, ballet masterpieces will be presented on stage featuring principal dancers and soloists from St Petersburg. The program will open with two nights (December 11 and 12, 2025) dedicated to the centennial anniversary of the great ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. Gala concert. Carmen Suite will be performed featuring three brilliant principal dancers of the Mariinsky Theatre: Ekaterina Kondaurova, Renata Shakirova, and Maria Iliushkina. On December 13, 2025, audiences will be treated to a colorful festive performance of Don Quixote, and on December 14, 2025, the Oriental fairytale A Thousand and One Nights will be presented featuring Mariinsky Theatre prima Renata Shakirova.

xThe first opera premiere of the season, The Story of Kai and Gerda by Sergei Banevich based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, will come as another Primorsky Stage’s grand event of the month. This production is intended for the whole family and combines musical depth and theatrical magic. Performances will take place on December 25 and 26, 2025 in the Great Hall under the baton of conductor Mikhail Leontiev. 

The month’s repertoire program will open with the opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (December 3, 2025), a poignant drama about fragile love, cultural clashes, and irreparable loss. Anastasiya Kikot, Mingiyan Odzhaev, Tatiana Makarchuk, and Nikita Odalin will be starring.

On December 4, 2025, the connoisseurs will enjoy Swan Lake as part of the “Tchaikovsky – 185” cycle. Conveying choreographic perfection and musical depth, this production will be conducted by Vitaly Shevelev and will feature Anna Samostrelova, Alexei Golubov, and Erlanbek Bayguttuev.

On December 5, 2025, the operetta Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II will take the stage, a vibrant musical spectacle full of intrigue, masquerades, and romantic misunderstandings. On December 6, 2025, the ballet La fille mal gardée set to music by Louis Herold will be performed twice (at 14:00 and 19:00). This light pastoral comedy has become a classic of the genre. On the same day, the Chamber Hall will host two performances (at 12:00 and 15:00) of The Little Prince by Leonid Klinichev, a philosophical operatic parable about friendship, responsibility, and seeing the world through a child’s eyes. 

On December 7, 2025, the Great Hall will present Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, a flamboyant, colorful production filled with magic, wonder, and patriotic pathos. The Theatre’s leading soloists, conducted by Waleriy Trubin-Leonoff, will portray Tsar Saltan, Tsaritsa Militrisa, Tsarevich (Prince) Guidon, and the Nutcracker Squirrel.

As part of the “Tchaikovsky – 185” cycle, a series of performances of The Nutcracker will begin on December 17, 2025. Performances will be held almost daily until the end of the year, including a festive meeting with Grandfather Frost and Snegurochka in the Theatre foyer before each performance. The lead parts in these productions will be performed by Irina Sapozhnikova, Lada Sartakova, Anna Samostrelova, Lilia Berezhnova, Arina Borovykh (Nagase), Shizuru Kato, Denis Klepikov, Sergei Amanbaev, Alexei Golubov, and Razmik Marukyan. Conductors: Dušan Vilić and Vitaly Shevelev.

On December 18, 2025, Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore, a drama about love, revenge, and a fatal misunderstanding, will be performed, starring Samira Galimova, Laura Bustamante, Sayan Isin, and Sergey Krylov. On the same day, the Chamber Hall will host Gennady Gladkov’s Town Musicians of Bremen, a musical fantasia that has become a cult classic for several generations of theatre-goers.

In the final days of the year (December 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31, 2025), the Theatre will continue to create a festive atmosphere for audiences. The Chamber Hall will host performances of Town Musicians of Bremen and The Little Prince. Theatrical concerts “New Year’s Lights” will also set up a special atmosphere for people of all ages.

The opera Il trovatore, a production of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, has been shortlisted for the Golden Mask, the highest national theatre award. The production became a vibrant cultural event in Vladivostok this May, and now has received federal-level recognition.

The production, created by Stage Director Vyacheslav Starodubtsev and Set Designer Pyotr Okunev, invites audiences to immerse themselves in the world of fierce passions and calamitous mistakes of the medieval Spain. The laconic yet striking set design, including costumes and sets crafted in the workshops of the Primorsky Stage, aims to highlight the tragic intensity of the plot and its emotional tension.

Verdi’s Il trovatore is an opera where you won’t get bored. Its puzzling plot, once a target for critics, in the Primorsky Stage company’s interpretation emerges as a model of romantic irrationalism, where powerful passions, sharp contrasts, and dramatic situations come into the fore. The action unfolds in spectacular locations: from a palace and a convent to a gypsy camp and a prison. The action almost always takes place on a mysterious night.

As Enrico Caruso once noted, the opera’s success depends primarily on the soloists. The plot centers on four vivid characters: the beautiful noble lady Leonora (soprano), the brave troubadour Manrico (tenor), the cruel Count di Luna (baritone), and the tragic gypsy Azucena (mezzo-soprano), torn between maternal love and a thirst for revenge. The score is adorned by powerful choruses and ensembles that reveal the full vocal richness of the opera, while the orchestra provides the perfect support for Verdi’s timeless melodies.

In Vladivostok, Il trovatore will be performed on December 18, 2025 and January 23, 2026. Pavel Smelkov, Principal Conductor of the Primorsky Stage, will take the baton.

On November 20, 21, and 22, 2025, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will host three evenings dedicated to the centennial anniversary of Maya Plisetskaya, one of the greatest ballet dancers of the twentieth century.

During the celebration dedicated to the outstanding prima ballerina, the Ballet Company of the Primorsky Stage will present two concert programmes and the legendary ballet Carmen Suite, as well as Konyok-Gorbunok (The Little Humpbacked Horse), whose score composer Rodion Shchedrin dedicated to Maya Mikhailovna.

The Ballet Evening programme is structured as a dialogue of eras and styles. It includes both the pieces created specifically for Plisetskaya, and some new choreographic compositions that inherit her approach: virtuosic, daring, and deeply dramatic.

The evening will open with the Grand pas from Alexander Glazunov’s Raymonda. When Maya Plisetskaya was 19, she performed the title part in this ballet, and this brought her widespread acclaim. The choreography for this number was set by Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev, and later revised by Eldar Aliev, Ballet Artistic Director of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. The part of Raymonda will be performed by the principal dancer Anna Samostrelova, Honored Artist of Russia; the Ballet Company’s soloist Alexei Golubov will perform the part of Jean de Brienne.

One of the evening’s numbers will be Plisetskaya’s signature piece, The Dying Swan, to the music by Camille Saint-Saëns. The ballerina followed Michel Fokine’s choreography, but interpreted the dance as a strong being’s struggle for life, thus imbuing it with a tragic power never seen before. On the Primorsky Stage, the part of the Swan will be performed by Anastasia Baluda.

The highlight of the evening will be Carmen Suite by Georges Bizet – Rodion Shchedrin, created especially for Maya Plisetskaya by choreographer Alberto Alonso. The ballerina, captivated by the image of Bizet’s heroine, was inspired by the winter tour of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. Once, during interval, she approached choreographer Alberto Alonso with a request to stage Carmen for her.

The stage set, transforming the space into a bullfighting arena, was designed by her cousin, theater artist Boris Messerer. Plisetskaya asked Shostakovich to compose the music, but he suggested that she turn to her own husband. Rodion Shchedrin created a rehearsal draft overnight, cutting down on the music from Bizet’s opera. Within another 20 days, he completed the arrangement for strings and percussion. In four months, a true choreographic masterpiece was born, bearing the profound imprint of all its creators. On November 20, 2025, the principal dancer Irina Sapozhnikova will perform the part of Carmen at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, with the principal dancer Razmik Marukyan performing the part of José. The following day, November 21, 2025, the principal dancers Anna Samostrelova and Sergei Umanetc will perform the same parts.

During the Ballet Evening, the Mariinsky Orchestra of the Primorsky Stage will be conducted by Dušan Vilić, Vitaly Shevelev, and Pavel Smelkov.

On November 21, 2025, an hour before the start of the Ballet Evening, a Scenic Introduction meeting will be held in the foyer on the 4^th floor of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. The attendance will be free for all spectators.

On November 22, 2025, the Primorsky Stage will host a performance of Konyok-Gorbunok (The Little Humpbacked Horse) ballet, based on the fairy tale by Pyotr Yershov and music by Rodion Shchedrin, which he wrote during his student years. The part of Ivan the Fool will be performed by the principal dancer of the Primorsky Stage Sergei Umanetc, and the part of The Little Humpbacked Horse will be performed by the principal dancer Shizuru Kato. The part of the Tsar-Maiden will be performed by the principal dancer Irina Sapozhnikova. Dušan Vilić will take the conductor’s console.

On December 25 and 26, 2025, the first opera premiere of the season will be taking place on the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre: The Story of Kai and Gerda by Sergei Banevich. This Primorsky Stage production will come as a fresh take on the beloved fairy tale.

Tatiana Kalinina’s libretto draws not only upon the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, but also upon the screenplay of the 1966 fantasy drama film, written by Evgeny Schwartz, thereby imbuing the narrative with particular psychological depth. It’s not just a magical story that unfolds before the audience, but a parable about the choice between the animate, vulnerable feelings and the temptation of cold, painless perfection.

Sergei Banevich is a significant figure in the Saint Petersburg school of composition, a follower of the traditions of Galina Ustvolskaya and Orest Evlakhov. In his opera, he sets up a clear and expressive system of leitmotifs. Gerda’s music is warm, smooth, and lyrically open, as opposed to the Snow Queen whose image sounds fragile and detached, with the timbres of celesta, harp, and bells, creating a sense of icy, lifeless beauty. Kai undergoes a complex journey: his musical image changes from childlike spontaneity to alienation and, in the finale, to epiphany.

The opera is a seamless blend of symphonic episodes, including the famous Flight on the Reindeer scene, the dance interludes, and the musings of the wise Lamplighter. The part of the Atamansha, being sung by a bass (this technique is specific for the Russian operatic tradition) adds a comical touch to the performance.

Originally titled The Story of Gerda and Kai, the opera was first performed at the Leningrad Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1980, and underwent over a hundred performances then. The composer subsequently returned to the score several times, creating new Russian versions in 1996 and 2009, and a version to a German libretto for international productions, including a performance in the Haydnsaal of the Schloss Esterházy. In the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, the popular fairy tale is presented in its version of 2016, a production staged by Alexei Stepanyuk and designed by Elena Orlova.

On the Primorsky Stage, this production has come as a fresh take on one of the most significant musical works; created for children, it speaks also to adults through the language of sincerity, faith, and inner strength. The production is being prepared by Stage Director Alexander Ponomarev and Production and Costume Designer Pyotr Okunev.

One of the highlights of this interpretation will be the participation of students from the Primorsky branch of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (the Bolshoi Ballet Academy). Young ballet dancers are preparing their performances under the direction of Vladislav Rzhevsky, a member of the Ballet Company of the Primorsky Stage and choreographer, prizewinner at the All-Russian Competition of Ballet Dancers and Choreographers (2025).

The performances on December 25 and 26, 2025 will be conducted by Mikhail Leontiev. Premiere performances will also take place on January 7, 8, and 9, 2026.

Mikhail Leontiev is a Saint Petersburg conductor and a graduate from the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, specializing both in Choral and Opera & Symphony Conducting. He has taken classes from outstanding masters of the Russian conducting school, Vladislav Chernushenko and Ravil Martynov. Leontiev has also taken international master classes from Jorma Panula, Neeme and Paavo Järvi, Mark Gorenstein, and other renowned maestros.

Leontiev’s career has been shaped in the leading national orchestras: he has worked at the Academic Glinka Capella and the Mikhailovsky Theatre, served as Artistic Director of the Tambov Symphony Orchestra, and led the Surgut Symphony Orchestra and the Far Eastern Academic Symphony Orchestra in Khabarovsk. Since August 2023, Mikhail Leontiev has been conductor of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Leontiev regularly performs with orchestras in Russia and abroad, from the Saint Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonic Orchestras to symphony orchestras from Japan, Poland, and Estonia. In 2017, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation recognized him as one of the 90 best young cultural figures in Russia.

On November 7, 2025, principal dancers of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, Irina Sapozhnikova and Sergei Umanetc, will perform at the Zaryadye Concert Hall in a concert marking the anniversary of the outstanding ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya.

Leading soloists from theatres in Russia will perform at the gala concert dedicated to the centennial anniversary of Maya Mikhailovna. The Mariinsky Theatre will be represented by Irina Sapozhnikova and Sergei Umanetc, along with the first soloist of the St Petersburg Ballet Company Elena Svinko.

Among guest performers, there are principal dancer of the Bolshoi Theatre Dmitry Smilevsky and first soloists Denis Zakharov and Maria Koshkaryova, principal dancers of the Moscow State Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (MAMT) Natalia Somova and Oxana Kardash, principals of the Tatar Musa Jalil State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet Amanda Gomez and Mikhail Timayev, principal dancers of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre Anna Kudryavtseva and Yuri Kudryavtsev.

The programme of the night will include famous miniatures and ballet pieces from Plisetskaya’s repertoire, which have become renowned thanks to the performances by the legendary prima ballerina: Carmen Suite, The Swan, Don Quixote, The Legend of Love, etc.

Irina Sapozhnikova and Sergei Umanetc will perform the pas de deux from Act 2 of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake; this pas de deux, choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and revised by Konstantin Sergeyev, is also known as the “black” pas de deux. They will also perform the choreographic miniature Melody from the opera Orfeo ed Euridice to the music by Christoph Willibald Gluck, choreographed by Asaf Messerer.