In the last month of winter, the repertoire of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will treat the theatre-goers to a series of brilliant performances, popular masterpieces, and favourite productions.
The Snow Maiden, a spring fairy tale by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (February 1, 2026) opens the month. This opera, based on the fairy tale of the same name by Alexander Ostrovsky, has become one of the composer’s most famous and frequently performed works. Rimsky-Korsakov himself considered The Snow Maiden to be his best work.
The series of operatic events will continue with Gaetano Donizetti’s sparkling comedy Don Pasquale (February 5, 2026); the recent major premiere of The Story of Kai and Gerda by Sergei Banevich (February 7, 2026 at 14:00 and 19:00), in which deep meaning and beautiful music have amalgamated; the grandiose Aida by Giuseppe Verdi (February 13, 2026); Pagliacci, a love tragedy by Ruggero Leoncavallo (February 15, 2026); the lyrical La traviata by Verdi (February 19, 2026); Die Fledermaus, the “Queen of Operettas” by Johann Strauss II (February 21, 2026); an opera on a historical plot, The Tsar’s Bride by Rimsky-Korsakov (February 27, 2026); and Il trovatore, Verdi’s intricate story of love, enmity and revenge (February 28, 2026).
The performance of Verdi’s magnificent Requiem (February 23, 2026) will come as the highlight event of February. Composed in memory of Gioachino Rossini and Alessandro Manzoni, this work by Verdi stands out among other liturgical pieces for its vibrant theatricality. The composer focused on the essential element, human emotions in the fateful moment between life and death, expressing them in impeccable musical form.
On February 12, 2026, the ballet world will be celebrating the 145th anniversary of the incomparable Anna Pavlova, prima ballerina of the Imperial Theatres, who has created iconic images and become a symbol of the Russian ballet abroad. Anna Pavlova shone in the star parts of classical ballets. The theatre-goers will be able to enjoy those in February on the Primorsky Stage: Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty (February 6 and 8, 2026) and Swan Lake (February 18, 2026), Adolphe Adam’s Giselle (February 14 and 26, 2026), and Ludwig Minkus’ Don Quixote (February 12 and 22, 2026).
For the younger audiences, the Chamber Hall has in store performances about friendship and mutual support in February: The Little Prince by Leonid Klinichev (February 8, 2026), The Turnip by Rustam Sagdiev (February 14, 2026 at 12:00 and 14:00), Town Musicians of Bremen by Gennady Gladkov (February 22, 2026 at 12:00 and 14:00), and Murych the Cat by Sergei Banevich (February 23, 2026).
