Name
The theatre is named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II. There is a bust of the Empress in the main entrance foyer. The theatre's name has changed throughout its history, reflecting the political climate of the time:
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Императорский Мариинский театр | Imperial Mariinsky Theatre |
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Государственный академический театр оперы и балета | State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet |
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Ленинградский государственный академический театр оперы и балета | Leningrad State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet |
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Государственный академический театр оперы и балета имени С.М. Кирова | Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet |
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Государственный aкадемический Мариинский театр | State Academic Mariinsky Theatre |
Note: The acronym "GATOB" (Gosudarstvennïy Akademicheskiy Teatr Operï i Baleta) is often encountered in historical accounts.
The theatre building is commonly called the Mariinsky Theatre. The companies that operate within it have for brand recognition purposes retained the famous Kirov name, acquired during the Soviet era to commemorate the assassinated Leningrad Communist Party leader Sergey Kirov (1886–1934).
Read more about this topic: Mariinsky Theatre
Famous quotes containing the word name:
“Name any name and then remember everybody you ever knew who bore than name. Are they all alike. I think so.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
“What is it? a learned man
Could give it a clumsy name.
Let him name it who can,
The beauty would be the same.”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)