Bolshoi Theatre set to reopen

After years of reconstruction amid accusations of embezzlement and fraud, Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre is ready to reopen in its tsarist-era, violin-shaped form.

Construction company Summa Capital said today the theatre will reopen in October in its original 1825 design, with tsarist insignia and additional underground stages.

The 1825 building was damaged by fires and a Nazi bombing. The Communists used the theatre for party gatherings and expanded the hall, damaging the acoustics.

In 2005, the theatre closed for reconstruction that authorities said cost at least €452m.

Investigators said in 2009 that millions of euro had been misspent by a sub-contractor.

Productions by the famed Bolshoi ballet and opera corps have continued at a nearby auxiliary theatre.