The Ekaterinburg state academic Opera and ballet theatre

City theatre of Opera and ballet was built by the project V.N.Semenov. The theatre was opened on 12 September 1912 by the Opera of M.I. Glinka's "a life for the Tsar". The Ekaterinburg theatre of Opera and ballet is one of the oldest in Russia. The building of the theatre began to build in 1903 by Ekaterinburg’s architect K. T. Babykin according the project of Petersburg’s architect V. N. Semenov, who won the open all-Russia competition. On September 12, 1912 were solemn opening with the Opera of M.I. Glinka's "a life for the Tsar". The first ballet production of the new theatre in 1914 was a work Riccardo Drigo "the Magic flute".

In 1919, in the square opposite the Opera house was a monument to the Paris Communards - pyramidal wooden stele, covered with plaster bas-reliefs on the theme of the Paris Commune. In 1927 the dilapidated monument was dismantled, and in its place put a monument to Jakov Sverdlov by the work of the legendary sculptor M.Ya. Kharlamov.

In Soviet times the Sverdlovsk Opera and ballet became one of the best in the country. In 1966 it received the status of academic. Twice the theatre was awarded the state prize of the USSR. Alexander Pirogov, Fatma Mukhtarova, Sergei Lemeshev, Ivan Kozlovsky, Irina Arkhipova, Yuriy Gulyaev, Boris Shtokolov and many others performed there. Today the Theatre of Opera and ballet worthy of the capital city, it is one of the prominent attractions of the city.

Interesting fact that the Square, on which is located the Opera and ballet Theatre, in the nineteenth century called a Wood: they were selling firewood. Then, in 1896, built a wooden circus, where, along with circus performances staged dramatic performances, and later movies were shown. After installation in 1919, the monument to the Paris Communards the square was given the new name - the square of the Paris commune.