Tugan Sokhiev, the chief conductor at Moscow’s prestigious Bolshoi Theater, announced he was quitting his job after coming under pressure to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Sokhiev also said he was resigning as conductor of an orchestra in the French city of Toulouse, where officials had pressed him to clarify his attitude to the invasion.
“Today I am forced to make a choice and choose one of my musical family over the other. I am being asked to choose one cultural tradition over the other,” he said in a post on Facebook.
“I have decided to resign from my positions as Music Director of Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse with immediate effect,” he said. Last week the Munich Philharmonic dismissed chief conductor Valery Gergiev with immediate effect after he did not respond to calls to condemn the invasion.
Standing in the heart of Moscow, the Bolshoi Theater is one of the best and most prestigious theaters in the world. It’s a great touristic and cultural landmark that tourists must visit to enjoy the international shows it hosts and contemplate its breathtaking building in which lived Caesars and princesses a long time ago.
The Bolshoi Theater was established in 1776, when Empress Catherine II granted Prince Pyotr Urusov (1733-1813) a ten-year privilege to organize opera, drama, and ballet events. The first building of the theater was constructed on the bank of the river Neglinka, overlooking the Petrovka Street…at the time, it was called the Petrovsky Theater and opened in 1780. Over the years, the theater burnt several times until it finally settled on its current, amazing design created by architect Joseph Bové in 1825. Given its massive size, the building was finally named the Bolshoi Theater or the grand theater.
The main hall in the Bolshoi Theater can accommodate up to 3,000 guests. It boasts the world’s oldest ballet group composed of 200 artists and the dream of any ballet dancer seeking fame. The building had experienced many disasters including floodings, fires, and Hitler bombs, which didn’t manage to demolish this historic symbol of culture and art. The theater is featured on the current 100 ruble banknote.
