Current state

Since 2006, the FIVB has united 220 national volleyball federations, making volleyball one of the most popular sports on Earth. In August 2008, Chinese Wei Jizhong was elected as the new president of the FIVB.

Volleyball is the most developed sport in countries such as Russia, Brazil, China, Italy, USA, Japan, and Poland. The current world champion among men is the Brazilian national team (2006), among women - the Russian national team (2006).

Development of volleyball in Russia

As the publication “All About Sports” (1978) notes, volleyball was born overseas, but at first it was a stepson on the American continent. “Our country became his true homeland. It was in the Soviet Union that volleyball acquired its remarkable qualities. He became athletic, fast, agile, as we know him today.”

Pre-war volleyball in the USSR was jokingly called “the game of actors.” After all, in Moscow, the first volleyball courts appeared in the courtyards of the Meyerhold, Kamerny, Revolution, Vakhtangov theaters. On July 28, 1923, the first official match took place on Myasnitskaya Street, in which the teams of the Higher Art Theater Workshops (VKHUTEMAS) and the State School of Cinematography (GShK) met. From this meeting the chronology of our volleyball begins. The pioneers of the new sport were masters of art, future People's Artists of the USSR Nikolai Bogolyubov, Boris Shchukin, Anatoly Ktorov and Rina Zelenaya, future famous artists Georgy Nissky and Yakov Romas. The level of skill of the actors at that time was not inferior to the sports one - the club "Rabis" (trade union of arts workers) beat the team of the sports society "Dynamo" (Moscow).

In January 1925, the Moscow Council of Physical Education developed and approved the first official rules for volleyball competitions. According to these rules, Moscow championships have been regularly held since 1927. An important event in the development of volleyball in our country was the championship played during the first All-Union Spartakiad in 1928 in Moscow. It was attended by men's and women's teams from Moscow, Ukraine, the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, and the Far East. In the same year, a permanent panel of judges was created in Moscow.

For the development of volleyball, mass competitions held at the sites of cultural and recreation parks in many cities of the USSR were of great importance. These games also became a good school for foreign guests - in the early 30s, competition rules were published in Germany under the name “Volleyball - a Russian folk game.”

In the spring of 1932, a volleyball section was created under the All-Union Council of Physical Culture of the USSR. In 1933, during a session of the Central Executive Committee, an exhibition match was played between the teams of Moscow and Dnepropetrovsk on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in front of the leaders of the ruling party and government of the USSR. And a year later, the championships of the Soviet Union were regularly held, officially called the “All-Union Volleyball Festival.” Having become the leaders of domestic volleyball, Moscow athletes were honored to represent it on the international stage, when Afghan athletes were guests and rivals in 1935. Despite the fact that the games were played according to Asian rules, the Soviet volleyball players won a convincing victory - 2:0 (22:1, 22:2).

During the Great Patriotic War, volleyball continued to be cultivated in military units. Already in 1943, volleyball courts in the rear began to come to life. Since 1945, the USSR championships have been resumed, and volleyball in our country has become one of the most popular sports. The number of people involved in volleyball was estimated at 5-6 million (and according to some sources, several times more). As the legendary coach Vyacheslav Platonov notes in his book “The Equation with Six Famous”, “those days, those years are unimaginable without volleyball. The ball flying through a net stretched between two pillars (trees, racks) had a magical effect on teenagers, on boys and girls, on brave warriors returning from the battlefields, on those who were drawn to each other. And then everyone was drawn to each other.” Volleyball was played in courtyards, parks, stadiums, on beaches... Together with amateurs, recognized masters - Anatoly Chinilin, Anatoly Eingorn, Vladimir Ulyanov - did not hesitate to go to the net. Thanks to such mass participation, schoolchildren who picked up a ball for the first time quickly grew into real stars of Soviet and world volleyball.

Competitions for the USSR championship were held exclusively in open areas, most often after football matches next to the stadiums, and the largest competitions, such as the 1952 World Cup, were held in the same stadiums with crowded stands.

In 1947, Soviet volleyball players entered the international arena. At the first World Youth Festival in Prague, a volleyball tournament was held, in which the Leningrad team participated, reinforced, as was customary then, by Muscovites. The team was led by legendary coaches Alexey Baryshnikov and Anatoly Chinilin. Our athletes won 5 matches with a score of 2:0, and only the last 2:1 (13:15, 15:10, 15:7) against the hosts, the Czechoslovakian national team. The first “women’s” trip took place in 1948 - the capital’s team “Lokomotiv” went to Poland, supplemented by colleagues from the Moscow “Dynamo” and “Spartak” and the Leningrad Spartak team. In the same 1948, the All-Union Volleyball Section became members of the International Volleyball Federation (and not American, but our rules of the game formed the basis of international ones), and in 1949, our players took part in official international competitions for the first time. The debut turned out to be “golden” - the USSR women's team won the title of European champions, and the men's team won the World Championship. In 1959, the USSR Volleyball Federation was formed.

Our men's team also became the first Olympic champion in Tokyo 1964. She won both the Olympics in Mexico City (1968) and Moscow (1980). And the women's team won the title of Olympic champion four times (1968, 1972, 1980 and 1988).

Soviet volleyball players are 6-time world champions, 12-time European champions, 4-time World Cup winners. The USSR women's team won the World Championships 5 times, European Championships 13 times, and the World Cup 1 time.

The All-Russian Volleyball Federation (VFV) was founded in 1991. The president of the federation is Nikolai Patrushev. The Russian men's team is the winner of the 1999 World Cup and the 2002 World League. The women's team won the 2006 World Championships, European Championships (1993, 1997, 1999, 2001), Grand Prix (1997, 1999, 2002), and the 1997 World Champions Cup.

Under the auspices of the FIVB

The Olympic Games are held every 4 years. The World Championship is also held every 4 years. The World Champions Cup is held every 4 years. The World League is held once a year. The Grand Prize is held once a year. Under the auspices of CEV, the European Championship is held every 2 years.

The Bolshoi Theater of Russia is a state academic theater (SABT), one of the oldest theaters in the country (Moscow). Academic since 1919. The history of the Bolshoi Theater dates back to 1776, when Prince P. V. Urusov received the government privilege “to be the host of all theatrical performances in Moscow” with the obligation to build a stone theater “so that it could serve as a decoration for the city, and moreover, a house for public masquerades, comedies and comic operas." In the same year, Urusov invited M. Medox, a native of England, to participate in expenses. The performances were held at the Opera House on Znamenka, which was in the possession of Count R. I. Vorontsov (in the summer - in the “voxal” in the possession of Count A. S. Stroganov “near the Andronikov Monastery”). Opera, ballet and dramatic performances were performed by actors and musicians from the theater troupe of Moscow University, the serf troupes of N. S. Titov and P. V. Urusov.

After the fire of the Opera House in 1780, in the same year, a theater building in the style of Catherine's classicism was erected on Petrovka Street in the same year - the Petrovsky Theater (architect H. Rosberg; see Medoxa Theater). Since 1789 it has been under the jurisdiction of the Board of Guardians. In 1805, the Petrovsky Theater burned down. In 1806, the troupe came under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of the Moscow Imperial Theaters and continued to perform in different premises. In 1816, a project for the reconstruction of Teatralnaya Square by architect O. I. Bove was adopted; in 1821, Emperor Alexander I approved the design of a new theater building by architect A. A. Mikhailov. The so-called Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater in the Empire style was built by Beauvais according to this project (with some modifications and using the foundation of the Petrovsky Theater); opened in 1825. A horseshoe-shaped auditorium was inscribed into the rectangular volume of the building; the stage area was equal in area to the hall and had large corridors. The main façade was accented by a monumental 8-column Ionic portico with a triangular pediment, topped with a sculptural alabaster group “Apollo’s Quadriga” (placed against the backdrop of a semicircular niche). The building became the main compositional dominant of the Theater Square ensemble.

After the fire of 1853, the Bolshoi Theater was restored according to the design of the architect A. K. Kavos (with the replacement of the sculptural group with a work in bronze by P. K. Klodt); construction was completed in 1856. The reconstruction significantly changed its appearance, but retained the layout; The architecture of the Bolshoi Theater acquired features of eclecticism. The theater remained in this form until 2005, with the exception of minor internal and external reconstructions (the auditorium seats over 2,000 people). In 1924-59, a branch of the Bolshoi Theater operated (in the premises of the former S.I. Zimin Opera on Bolshaya Dmitrovka). In 1920, a concert hall, the so-called Beethoven Hall, opened in the former imperial foyer. During the Great Patriotic War, part of the Bolshoi Theater staff was evacuated to Kuibyshev (1941-42), some gave performances on the premises of the branch. In 1961-89, some Bolshoi Theater performances took place on the stage of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. During the reconstruction (since 2005) of the main theater building, performances are staged on the New Stage in a specially built building (designed by architect A.V. Maslov; in operation since 2002). The Bolshoi Theater is included in the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.

N. N. Afanasyeva, A. A. Aronova.

A significant role in the history of the Bolshoi Theater was played by the activities of the directors of the imperial theaters - I. A. Vsevolozhsky (1881-99), Prince S. M. Volkonsky (1899-1901), V. A. Telyakovsky (1901-1917). In 1882, a reorganization of the imperial theaters was carried out; the positions of chief conductor (kapellmeister; became I.K. Altani, 1882-1906), chief director (A.I. Bartsal, 1882-1903) and chief choirmaster ( U. I. Avranek, 1882-1929). The design of performances became more complex and gradually went beyond simple stage decoration; K. F. Waltz (1861-1910) became famous as the chief machinist and decorator. Subsequently, the main conductors of the Bolshoi Theater were: V. I. Suk (1906-33), A. F. Arende (chief conductor of the ballet, 1900-24), S. A. Samosud (1936-43), A. M. Pazovsky (1943-48), N. S. Golovanov (1948-53), A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev (1953-63), E. F. Svetlanov (1963-65), G. N. Rozhdestvensky (1965-1970), Yu. I. Simonov (1970-85), A. N. Lazarev (1987-95). Main directors: V. A. Lossky (1920-28), N. V. Smolich (1930-1936), B. A. Mordvinov (1936-40), L. V. Baratov (1944-49) , I. M. Tumanov (1964-70), B. A. Pokrovsky (1952-55, 1956-63, 1970-82). Main choreographers: A. N. Bogdanov (1883-89), A. A. Gorsky (1902-24), L. M. Lavrovsky (1944-56, 1959-64), Yu. N. Grigorovich (1964 -95 years). Main choirmasters: V. P. Stepanov (1926-1936), M. A. Cooper (1936-44), M. G. Shorin (1944-58), A. V. Rybnov (1958-88) , S. M. Lykov (1988-95, artistic director of the choir in 1995-2003). Main artists: M. I. Kurilko (1925-27), F. F. Fedorovsky (1927-29, 1947-53), V. V. Dmitriev (1930-41), P. V. Williams (1941 -47 years), V. F. Ryndin (1953-70), N. N. Zolotarev (1971-88), V. Ya. Levental (1988-1995). In the 1995-2000s, the artistic director of the theater was V.V. Vasiliev, the artistic director, set designer and chief artist was S.M. Barkhin, the musical director was P. Feranets, since 1998 - M.F. Ermler; artistic director of the opera B. A. Rudenko. Manager of the ballet troupe - A. Yu. Bogatyrev (1995-98); artistic directors of the ballet troupe - V. M. Gordeev (1995-97), A. N. Fadeechev (1998-2000), B. B. Akimov (2000-04), since 2004 - A. O. Ratmansky . In 2000-01, the artistic director was G. N. Rozhdestvensky. Since 2001, music director and chief conductor - A. A. Vedernikov.

Opera at the Bolshoi Theater. In 1779, one of the first Russian operas was staged at the Opera House on Znamenka - “The Miller - the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker” (text by A. O. Ablesimov, music by M. M. Sokolovsky). The Petrovsky Theater staged the allegorical prologue “Wanderers” (text by Ablesimov, music by E. I. Fomin), performed on the opening day of 12/30/1780 (10/1/1781), opera performances “Misfortune from the Coach” (1780), “The Miser” ( 1782), “St. Petersburg Gostiny Dvor” (1783) by V. A. Pashkevich. The development of the opera house was influenced by the tours of the Italian (1780-82) and French (1784-1785) troupes. The troupe of the Petrovsky Theater consisted of actors and singers E. S. Sandunova, M. S. Sinyavskaya, A. G. Ozhogin, P. A. Plavilshchikov, Ya. E. Shusherin and others. The Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater opened on January 6 (18), 1825 prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” by A. A. Alyabyev and A. N. Verstovsky. Since that time, the operatic repertoire has been increasingly occupied by works by domestic authors, mainly vaudeville operas. For over 30 years, the work of the opera troupe was connected with the activities of Verstovsky - inspector of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and composer, author of the operas "Pan Tvardovsky" (1828), "Vadim" (1832), "Askold's Grave" (1835), "Longing for homeland" (1839). In the 1840s, the Russian classical operas “A Life for the Tsar” (1842) and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” (1846) by M. I. Glinka were staged. In 1856, the newly rebuilt Bolshoi Theater opened with V. Bellini’s opera “The Puritans” performed by an Italian troupe. The 1860s were marked by increased Western European influence (the new Directorate of Imperial Theaters favored Italian opera and foreign musicians). Among domestic operas, “Judith” (1865) and “Rogneda” (1868) by A. N. Serov, “Rusalka” by A. S. Dargomyzhsky (1859, 1865) were staged; since 1869, operas by P. I. Tchaikovsky. The rise of Russian musical culture at the Bolshoi Theater is associated with the first production on the big opera stage of “Eugene Onegin” (1881), as well as other works by Tchaikovsky, operas by St. Petersburg composers - N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, M. P. Mussorgsky, with the conductor activities of Tchaikovsky. At the same time, the best works of foreign composers were staged - W. A. ​​Mozart, G. Verdi, C. Gounod, J. Bizet, R. Wagner. Among the singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: M. G. Gukova, E. P. Kadmina, N. V. Salina, A. I. Bartsal, I. V. Gryzunov, V. R. Petrov, P. A. Khokhlov . The conducting activity of S. V. Rachmaninov (1904-1906) became a milestone for the Bolshoi Theater. The heyday of the Bolshoi Theater in 1901-17 is largely associated with the names of F. I. Chaliapin, L. V. Sobinov and A. V. Nezhdanova, K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, K. A. Korovin and A. Ya. Golovin.

In 1906-33, the de facto head of the Bolshoi Theater was V.I. Suk, who continued to work on Russian and foreign opera classics together with directors V. A. Lossky (“Aida” by G. Verdi, 1922; “Lohengrin” by R. Wagner, 1923; “Boris Godunov” by M. P. Mussorgsky, 1927 year) and L.V. Baratov, artist F.F. Fedorovsky. In the 1920-1930s, performances were conducted by N. S. Golovanov, A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev, A. M. Pazovsky, S. A. Samosud, B. E. Khaikin, V. V. Barsova sang on stage, K. G. Derzhinskaya, E. D. Kruglikova, M. P. Maksakova, N. A. Obukhova, E. A. Stepanova, A. I. Baturin, I. S. Kozlovsky, S. Ya. Lemeshev, M. D. Mikhailov, P. M. Nortsov, A. S. Pirogov. Premieres of Soviet operas took place: “The Decembrists” by V. A. Zolotarev (1925), “Son of the Sun” by S. N. Vasilenko and “The Stupid Artist” by I. P. Shishov (both 1929), “Almast” by A. A. Spendiarova (1930); in 1935, the opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by D. D. Shostakovich was staged. At the end of 1940, Wagner's Walküre was staged (directed by S. M. Eisenstein). The last pre-war production was Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina (February 13, 1941). In 1918-22, the Opera Studio operated at the Bolshoi Theater under the direction of K. S. Stanislavsky.

In September 1943, the Bolshoi Theater opened its season in Moscow with the opera “Ivan Susanin” by M. I. Glinka. In the 1940-50s, Russian and European classical repertoire was staged, as well as operas by composers from Eastern Europe - B. Smetana, S. Moniuszko, L. Janacek, F. Erkel. Since 1943, the name of director B. A. Pokrovsky has been associated with the Bolshoi Theater, who for over 50 years determined the artistic level of opera performances; His productions of the operas “War and Peace” (1959), “Semyon Kotko” (1970) and “The Gambler” (1974) by S. S. Prokofiev, “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by Glinka (1972), “Othello” are considered standard. » G. Verdi (1978). In general, the opera repertoire of the 1970s - early 1980s is characterized by stylistic diversity: from operas of the 18th century (Julius Caesar by G. F. Handel, 1979; Iphigenia in Aulis by K. V. Gluck, 1983) , opera classics of the 19th century (Das Rheingold by R. Wagner, 1979) to Soviet opera (Dead Souls by R.K. Shchedrin, 1977; Betrothal in a Monastery by Prokofiev, 1982). In the best performances of the 1950-70s, I. K. Arkhipova, G. P. Vishnevskaya, M. F. Kasrashvili, T. A. Milashkina, E. V. Obraztsova, B. A. Rudenko, T. I. sang. Sinyavskaya, V. A. Atlantov, A. A. Vedernikov, A. F. Krivchenya, S. Ya. Lemeshev, P. G. Lisitsian, Yu. A. Mazurok, E. E. Nesterenko, A. P. Ognivtsev, I. I. Petrov, M. O. Reizen, Z. L. Sotkilava, A. A. Eisen, conducted by E. F. Svetlanov, G. N. Rozhdestvensky, K. A. Simeonov and others. With the exception of the position of chief director (1982) and the departure of Yu. I. Simonov from the theater began a period of instability; Until 1988, only a few opera productions were performed: “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” (directed by R. I. Tikhomirov) and “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (directed by G. P. Ansimov) by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, “Werther” J. Massenet (director E. V. Obraztsova), “Mazeppa” by P. I. Tchaikovsky (director S. F. Bondarchuk). Since the late 1980s, the operatic repertoire policy has been determined by a focus on rarely performed works: Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orleans” (1990, for the first time on the Bolshoi Theater stage), “Mlada”, “The Night Before Christmas” and “The Golden Cockerel” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Aleko” and “The Miserly Knight” by S. V. Rachmaninov. Among the productions is the joint Russian-Italian work “Prince Igor” by A. P. Borodin (1993). During these years, a mass exodus of singers began abroad, which (in the absence of the position of chief director) led to a decrease in the quality of performances.

In the 1995-2000s, the basis of the repertoire was Russian operas of the 19th century, among the productions: “Ivan Susanin” by M. I. Glinka (resumption of the 1945 production by L. V. Baratov, director V. G. Milkov), “Iolanta” by P. . I. Tchaikovsky (director G. P. Ansimov; both 1997), “Francesca da Rimini” by S. V. Rachmaninov (1998, director B. A. Pokrovsky). On the initiative of B. A. Rudenko, Italian operas were performed (“Norma” by V. Bellini; “Lucia di Lammermoor” by G. Donizetti). Other productions: “The Beautiful Miller's Maid” by G. Paisiello; “Nabucco” by G. Verdi (director M. S. Kislyarov), “The Marriage of Figaro” by W. A. ​​Mozart (German director I. Herz), “La Bohème” by G. Puccini (Austrian director F. Mirdita), the most successful of them - “The Love for Three Oranges” by S. S. Prokofiev (English director P. Ustinov). In 2001, under the direction of G. N. Rozhdestvensky, the premiere of the 1st edition of Prokofiev’s opera “The Gambler” took place (directed by A. B. Titel).

Fundamentals of repertoire and personnel policy (since 2001): enterprise principle of working on a performance, inviting performers on a contract basis (with a gradual reduction of the main troupe), rental of foreign performances (“Force of Destiny” and “Falstaff” by G. Verdi; “Adrienne Lecouvreur” F. Cilea). The number of new opera productions has increased, among them: “Khovanshchina” by M. P. Mussorgsky, “The Snow Maiden” by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, “Turandot” by G. Puccini (all 2002), “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M. I. Glinka (2003; authentic performance), “The Rake’s Progress” by I. F. Stravinsky (2003; for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater), “Fiery Angel” by S. S. Prokofiev (for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater) and “The Flying Dutchman” by R. Wagner (both 2004), “Children of Rosenthal” by L. A. Desyatnikov (2005).

N. N. Afanasyeva.

Bolshoi Theater Ballet. In 1784, the troupe of the Petrovsky Theater included students of the ballet class opened in 1773 at the Orphanage. The first choreographers were Italians and French (L. Paradise, F. and C. Morelli, P. Pinucci, G. Solomoni). The repertoire included their own productions and transfers of performances by J. J. Noverre. In the development of the ballet art of the Bolshoi Theater in the 1st third of the 19th century, the activity of A.P. Glushkovsky, who headed the ballet troupe in 1812-39, was of greatest importance. He staged performances of various genres, including stories based on stories by A. S. Pushkin (“Ruslan and Lyudmila, or the Overthrow of Chernomor, the Evil Wizard” by F. E. Scholz, 1821). Romanticism established itself on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater thanks to the choreographer F. Gyullen-Sor, who worked at the Bolshoi Theater in 1823-39 and transferred a number of ballets from Paris (“La Sylphide” by F. Taglioni, music by J. Schneizhoffer, 1837, etc.). Among her students and the most famous performers: E. A. Sankovskaya, T. I. Glushkovskaya, D. S. Lopukhina, A. I. Voronina-Ivanova, I. N. Nikitin. Of particular importance were the performances in the 1850s of the Austrian dancer F. Elsler, thanks to whom J. J. Perrault’s ballets (“Esmeralda” by C. Pugny, etc.) were included in the repertoire.

From the mid-19th century, romantic ballets began to lose their importance, despite the fact that the troupe retained the artists who gravitated towards them: P. P. Lebedeva, O. N. Nikolaeva, and in the 1870s - A. I. Sobeshchanskaya. Throughout the 1860s-90s, the Bolshoi Theater changed several choreographers who led the troupe or staged individual performances. In 1861-63, K. Blazis worked, who gained fame only as a teacher. The most popular in the repertoire in the 1860s were the ballets of A. Saint-Leon, who transferred Pugny’s The Little Humpbacked Horse (1866) from St. Petersburg. A significant achievement was Don Quixote by L. Minkus, staged by M. I. Petipa in 1869. In 1867-69, S. P. Sokolov staged several productions (“Fern, or Night on Ivan Kupala” by Yu. G. Gerber, etc.). In 1877, the famous choreographer W. Reisinger, who came from Germany, became the director of the 1st (unsuccessful) edition of “Swan Lake” by P. I. Tchaikovsky. In the 1880-90s, choreographers at the Bolshoi Theater were J. Hansen, H. Mendes, A. N. Bogdanov, I. N. Khlustin. By the end of the 19th century, despite the presence of strong dancers in the troupe (L. N. Gaten, L. A. Roslavleva, N. F. Manokhin, N. P. Domashev), the Bolshoi Theater ballet was in crisis: there was even a question of liquidating the troupe , halved in 1882. The reason for this was partly the lack of attention paid to the troupe (which was then considered provincial) by the Directorate of Imperial Theaters, untalented leaders who ignored the traditions of Moscow ballet, the renewal of which became possible in the era of reforms in Russian art of the early 20th century.

In 1902, the ballet troupe of the Bolshoi Theater was headed by A. A. Gorsky. His activities contributed to the revival and flourishing of the Bolshoi Theater ballet. The choreographer strove to saturate the performances with dramatic content, achieving logic and harmony of action, accuracy of national coloring, and historical authenticity. Gorsky's best original productions were “Gudula's Daughter” by A. Yu. Simon (1902), “Salambo” by A. F. Arends (1910), “Love is Fast!” to the music of E. Grieg (1913), adaptations of classical ballets (Don Quixote by L. Minkus, Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovsky, Giselle by A. Adam) were also of great importance. Gorsky’s like-minded people were the leading dancers of the theater M. M. Mordkin, V. A. Karalli, A. M. Balashova, S. V. Fedorova, E. V. Geltser and V. D. Tikhomirov, dancers A. E. also worked with him Volinin, L. L. Novikov, pantomime masters V. A. Ryabtsev, I. E. Sidorov.

The 1920s in Russia were a time of searching for new forms in all forms of art, including dance. However, innovative choreographers were rarely allowed into the Bolshoi Theater. In 1925, K. Ya. Goleizovsky staged the ballet “Joseph the Beautiful” by S. N. Vasilenko on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater Branch, which contained many innovations in the selection and combination of dance movements and group formation, with the constructivist design of B. R. Erdman. The production of “The Red Poppy” by V. D. Tikhomirov and L. A. Lashilin to the music of R. M. Gliere (1927) was considered an officially recognized achievement of the Bolshoi Theater, where the topical content was expressed in a traditional form (ballet “dream”, canonical steps -de-de, elements of extravaganza).

Since the late 1920s, the role of the Bolshoi Theater - now the capital's, "main" theater of the country - has been increasing. In the 1930s, choreographers, teachers and artists were transferred here from Leningrad. M. T. Semyonova and A. N. Ermolaev became leading performers along with Muscovites O. V. Lepeshinskaya, A. M. Messerer, M. M. Gabovich. The repertoire included the ballets “Flames of Paris” by V. I. Vainonen and “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” by R. V. Zakharov (both to music by B. V. Asafiev), “Romeo and Juliet” by S. S. Prokofiev, staged by L. M. Lavrovsky, moved to Moscow in 1946, when G. S. Ulanova moved to the Bolshoi Theater. From the 1930s to the mid-1950s, the main trend in the development of ballet was its rapprochement with realistic dramatic theater. By the mid-1950s, the dramatic ballet genre had become obsolete. A group of young choreographers has emerged, striving for transformation. In the early 1960s, N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov staged one-act ballets at the Bolshoi Theater (“Geologists” by N. N. Karetnikov, 1964; “The Rite of Spring” by I. F. Stravinsky, 1965). The performances of Yu. N. Grigorovich became a new word. Among his innovative productions, created in collaboration with S. B. Virsaladze: “The Stone Flower” by Prokofiev (1959), “The Legend of Love” by A. D. Melikov (1965), “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky (1966), “ Spartak" by A. I. Khachaturyan (1968), "Ivan the Terrible" to the music of Prokofiev (1975). These large-scale, highly dramatic performances with large crowd scenes required a special style of performance - expressive, sometimes stilted. In the 1960-1970s, leading artists of the Bolshoi Theater were regular performers in Grigorovich’s ballets: M. M. Plisetskaya, R. S. Struchkova, M. V. Kondratyeva, N. V. Timofeeva, E. S. Maksimova, V. V. Vasiliev, N. I. Bessmertnova, N. B. Fadeechev, M. Liepa, M. L. Lavrovsky, Yu. K. Vladimirov, A. B. Godunov and others. Since the late 1950s, the Bolshoi Theater ballet began regularly performs abroad, where he gained wide popularity. The next two decades were the heyday of the Bolshoi Theater, rich in bright personalities, demonstrating its production and performing style all over the world, which was aimed at a wide and, moreover, international audience. However, the predominance of Grigorovich's productions led to the monotony of the repertoire. Old ballets and performances by other choreographers were performed less and less often; comedy ballets, traditional for Moscow in the past, disappeared from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The troupe no longer needed character dancers or mimes. In 1982, Grigorovich staged his last original ballet at the Bolshoi Theater - “The Golden Age” by D. D. Shostakovich. Individual performances were staged by V.V. Vasiliev, M.M. Plisetskaya, V. Boccadoro, R. Petit. In 1991, the ballet “Prodigal Son” by Prokofiev, staged by J. Balanchine, entered the repertoire. However, until the mid-1990s the repertoire was almost not enriched. Among the performances staged at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries: “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky (1996, staged by V.V. Vasiliev; 2001, staged by Grigorovich), “Giselle” by A. Adam (1997, staged by Vasiliev), “Daughter” pharaoh" by C. Pugni (2000, staged by P. Lacotte based on Petipa), "The Queen of Spades" to the music of Tchaikovsky (2001) and "Notre Dame de Paris" by M. Jarre (2003; both choreographed by Petipa), "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev (2003, choreographer R. Poklitaru, director D. Donnellan), "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to the music of F. Mendelssohn and D. Ligeti (2004, choreographer J. Neumeier), "Bright Stream" (2003 year) and “Bolt” (2005) by Shostakovich (choreographer A. O. Ratmansky), as well as one-act ballets by J. Balanchine, L. F. Myasin and others. Among the leading dancers of the 1990-2000s: N. G. Ananiashvili, M. A. Alexandrova, A. A. Antonicheva, D. V. Belogolovtsev, N. A. Gracheva, S. Yu. Zakharova, D. K. Gudanov, Yu. V. Klevtsov, S. A. Lunkina, M. V. Peretokin, I. A. Petrova, G. O. Stepanenko, A. I. Uvarov, S. Yu. Filin, N. M. Tsiskaridze.

E. Ya. Surits.

Lit.: Pogozhev V.P. 100th anniversary of the organization of imperial Moscow theaters: In 3 books. St. Petersburg, 1906-1908; Pokrovskaya 3. K. Architect O. I. Bove. M., 1964; Zarubin V.I. Bolshoi theater: The first productions of operas on the Russian stage. 1825-1993. M., 1994; aka. Bolshoi theater: The first ballets on the Russian stage. 1825-1997. M., 1998; "Servant of the Muses..." Pushkin and the Bolshoi Theater. M., ; Fedorov V.V. Repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR 1776-1955: In 2 volumes. N.Y., 2001; Berezkin V.I. Artists of the Bolshoi Theater: [In 2 vols.]. M., 2001.

1930 For the first time on the Soviet stage, a play by Bertolt Brecht, the brightest German playwright, was staged at the Chamber Theater. Tairov's choice fell on the Beggar's Opera, which ridiculed the corrupt, hypocritical bourgeois world. The Beggars' Opera was attended by the famous English writer Bernard Shaw at the Chamber Theater on July 21, 1931.

The most famous love triangle of the world opera stage: a fatal beauty, a soldier in love and a brilliant bullfighter returns to the Bolshoi Theater. A year ago, when Carmen was last performed here, the theater administration hastened to assure the public that there was no reason to panic; the legendary opera would definitely not remain on the shelves. They kept their word: the updated “Carmen” appeared on the poster, as planned, in an exceptionally short time. It took the opera troupe and director Galina Galkovskaya three months to imbue with the Spanish flavor and turn Bizet’s masterpiece into a holiday performance. The premiere date is already known: the artists will again perform a timeless story about love and freedom on the Bolshoi stage on June 14. Musical immersion in the twists and turns of a love triangle this summer evening will be provided by the baton of maestro Andrei Galanov.

Galina Galkovskaya

“Carmen” is, without exaggeration, a landmark performance for our opera. It was with him that the history of the Bolshoi Theater began in 1933. The success of the production was not least ensured by the legendary Larisa Aleksandrovskaya, the first Carmen of the Belarusian opera. The popularity of the play, they say, was simply stunning - it was performed almost every evening. By the way, Georges Bizet's masterpiece experienced complete failure only once - in 1875 during its first production. The premiere of the opera ended in a loud scandal, which, however, did not prevent Carmen from becoming perhaps the most popular musical drama decades later. Since then, directors have firmly learned: “Carmen” on stage is an almost one hundred percent guarantee of audience delight.

The director of the current, eighth production, Galina Galkovskaya, refused to experiment and revolution on stage. The plot of innovation was also not touched upon:

— For the opera to live for more than one year, the atmosphere of Spanish Seville must be guessed very accurately. I decided to make the new version so that the real Spain would appear before the eyes of the audience. It’s important for me to immerse people in that story, to captivate them. Do you know that the Spanish calendar has almost three thousand holidays from October to May? That is, these are people who know how to turn their every day into an event. Therefore, from every artist - from soloists to the choir - I demand smiles, emotions, and temperament on stage.

The performer of the role of Escamillo, Stanislav Trifonov, also advocates naturalness and 100% immersion in Spanish passions:

— “Carmen” is one of the few productions, in my opinion, that will only lose if you try to dilute it with experiments and modernity. Spectators go to this performance for the atmosphere and color. They don't need Carmen in a bath towel.

The unique costumes for the opera “Carmen” of 1933, in which prima Alexandrovskaya appeared on stage, unfortunately, have not survived. Nowadays, work in sewing shops does not stop even on weekends. 270 colorful outfits and 100 handmade accessories - creating a historical style, they say in the theater workshop, does not mean copying costumes straight from a book. It is important to have good taste and pay attention to many details. Another idea of ​​the director is the color scheme of the production. Red, black and gold are the three main colors of sets and costumes. This time the costumes of the main characters are designed by the artist from Finland Anna Kontek, who is familiar to the audience from the latest edition of Verdi’s opera “Rigoletto”. Kontek is not used to looking for easy ways. It took the craftswomen of the Bolshoi Theater several days to create just the bateau skirt for the main character. The colorful “tail” has a significant weight: singing and dancing flamenco at the same time, says one of the performers of the role of Carmen, Chriskentia Stasenko, is very difficult:

— Dancing with a bateau skirt is a special technique that turns into a real challenge for professional dancers. After rehearsals, we don’t need any gym. Several such dances - and the arm muscles are pumped up no worse than those of athletes.

Galkovskaya forced not only future Carmen to learn the art of beautiful dance, but also the choir artists. They refused the services of ballet teachers - the theater invited Elena Alipchenko, a professional flamenco teacher from one of the Minsk schools, to choreographic master classes. She also taught the artists the basics of Sevillana, a dance that, along with flamenco, best reflects the spirit of the Spanish people. Galina Galkovskaya recalls:

— “Carmen” is the first performance in which the choir not only sings, but also dances. This was my condition. At first the girls were scared and began to deny it: they say, nothing will work out for us. And then we got so involved that we started asking for additional classes. And do you know what I noticed? When ballet dancers dance flamenco, it seems like some kind of theatricality. This is a folk dance, so when performed by non-professional dancers it looks more natural and organic.

But Galkovskaya categorically refused to play castanets:

“I didn’t want an empty imitation.” I am for simplicity and maximum naturalness. To handle castanets correctly, you need a certain skill, which, unfortunately, we no longer have time to learn.

Another exceptional sign of Carmen - the scarlet rose - was not taken away from the artists, to the delight of the audience. It is still unknown which mezzo-soprano will be the first to go on stage with a flower in her hair. The time to sing about love will come on the evening of June 14th. Don't miss the premiere.

BY THE WAY

The asteroid Carmen, discovered in 1905, is named after the main character of the opera.

leonovich@site

In 1984, Paul Libo was replaced as FIVB President by Dr. Ruben Acosta, a lawyer from Mexico. At the initiative of Ruben Acosta, numerous changes were made to the rules of the game aimed at increasing the entertainment of the competition. On the eve of the 1988 Olympic Games, the 21st FIVB Congress was held in Seoul, at which changes were adopted in the regulations of the decisive fifth set: now it must be played according to the “rally-point” system (“draw-point”). Since 1998, this scoring system has been applied to the entire match, and in the same year the role of libero appeared.

In the early 1980s, the jump serve appeared and the side serve almost ceased to be used, the frequency of attacking shots from the back line increased, changes occurred in the methods of receiving the ball - the previously unpopular technique from below became dominant, and the reception from above with a fall almost disappeared. The playing functions of volleyball players have narrowed: for example, if previously all six players were involved in the reception, then since the 1980s, the implementation of this element has become the responsibility of two finishing players.

The game has become more powerful and faster. Volleyball has increased the demands placed on the height and athletic training of athletes. If in the 1970s there might not have been a single player on the team taller than 2 meters, then since the 1990s everything has changed. In high-class teams below 195-200 cm, there is usually only a setter and a libero.

Since 1990, the World Volleyball League has been played, an annual cycle of competitions designed to increase the popularity of the sport throughout the world. Since 1993, a similar competition has been held for women - the Grand Prix.

3. Current state

Since 2006, the FIVB has united 220 national volleyball federations, making volleyball one of the most popular sports on Earth. In August 2008, Chinese Wei Jizhong was elected as the new president of the FIVB.

Volleyball is the most developed sport in countries such as Russia, Brazil, China, Italy, USA, Japan, and Poland. The current world champion among men is the Brazilian national team (2006), among women - the Russian national team (2006).

On November 8, 2009, the current winner of the European Volleyball Champions League, Italian Trentino, won another trophy, becoming the world club champion.

4. Development of volleyball in Russia

In the spring of 1932, a volleyball section was created under the All-Union Council of Physical Culture of the USSR. In 1933, during a session of the Central Executive Committee, an exhibition match was played between the teams of Moscow and Dnepropetrovsk on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in front of the leaders of the ruling party and government of the USSR. And a year later, the championships of the Soviet Union were regularly held, officially called the “All-Union Volleyball Festival.” Having become the leaders of domestic volleyball, Moscow athletes were honored to represent it on the international stage, when Afghan athletes were guests and rivals in 1935. Despite the fact that the games were played according to Asian rules, the Soviet volleyball players won a convincing victory - 2:0 (22:1, 22:2).

Competitions for the USSR championship were held exclusively in open areas, most often after football matches next to the stadiums, and the largest competitions, such as the 1952 World Cup, were held in the same stadiums with crowded stands.

Soviet volleyball players are 6-time world champions, 12-time European champions, 4-time World Cup winners. The USSR women's team won the World Championships 5 times, the European Championships 13 times, and the World Cup 1 time.

The All-Russian Volleyball Federation (VFV) was founded in 1991. The president of the federation is Nikolai Patrushev. The Russian men's team is the winner of the 1999 World Cup and the 2002 World League. The women's team won the 2006 World Championships, European Championships (1993, 1997, 1999, 2001), Grand Prix (1997, 1999, 2002), and the 1997 World Champions Cup.