Aleksanterin Teatteri

Alexander Theatre

Aleksanterin teatteri (Finnish), Alexandersteatern (Swedish) is a Finnish theatre in the city of Helsinki at Bulevardi 23-27, also known as Russian Theater and Alexander Theatre.

History

In the summer of 1875, the Governor-General of Russian Finland in 1866-1881, Count Nikolay Adlerberg, who was a frequent theatergoer, received Alexander II of Russia's permission to build a theater for Russians living in Helsinki. The auditorium of the theatre was decorated by the Saint Petersburg architect Jeronim Osuhovsky, and the Finnish artist Severin Falkman decorated the ceiling paintings, which depict twelve cupids, reminding of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. The theatre technology was designed by Iosif Vorontsov. The theatre was completed in October 1879, and in February 1880 was named after Russian Tsar Alexander II.

The grand opening of the Finnish Opera Company founded by Aino Akte and Edward Fazer was made on March 30, 1880 with Charles Gounod's Faust.

Since 1993, the building of the Alexander Theater has been used for guest stage performances, both theatre and dance. The theatre building also houses the administration of the Cultural Office, rehearsal facilities, the Sibelius Academy Opera Studio, and the junior classes of the National Opera's ballet school.

External links and references

• Alexander Theatre