The Mikhailovsky Theatre is easy to miss, even when you walk right past it: the yellow façade on Arts Square looks like an ordinary classical building, and only the tall stage box on the roof gives the theatre away. Inside, though, it is all silver and velvet, mirrors, crystal and stucco. On 8 November 2026 the theatre turns 193, and the November programme is packed: Nacho Duato's premiere production of Raymonda, Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin and The Flying Dutchman. Here is how to get there, where to buy tickets without a mark-up, how to return them and what you need to know before the third bell.
Key facts
| Address | 1 Arts Square (pl. Iskusstv, 1) |
| Metro | Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor, Admiralteyskaya |
| Box office | Wed–Sun 11:00–19:00, break 14:00–15:00; closed Mon and Tue |
| Box office phone | +7 (812) 595-43-05 |
| Where to buy tickets without a mark-up | mikhailovsky.ru, the theatre box office, the Mikhailovsky Theatre app |
| Auditorium opens | 30 minutes before the start |
| Prices | depend on the performance and the seat; see the seating plan in the programme |
How to get there
The theatre stands on Arts Square, next to Nevsky Prospekt. According to the “How to get here” page, the nearest metro stations are Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor, with Admiralteyskaya a little further away. Buses and trolleybuses stop at “St. m. Nevsky Prospekt” and “St. m. Gostiny Dvor”.
If you are coming by car, the theatre lists free parking in front of the building and on Inzhenernaya and Italyanskaya streets, and paid parking in the underground car park of the Grand Palace shopping centre and at the open car park by 4 Arts Square.
A little history and the auditorium
The building was designed by Alexander Bryullov. He based the façades on a design by Carlo Rossi so that the theatre would “rhyme” with the Mikhailovsky Palace on the same square. The theatre welcomed its first audience on 8 November 1833. In 1859 Albert Cavos rebuilt it, enlarging the stage and adding another tier to the auditorium. The ceiling painting by the Italian artist Giovanni Busatto appeared at the same time. Before the revolution the court came here, French and German companies performed, and Johann Strauss conducted more than once.
The stage and curtain, seen from a box in the upper tier. Photo: Vasyatka1, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
In Soviet times the theatre was called the Maly Opera Theatre, or MALEGOT. In 1989 it was named after Mussorgsky, and since 2007 the historical name “Mikhailovsky Theatre” has once again come first in its official title. Chamber concerts are held in the Fireplace Hall.
How to buy tickets on the official website
Tickets without a mark-up are sold on mikhailovsky.ru, at the theatre box office and in the mobile app. The theatre's partners (listed on the “Where to buy tickets” page) charge a service fee of no more than 10% of the price. The theatre does not refund tickets bought from resellers.
How it works on the website is described in the purchase rules:
- You choose a performance, then seats on the seating plan: available seats are shown in the colour of their price category. The theatre advises checking the exact total in the basket.
- Once you press “Buy”, the seats are held for you for 20 minutes, and the order must also be paid within 20 minutes.
- You need a personal account (log in with a code sent to your email or via VKontakte), one per person.
- No more than 8 tickets per order and no more than 8 within 48 hours. If you need more, write to [email protected].
- E-tickets are sent by email and are kept in your order history. They cannot be exchanged for paper tickets.
Are tickets in your name? Ordinary ones are not. Only tickets bought with the Pushkin Card are personalised: the full name must be entered exactly as in the passport, down to the letter “ё”. All four performances described below can be paid for with the Pushkin Card.
Discounts. On the day of the performance, if tickets remain at the box office, students, pensioners and people with disabilities can buy them at half price on presentation of their ID. Registered website users get a 15% promo code for their birthday (up to 4 tickets, valid for three days after the birthday). Buying two ballets and two operas or concerts through “Build your own subscription” gives a 20% discount. Details are on the special offers page. Note that tickets bought under special offers are non-refundable.
Can you return a ticket?
The return rules on the theatre's website are strict, and the amount depends on how many days before the performance you submit the full set of documents:
| When you submit the documents | How much is refunded |
|---|---|
| 10 days or more before | 100% |
| 5–9 days before | 50% |
| 3–4 days before | 30% |
| less than 3 days before | nothing |
For a ticket bought on the website or in the app, you send an application and copies of the tickets and receipts to [email protected], plus your bank details if the performance is less than 10 days away (or the ticket was bought in the app). The theatre has 10 days to decide and another 10 to transfer the money. In case of the ticket holder's illness or the death of a close relative, 100% is refunded if the documents are submitted no later than the day of the performance. If a performance is postponed or replaced, tickets remain valid and cannot be exchanged.
