# Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

> St Petersburg’s great opera and ballet house on Theatre Square. You get inside by seeing a show: most run 2–4 hours, so plan an evening of about three hours. Prices depend on the show, date and seat, and visitors without Russian residency pay the full rate. Book on the official site, mariinsky.ru. There are three venues: the historic stage, Mariinsky II and the Concert Hall.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mariinsky-theatre

- City: [St Petersburg](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg), Russia
- YesGo score: 46/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 3 h
- Opening hours: Performances most days, start times on the playbill; box offices usually 11:00–19:00
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Historic stage: 1 Teatralnaya Ploshchad (Theatre Square)
- Mariinsky II: 34 Ulitsa Dekabristov — across the Kryukov Canal from the historic building
- Concert Hall: 20 Ulitsa Pisareva (corner of Ulitsa Dekabristov)
- Where to buy: The official site mariinsky.ru and the theatre box offices
- Price: Set per show, venue, date and seat; the seating plan shows the exact figure
- Foreign visitors: Full price; the lower “special tariff” is for Russian citizens and foreigners who live, work or study in Russia
- Online sales: Close 2 hours before curtain; after that, box office only
- Box offices: Usually daily 11:00–19:00
- Ticket service: +7 812 326-41-41
- Metro: Sadovaya, Sennaya Ploshchad or Spasskaya — 15–25 min on foot
- Payment: Visa and Mastercard issued abroad don’t work in Russia
- Coordinates: 59.92556, 30.29611
- Facts checked: 29.10.2026

## Key facts

- **1783** — the company dates from the opening of the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre under Catherine the Great (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”)
- **1860** — the present building opened, with Glinka’s opera A Life for the Tsar (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”; Kultura.RF)
- **Empress Maria** — Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, gave the theatre its name (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”; Sputnik8 guide)
- **Albert Cavos** — architect of the historic building (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”)
- **1935–1992** — named after Sergei Kirov — hence the “Kirov Ballet” on tours abroad (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”)
- **May 2013** — Mariinsky II, the second stage, opened on Ulitsa Dekabristov (source: English Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia (2 May 2013))
- **1,830 seats** — in Mariinsky II, designed by Canada’s Diamond and Schmitt Architects (source: English Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”; Sputnik8 guide)
- **1890** — world premiere of Tchaikovsky and Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (source: Great Russian Encyclopedia, “Marius Petipa”; English Wikipedia)
- **1892** — The Nutcracker and the opera Iolanta premiered on the same night (source: English Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”; KudaGo)
- **1874 & 1890** — world premieres of Boris Godunov and The Queen of Spades (source: English Wikipedia, “Mariinsky Theatre”; Russian Wikipedia)

> **Foreign visitors pay the full price** The Mariinsky sells seats at two rates. The cheaper “special tariff” is only for Russian citizens and foreigners who live, work or study in Russia; everyone else pays the full price. Book the full-price ticket on mariinsky.ru — buying a special-tariff seat you’re not entitled to risks trouble at the door, and resellers often charge far more than either rate.

## How to buy Mariinsky Theatre tickets

**Use the official site, mariinsky.ru** — it has an English version, the full playbill for all three St Petersburg venues and a seating plan with the price of every seat. Pick the show, choose your seat and you get an e-ticket to show at the door. **Online sales close two hours before curtain**; after that you can only buy at the theatre box office.

Payment is the catch. **Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad have not worked in Russia since March 2022**, so a foreign card may be declined online. Options are a Russian bank card, paying cash at the box office, or asking your hotel to help. Plan this before you arrive rather than on the day.

The playbill opens a month or two ahead and fills in gradually. December Nutcrackers and big-name nights sell out early; a weekday opera often still has seats a week before.

## How much are Mariinsky tickets?

There’s no single price. It depends on the show, the venue, the date, the cast and the seat. The most expensive is a popular ballet on the historic stage — stalls and the front of the boxes. Weekday operas, concerts and the upper tiers cost far less, and the seating plan shows each price before you pay.

Even at the full foreign rate, a night at the Mariinsky usually costs less than a comparable seat at the big opera houses of Western Europe. If you want to save, pick an opera or concert over ballet, a weekday over Saturday, or Mariinsky II over the historic stage.

## Historic stage vs Mariinsky II vs Concert Hall

|  | Historic stage | Mariinsky II | Concert Hall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Address | 1 Theatre Square | 34 Ulitsa Dekabristov | 20 Ulitsa Pisareva |
| Opened | 1860 | 2013 | 2006 |
| What’s on | Classical ballet and opera | Ballet, opera, large productions | Symphony, chamber and organ concerts |
| Auditorium | Horseshoe of boxes and tiers, chandelier, Golovin curtain | Modern, steeply raked, 1,830 seats | Modern hall, stage in the middle |
| Sightlines | Side boxes and back rows miss part of the stage | Good from nearly every seat | Good everywhere; it’s about the sound |
| Best for | The imperial-theatre experience | Seeing every step | Orchestra lovers |

First time in St Petersburg? Go for the historic stage — the blue-and-gold hall is half the reason to come. If you care more about seeing the dancers clearly on a tighter budget, Mariinsky II gives better views for the money.

## Is the Mariinsky Theatre worth it?

Yes — if you see a ballet on the historic stage, it’s one of the defining evenings of a trip to St Petersburg. This is the house where The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker premiered, and the company is still one of the best classical ballet troupes in the world.

It’s less worth it if the only seats left are high at the side of the historic hall — you’ll see half the stage. In that case book the same production at Mariinsky II. And if opera isn’t your thing, don’t start with a four-hour Wagner: pick a ballet.

## Best seats at the Mariinsky

On the **historic stage**, the best views are the centre of the stalls and the first tier, and the front row of any box. Boxes hold several rows of chairs: the front row sees everything, the third row sees part of the stage. The seating plan shows which row of a box you’re in — choose a front seat even if it means going up a tier.

For ballet you want to see the dancers’ feet, so avoid seats that are very high or very far to the side. For opera, the upper tiers often sound better. At **Mariinsky II** the steep rake gives good views almost everywhere, though the top tiers have low railings — not ideal if you dislike heights.

## What to see inside

- **The historic auditorium** — pale blue and gold, a horseshoe of tiers under a huge crystal chandelier. Climb to the top tier in the interval for the best view of it.
- **The stage curtain** after a design by Alexander Golovin.
- **Mariinsky II’s foyers** — glass, backlit onyx and big windows over the rooftops of Kolomna.
- **The Concert Hall** — a wooden hall with the stage in the middle and the organ behind it.

## Can you tour the Mariinsky Theatre?

Not like a museum. The theatre doesn’t run regular walk-in tours; backstage visits are arranged by private guides with the theatre’s approval and are expensive for a small group. The simplest way to see the building is a performance — buy any seat and explore the foyers in the interval.

What does work is a guided walk around the theatre: guides take you through Kolomna and Theatre Square with stories of ballerinas, Tchaikovsky and the Romanovs. At 2–2.5 hours it fits neatly before an evening show.

## How to get to the Mariinsky Theatre

1. There’s no metro station next door. The closest are **Sadovaya** (Line 5, purple), **Sennaya Ploshchad** (Line 2, blue) and **Spasskaya** (Line 4, orange) — one interchange hub. From there it’s a 15–25-minute walk along Sadovaya Street or the Griboyedov Canal.
2. From **Admiralteyskaya** (Line 5) or **Nevsky Prospekt** (Line 2) it’s about 30 minutes on foot, or take a bus to the Teatralnaya Ploshchad stop (route 27, for example).
3. From [Palace Square](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/palace-square) it’s about 2 km — past [St Isaac’s Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) and along the Moika river, 25–30 minutes on foot.
4. Mariinsky II is 2–3 minutes from the historic stage, just across the Kryukov Canal; the Concert Hall is about 5 minutes along Ulitsa Dekabristov.
5. After an evening show taxis queue outside: walk a block away before you order one. Use Yandex Go — the usual ride-hailing app in Russia.

> **Mariinsky dress code** There’s no strict dress code. Theatre rules only bar outerwear in the auditorium and clothes that could soil the seats. Evening audiences dress up a little, more so for premieres; smart-casual — trousers and a shirt, a simple dress — is fine. Check your coat and big bags at the cloakroom and arrive 30–40 minutes early: queues are long.

## Before the show: checklist

- [ ] Checked which venue and address is on my ticket
- [ ] Ticket bought on mariinsky.ru or at the box office
- [ ] A way to pay — foreign Visa and Mastercard don’t work in Russia
- [ ] Passport with me
- [ ] At the theatre 30–40 minutes before curtain
- [ ] Checked the opera’s language and surtitles
- [ ] Dinner plan for after the show

## St Petersburg’s historic sights compared

Every historic place in St Petersburg rated by YesGo.

- [State Hermitage Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/hermitage) — YesGo score 76/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · 500–1,200 ₽
- [Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood) — YesGo score 75/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 700 ₽, under 7 free
- [Peter and Paul Fortress](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peter-and-paul-fortress) — YesGo score 74/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Grounds free, cathedral 1,000 ₽
- [Kazan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kazan-cathedral) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Bronze Horseman](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/bronze-horseman) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free
- [Palace Square](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/palace-square) — YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [St Isaac's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽
- [Cruiser Aurora](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/cruiser-aurora) — YesGo score 67/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 1,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Nevsky Prospekt](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/nevsky-prospect) — YesGo score 65/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Mikhailovsky Castle](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mikhailovsky-castle) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 700 ₽
- [Kunstkamera](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kunstkamera) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · 500 ₽
- [Peterhof](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peterhof) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 4 h · Lower Park from 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Kronstadt](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kronstadt) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Free, museums extra
- [New Holland Island](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/new-holland) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Alexander Nevsky Lavra](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/alexander-nevsky-lavra) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, necropolises 200–400 ₽
- [Griboyedov Canal](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/griboyedov-canal) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free
- [Yusupov Palace on the Moika](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yusupov-palace) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · from 950 ₽
- [Mariinsky Theatre](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mariinsky-theatre) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Price depends on the show
- [Summer Garden](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/summer-garden) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [State Russian Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/russian-museum) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · from 700 ₽
- [Catherine Palace](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/catherine-palace) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 2,200 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Fabergé Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/faberge-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 700 ₽
- [Zoological Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/zoological-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 700 ₽
- [Oranienbaum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/oranienbaum) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Park 1,100 ₽, palace 1,800 ₽
- [Pavlovsk Palace and Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/pavlovsk-palace) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Palace 800 ₽, park 300 ₽

## St Isaac’s by day, the Mariinsky by night

Start at St Isaac’s Cathedral, walk along the Moika to the Yusupov Palace, unwind on New Holland island before the show, then cross to Theatre Square for curtain-up. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [St Isaac's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽
2. [Yusupov Palace on the Moika](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yusupov-palace) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · from 950 ₽
3. [New Holland Island](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/new-holland) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
4. [Mariinsky Theatre](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mariinsky-theatre) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Price depends on the show

## Good to know

Locals call it the Mariinka. The Mariinsky also runs a Primorsky Stage in Vladivostok and a branch in Vladikavkaz — check the city on your ticket. The Mikhailovsky Theatre, near Arts Square, is a separate opera and ballet house.

## Tips

- First visit: book a classic ballet on the historic stage — Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty or La Bayadère.
- Only side seats left in the old hall? Look for the same production at Mariinsky II.
- Climb to the top tier in the interval for the chandelier and the whole auditorium below you.
- The interval buffet is packed — eat before the show; [New Holland](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/new-holland) is five minutes away.
- Operas are sung in the original language; check the show page for surtitles.
- With kids, start with The Nutcracker or a matinee — an evening ballet with two intervals runs about three hours.

## Questions

### How do I buy Mariinsky Theatre tickets?

On the official site, mariinsky.ru, which has an English version, or at the theatre box offices. Online sales close two hours before curtain. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards don’t work in Russia, so sort out payment in advance.

### Why do foreigners pay more at the Mariinsky?

The theatre’s lower “special tariff” is reserved for Russian citizens and foreigners who live, work or study in Russia. Other visitors pay the full price.

### How much are tickets to the Mariinsky Theatre?

It depends on the show, venue, date and seat. A popular ballet on the historic stage costs the most, a weekday opera or concert in the upper tiers the least. The seating plan on mariinsky.ru shows every price.

### Is there a dress code at the Mariinsky?

No strict one. Outerwear isn’t allowed in the auditorium. Smart-casual is fine; many people dress up for evening shows and premieres.

### What is the difference between the Mariinsky and Mariinsky II?

The Mariinsky is the 1860 historic building on Theatre Square, with an imperial horseshoe auditorium. Mariinsky II is the modern second stage opened in 2013 across the Kryukov Canal, with better sightlines.

### Which metro station is closest to the Mariinsky Theatre?

Sadovaya, Sennaya Ploshchad and Spasskaya, a 15–25-minute walk away. There’s no station right next to the theatre, so many people take a bus or taxi.

### Where are the best seats at the Mariinsky?

On the historic stage, the centre of the stalls and first tier, and the front row of any box. Back rows of side boxes see only part of the stage. At Mariinsky II nearly every seat has a good view.

### Can you visit the Mariinsky Theatre without seeing a show?

Not easily — there are no regular walk-in tours. Backstage visits through private guides are possible but pricey. Buying a ticket for any performance is the practical way in.

### How long is a Mariinsky ballet?

Most ballets run 2–3 hours with one or two intervals; long operas can be close to four. The running time is listed on each show’s page.

## How we checked

On 29.10.2026 mariinsky.ru blocked automated access with a security check, so ticket rules (the special tariff, online sales closing two hours before curtain, the ticket-service phone) come from the text of the theatre’s Ticket Service page as indexed by search engines, and box-office hours from the Sputnik8 guide — those rows are marked “verifying”. We give no prices in roubles: they differ for every show and date. Sources disagree on when the Concert Hall opened — 2006 (Russian Wikipedia) or spring 2007 (English Wikipedia); we show 2006. Mariinsky II seats 1,830 per the auditorium description and 2,000 in the English Wikipedia infobox; we show 1,830, as does the Sputnik8 guide. We found the historic stage’s seat count in only one source, so it’s left out. Bus route and walking times are our estimate from the map and guides.

## Sources

- Official website of the Mariinsky Theatre: Ticket Service page, text as indexed by search engines, 29.10.2026
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Mariinsky Theatre; Wikidata Q207028
- Great Russian Encyclopedia: Marius Petipa
- Kultura.RF: Mariinsky Theatre
- Sputnik8 guide: Mariinsky Theatre
- Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022

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