Designed by Giacomo Quarenghi, this intimate neoclassical auditorium was once the private theatre of the imperial family, and stands on the site of the original Winter Palace of Peter I. Book early if you’d like to see a ballet (usually classics such as Swan Lake and Giselle) at a discount, but still be prepared to pay well over the odds compared to other theatres in the city.
Access to the theatre is via an entrance to the Large (Old) Hermitage on Dvortsovaya nab; look for the door on the southwest side of the stone bridge over the small water channel.
