The Great Theatre — engraving

Woodcut.  "The Great Theatre"
St. Peterburg, Russia.

Technique, Material: Woodcut / Paper
Artist: Hippolyte de la Charlerie, Engraver: Adolphe - Francois Pannemaker
Date, Publisher: Boston, 1887,  EW Walker  & Co., Voyages and travels or scenes in many lands.
Size: sheet: 30,5 х 22,1 cm., image 17 x 17 cm.

This engraving depicts the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre in St. Petersburg—one of the principal theater buildings of the Russian Imperial capital in the 18th and 19th centuries. The theatre was constructed in 1783 to a design by architect Antonio Rinaldi and opened with Paisiello's opera "Il mondo della luna". In 1802, the building was redesigned by Thomas de Thomon and subsequently renamed the Bolshoi Theatre . A severe fire on January 1, 1811, destroyed the structure, but it was restored and reopened in 1818. Later, in 1836, architect Alberto Cavos modernized the theatre, adding five tiers . Until 1886, it served as the principal venue for the Imperial Ballet and the Imperial Russian Opera, after which performances were transferred to the Mariinsky Theatre.

In front of the theatre stands a curious structure that immediately caught your attention. This is a temporary outdoor heating pavilion with a brazier—a characteristic feature of St. Petersburg winters in the 19th century. Such shelters were erected in squares and at busy intersections to allow passersby, coachmen, and vendors to warm themselves during severe frosts. The structure consisted of a light canopy supported by slender posts, protecting the fire from snow and wind. The funnel-shaped roof with an opening served as a natural chimney—it drew smoke away from the bonfire or brazier, preventing it from spreading low across the ground and disturbing the people standing around. Such fires were large enough to provide substantial warmth, and people always gathered around them to warm up, exchange news, or simply wait out the harsh weather.

The winter scene is lively: sleighs and carriages move across the snow-covered square, while pedestrians in warm clothing stroll about. The engraving captures not only the architectural appearance of one of St. Petersburg's principal theaters but also the everyday life of the city, where high art coexisted with the simple yet vital concerns of its inhabitants—such as how not to freeze on the way to a performance.