RUSSIA: A fire at a warehouse in St Petersburg yesterday destroyed most of the costumes and sets for the Mariinsky Theatre, home of the Kirov ballet, including those for a coming tour of Japan.
The early-morning blaze completely gutted the five-storey 19th-century warehouse, about 1km away from the theatre. Five firemen were hospitalised.
"Many scenery sets were destroyed, in particular, the set for the opera, Evgeny Onegin, which was specially made for the theatre's planned tour of Japan," said one worker at the warehouse, standing outside with a group of shocked colleagues.
Russian television stations showed pictures of flames leaping into the sky above Russia's second city, where the Mariinsky is a landmark and now a successful business. Under director and star conductor Valery Gergiyev, the Mariinsky has eclipsed its Moscow rival, the Bolshoi, in recent years.
Gergiyev, who is opening a Prokofiev festival in Rotterdam, told theatre officials to focus on restoring sets before the start of the new season on October 10th, a spokesman said.
"Emotions are not the most important thing now. The main thing is to renovate and save the sets. Then come the emotions," Mr Igor Kirsanov said.
Originally named Mariinsky after Maria Fyodorovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II, the theatre was known in Soviet times as the Kirov in honour of a Bolshevik leader. It later reverted to its old name but the ballet troupe is still known as the Kirov. - (Reuters)