A history in miniatures

The Mikhailovsky Theatre Museum has completed restoration work on a series of set design models for some of the most renowned productions to grace the stage of the legendary Leningrad State Academic Maly Opera Theatre over the course of the twentieth century. These include the operas The Tsar’s Bride (1922), The Bartered Bride (1937), The Pompadours (1939), The Tale of the Priest and of his Workman Balda (1940), Stronger than Death (1942), Lyubov Yarovaya (1947), Virineya (1967), and the ballet The Bright Stream (1935).

The restoration of the models was carried out by artists Ekaterina Malinina and Sergey Illarionov. They were faced with the challenging task of having to reconstruct a number of historical exhibits, many of which were in a state of severe disrepair. The cardboard and fabric used in the models had faded and become distorted over time. Most challenging were the scenes from The Tsar’s Bride and The Bright Stream, which had to be recreated almost from scratch.

In order to remodel the elements which had been lost and restore colour where it had faded, the restoration artists had to make use of archive photographs and artist sketches. The crucial factor was that all historical details should be preserved. The distorted and faded areas first had the dust removed, and were then reinforced with additional cardboard and fabric. The paint finish was also renewed. The outdated backlighting was replaced in all the exhibits, the bases of the models were reinforced, and velvet finishing was employed for the frames and curtains. The restored models will soon take their rightful place in the Mikhailovsky Theatre Museum.