The building on English Embankment will be given to the Shalyapin Theatre after restoration

All work is planned to be completed by the end of the year.

Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov held an off-site working meeting on the restoration of the historic building at 56 English Embankment.

According to him, the restoration of this architectural monument will be completed by the end of 2024. After the work is completed, the building will become the new venue of the F. I. Shalyapin Musical Theatre and will be designed for 300 spectator seats.

The governor noted that the repair and restoration work on the building, which began in 2022, is now 80% complete and, according to the contract, should be completed in December 2024. The head of the city said that restorers have done a tremendous job to revive the architectural monument. Thus, specialists carried out major repairs in it, while fully preserving the historical appearance of the building. The unique organ was also restored. “Restorers are preserving the smallest historical details of the interior, and at the same time a modern concert venue for the theater is being created here,” the governor emphasized.

The meeting also discussed the reconstruction of the main building of the Musical Theatre in the Alexander Garden. Beglov reported that the cultural institution, where the last major renovation was carried out in 1980, will receive a modern main stage in two years. “Reconstruction is currently underway, taking into account the technical requirements of a modern theatre. The project in the former Music Hall will be completed in 2026,” the governor added. In turn, the artistic director of the theatre, Fabio Mastrangelo, thanked the authorities of St. Petersburg for their support in the restoration of both venues.

Let us recall that the building on the English Embankment, one of St. Petersburg’s dominant features, was built by order of Count Sheremetev in the 1730s, who subsequently leased it to the English community. In 1814-1815, the building was rebuilt according to the design of the architect Giacomo Quarenghi.