One of the best theatres in Eastern Europe, Opera and Ballet Theatre was built in 1809 and quickly established itself as the centre of Odesa’s cultural scene. When it burnt to the ground in 1873, local patrons were devastated. The theatre was rebuilt in 1887 by master architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer. These two brilliant designers solidified their reputations with the construction of theatres in Vienna, Budapest, Dresden and Zagreb. The richness of this venue’s history is stirring. As you take your seat, imagine Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff tapping their batons on the conductor’s stand. Can you see Caruso, Chaliapin, Shobinov and Solomiya Kruscelniska approaching the spotlight ready to flex their vocals? Is that Anna Pavlova and Isadora Duncan spinning pirouettes up against the backdrop? If the curtain could talk it would tell amazing stories of nearly 200 years of astonishing performances.