The tour is part of the federal programme Big Tours supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture and Rosconcert. The performances of The Little Humpbacked Horse will take place on May 28, 29, and 30 at the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Based on the famous satirical fairy tale in verse by Pyotr Yershov, The Little Humpbacked Horse brings together the elements of a successful production: a magical and witty plot for children, layered with irony and deeper meaning for adults, dynamic and colourful stage design by Maxim Isaev (who also wrote the libretto), and the vivid, emotionally rich score by Rodion Shchedrin.

Shchedrin composed the ballet while still a student at the Moscow Conservatory and dedicated it to legendary ballerina Maya Plisetskaya who would later become his wife. The music’s humour, colour, and liveliness have inspired generations of choreographers. The ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse was first staged at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1960, choreographed by Alexander Radunsky as a traditional ballet fairy-tale. Later interpretations varied in tone—from Igor Belsky’s satirical reading (at the Maly Opera Theatre in 1963) to Dmitri Bryantsev’s 1981 version for the Kirov Theatre (now the Mariinsky), which combined carnival aesthetics with touching character portrayals.

The production currently performed in both St. Petersburg and Vladivostok premiered on March 14, 2009. This very version will be brought to the Krasnoyarsk stage. Maestro Dušan Vilić will take the conductor’s stand. The production’s music director and conductor is People’s Artist of Russia Valery Gergiev.

Tickets can be purchased at the theatre box office (phone +7 391 227-86-97, open daily from 10:00 to 20:00), on the theatre’s website Krasopera.ru, and via regional ticketing platforms.