The Mikhailovsky Theatre on Arts Square is St Petersburg's second-tier opera and ballet house — second only by reputation, since the productions are often superb and the gilded 1833 auditorium is arguably more beautiful than the Mariinsky's. The building, designed by Alexander Bryullov, holds about a thousand seats arranged around a steeply raked horseshoe of boxes.
Programming runs the standard Russian and Western opera and ballet repertory at lower prices than the Mariinsky, often with high-calibre guest conductors and soloists. The theatre also runs an active touring schedule, so its home productions may be off-stage when its companies are abroad — check the schedule before you book. Worth a visit even just for the lobby, which is one of the most photogenic interiors on the square.