Fodor's Expert Review The Opera and Ballet House

One of the greatest Ukrainian architectural monuments is also one of the most beautiful theaters in the world. It was constructed by the famous Viennese achitectural partners Helmer & Fellner in 1884 with an Italian baroque facade, a Renaissance-style entrance, and decorative stone figures depicting scenes from Aristophanes and Euripides. The architects, remembering a fire in a Viennese theater, provided the foyer with 24 exits. The auditorium is in the style of Louis XVI, with a chandelier that weights almost 21/2 tons, surrounded on the ceiling by frescoes depicting scenes from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream.