The Bolshoi Theatre is a symbol of Russia for all time. It is one of the leading ballet and opera companies in the world. It was awarded this honor due to the major contribution it made to the history of the Russian performing arts. This history is on-going and today Bolshoi Theatre artists continue to contribute to it many bright pages. The Bolshoi building, which for many years now has been regarded as one of Moscow's main sights, was opened on 20 October 1856, on Tsar Alexander II's coronation day. An evening at the Bolshoi is still one of Moscow's most romantic and entertaining options for a night on the town. The glittering six-tier auditorium has an electric atmosphere, evoking over 235 years of premier music and dance. Both the ballet and opera companies perform a range of Russian and foreign works here. The Bolshoi has recently undergone a much-needed renovation. In 2011 the theatre reopened the doors of its main stage after several years of work, revealing expanded theatre space and glittering mouldings. The magnificent theatre is well-known by the production of the performances to the classical music of best Russian composers such as - Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Dargomyzhsky, Borodin, Shostakovich. Best Russian operas - "Life for the Tsar", "Boris Godunov", "Prince Igor", "Snowmaiden", some arias from them have been performed by Fedor Shalyapin, Leonid Sobinov and Antonina Nezhdanova themselves.