Dream holiday: see the world famous Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet in St Petersburg, for the Opening Night of Swan Lake, with three nights in a Superior Room at the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, including Champagne, gourmet dinners, caviar, flights and transfers: sold out

To be there in person for the First Night of an international ballet is always a spectacular event. And so we are thrilled to invite you to enjoy four amazing days in the historic city of St Petersburg to see the unrivalled Mariinsky Ballet—the Kirov during the Soviet era–in the sparkling Opening Night performance of ‘Swan Lake’ from the best seats in the magnificent, gilded surroundings of the 19th century Mariinsky Theatre, emblem of Russia’s rich culture in Czarist times. And to add to this event with four days of sumptuous, five-star luxury in St Petersburg’s finest hotel, with gourmet dining—including caviar and Champagne—and artistic pleasures in Russia’s great cultural city on the banks of the Neva River on the Baltic Sea. Added to which, this First Night will star the brilliant, magical Oxana Skorik, the company’s principal dancer. This will be a fabulous, romantic and unmissable occasion.

The whole event is exclusive to CountryClubuk. It runs over four days. We shall arrive in St Petersburg in early afternoon of the first day, and be whisked to the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe for three luxurious nights, including a gourmet six-course dinner on the first night, a Champagne dinner followed by your taxi to the ballet on the second night, with breakfast each day, together with other treats and indulgences, and plenty of time to explore this historic city for yourself. Your seats are in the front of the Dress Circle for the performance by the Mariinsky, starring their supreme dancers. This will be an exciting event—the full spectacle of the 220-strong Mariinsky Ballet Company performing one of the most cherished and admired ballets, ‘Swan Lake’, danced to the music of Tchaikovsky, first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1895. This is a ‘Swan Lake’ which allows the lyric sweep of Tchaikovsky’s music and the poetic nuances of the Petipa-Ivanov choreography to take centre stage.

It promises to be a scintillating and unforgettable evening, as part of a blissful four-day stay in historic St Petersburg, and we are thrilled to secure the best seats in the house for such a wonderful performance. The Mariinsky Theatre is not only a theatre—it is a temple to the arts, and to be within its golden glory and to witness such a beautiful Russian ballet is pure joy. The intricacy and drama of the Mariinsky Ballet production and Tchaikovsky’s music, danced by perhaps the greatest ballerinas of our age with one of the world’s finest ballet companies and played by the full Mariinsky Opera House Orchestra within the richly gilded auditorium, adds up to a theatrical experience to treasure. The Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet is not just a company. It’s a saga about a dynasty whose bloodline is that of ballet itself. Think of it as a sweeping Russian epic following the fortunes of an artistic, aristocratic family that is always aware of its breeding. Almost every ballet dancer famous enough to become a household name has come from the Mariinsky: Pavlova, Nijinsky, Nureyev, Makarova, Baryshnikov. The Mariinsky have that supreme ability to nurture the brightest stars and to hold their audience in thrall. Founded in the 18th century, known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, and later by its Soviet name the Kirov, the Mariinsky is one of the world’s leading ballet companies.

Attending a performance here in St Petersburg is a top priority in ballet. Dress to the nines, drink a toast in Champagne, and relive a bygone era! We shall open our historical itinerary by staying in the very heart of all this culture, at one of St Petersburg’s treasured historic monuments, the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, following in the footsteps of ` Debussy, Gorky and Strauss. This miracle of an hotel is a restored reincarnation of the former Europeiskaya, opened in 1875, and thus St Petersburg’s oldest hotel. Within an aura of aristocratic ambience you will enjoy five-starred, white-gloved service and sophistication. Just barely off the bustling Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg’s Champs Elysées, and minutes from the Heritage Museum and Winter Palace, the Grand Hotel Europe could not be more central, both in location and spirit. It has character in plenty, as might be expected, and oozes history in every detail. Once a gleaming symbol of the City of the Tsars’ prosperous days as Russia’s capital from 1712 until 1918, once again the hotel is the pulse of a reawakened city: the elegant Grand Hotel Europe Caviar Bar is the rendezvous of choice, and the prestigious L’Europe restaurant offers a level of luxury and fine dining not often seen.

It is in L’Europe on our first evening that we shall start our celebrations in style with a delicious six-course gourmet dinner beneath the exquisite Art Nouveau stained-glass ceiling, enjoying timeless classical music by the great Russian composers (and perhaps even a live performance). On the following day, after an exquisite breakfast we shall have the day to ourselves to enjoy at leisure until it is time for our pre-theatre dinner at the Grand Hotel Europe, prior to the ballet. On the following day, with opportunities to take guided tours of many of the highlights of St Petersburg, we shall be able to explore at will and to dine on whatever we please at some of St Petersburg’s excellent restaurants—or return to the Grand Hotel Europe for a delectable Russian afternoon tea—or a vodka or caviar experience. And of course St Petersburg is a treasure-house of a city, filled with endless fascinations.

Our four-day stay will give plenty of opportunity to visit the historic sights—such as the unrivalled bounty of the Winter Palace, the Hermitage collection with its fine art masters (including 24 Rembrandts, for starters); the gold-and-white Summer Palace built by Catherine the Great, and, to get a taste of the mind-blowing opulence of Imperial Russia, take the boat from the Hermitage and motor along the Neva River to Peter the Great’s Grand Palace, Petrodvorets, built in the early 1700s to rival the architecture and glittering court life of Versailles. Or visit the Yusupov Palace, where Rasputin met his grisly end. Your grand hotel is in the perfect central location to make sure you can enjoy it all to the full.

BOOK NOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACES

Places for the full three-night, four-day event (April 17 to April 20, 2019), including return flights from London Heathrow, three nights at the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe including breakfast, front Dress Circle ticket for the original 19th century Mariinsky Theatre, six-course gourmet dinner at L’Europe, three-course Champagne dinner prior to the ballet performance, service charge, tax, transfers to and from St Petersburg airport to the hotel, and your taxi to the Mariinsky Theatre for the ballet, will be only £1,593 per person for two sharing a Superior Double room. You are welcome to add extra nights or upgrades if you wish, or to book a One-Bedroom Suite (see separate entry in the Club shop).

We have only limited availability, and this will be a popular event, so please book here now or call Member Services on 020 7399 2960.

Bookings subject to our Club rules and terms and conditions, and those of our partners and suppliers.