The decision to build an opera theater in Chelyabinsk was made by the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR on May 25, 1934, the design of the building began in 1936 (architect N. Kurennoy, Moscow), construction began in 1937 on the site of the demolished Nativity of Christ Cathedral.
The theater building is built in a strict and restrained style. The influence of ascetic constructivism is felt in it. The facade of the building is made with a powerful portico of 8 paired columns in front of a round and a rectangular section behind. Allegorical sculptural groups are located above its attic end. On the triangular pediment of the theater, one can see the coat of arms of the Soviet Union, flags, musical instruments. Rectangular columns are also embedded on the sides of the building. The auditorium of the theater consists of 895 seats.
The opening of the theater was planned for the anniversary of the October Revolution in 1941, but due to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, construction was suspended.
In 1941-1948. the theater building housed the Kalibr plant evacuated from Moscow. The industrial activity of the plant had negative consequences for the state of the theater building, the restoration of which took a long time. During the post-war reconstruction, the appearance of the theater has changed significantly. The facades and interiors were redesigned in the spirit of stylizing the classical forms of Russian theater architecture of the 19th century.
