Did you know that the USSR was founded in… the Bolshoi Theater?!

Boris Egorov

Apr 06 2026

Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Sputnik; Oleg Lastochkin/Sputnik; Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images; Legion Media)

Shoulder straps were introduced in the Soviet troops in 1943. Once upon a time, the very idea was considered offensive.

It happened on December 20, 1922, in the Bolshoi Theater's Grand Hall. The First All-Union Congress of Soviets, which approved the treaty establishing the new state, was held there.

At the time, the choice of venue for such an important event was no surprise. Government meetings, party congresses and meetings of workers and the working class were often held in palaces and even former Institutes for Noble Maidens. And the spacious Bolshoi Theater was ideal.

The Bolshoi Theater in 1922.

Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

After coming to power, the Bolsheviks removed the "Imperial" from its name, hung communist slogans on the balconies and replaced the double-headed eagle with a hammer and sickle. The Bolshoi simultaneously became a venue for both cultural and political life.

It’s true that, at one point, Lenin tried to close it, citing the fact that "it would be awkward to maintain such a luxurious theater at such a large expense when we lack the funds to support even the simplest schools in the villages".

The Declaration on the Creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Oleg Lastochkin/Sputnik

In November 1922, a decree was even issued to close the Bolshoi Theater. However, Lenin's health soon deteriorated and he went into retirement, with Stalin replacing him and succeeding in reversing this decision.