The Nutcracker

Obverse

the two-headed eagle designed by artist I. Bilibin. The inscriptions along the rim: at the top — «3 РУБЛЯ 1996 г.» (3 RUBLES 1996), at the bottom — «БАНК РОССИИ» (BANK OF RUSSIA). The letters below indicate the metal sign, the fineness, the mint trademark and the fine metal content.

Reverse

Masha and the Prince dancing at the ball, the inscription along the rim - "ЩЕЛКУНЧИК" (THE NUTCRACKER).

Authors

The artist: A.V. Baklanov
The sculptor: N.A. Nosov
St.Petersburg Mint (ЛМД)
The edge: 300 corrugations

The "The Nutcracker", a ballet written to Peter Tchaikovsky's music and Marius Petipa's adaptation of Ernest Hoffmann's fairy tale "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" and choreographed by Lev Ivanov, was first staged in the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on December 6, 1892. The ballet has a dramatic history: its original version was not particularly successful with the public as Marius Petipa, the choreographer of the Mariinsky Theatre, could not stage it himself due to ill health. Later different versions of the ballet were produced. It was first shown in Moscow only in 1915. "The Nutcracker" received a new lease of life on March 12, 1966, on the stage of the Bolshoi Thearte where it was produced by Yuri Grigorovich. The leading parts in the ballet were performed by the ballet stars Y.Maximova, V.Vasilyev, G. Sitnikov and V. Levashov (the scenery was designed by artist S. Virsaladze and the orchestra was conducted by G.Rozhdestvensky). "The Nutcracker" has been successfully staged in many countries.