Grand Theatre began as a private theater of the provincial prosecutor of Prince Peter Urusov. March 28, 1776 Empress Catherine II signed the prince "privilege" for the maintenance of performances, masquerades, balls and other amusements for a period of ten years. This date is considered the founding of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. In the first phase of the existence of the Bolshoi Theatre and opera drama troupe were a single entity. The composition was the most diverse: from serf actors - to guests from overseas stars.
In the formation of opera and drama company played a major role Moscow University and founded by him at the gymnasium, which was given a good musical education. Theatre classes have been established at the Moscow educational house, which also supplied the footage into a new troupe.
The content of the performances and the "amusements" was a matter of the financial burden, and Prince Peter Urusov divided his "privilege" with a companion - Russified Englishman Michael Maddox, equilibrists, theater mechanic and "lecturer", display all sorts of optical instruments and other "mechanical" miracles.