People illegally queuing for Nutcracker tickets were detained

MOSCOW, November 9. Citizens who illegally entered the queue for the sale of tickets to the Nutcracker ballet have been detained, law enforcement officers are conducting an investigation, it is said in the response of the General Director of the Bolshoi Theater Vladimir Urin to the head of the State Duma Committee on Culture Elena Yampolskaya.
“Based on the theater’s application to the Tverskaya Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office of Moscow, citizens who were illegally pre-registering in the queue were detained; law enforcement agencies are currently conducting an investigation,” says the document that Yampolskaya published on her Telegram channel.
At the same time, the response notes that the Bolshoi Theater submitted an application to the Tverskaya Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office of Moscow with a request to stop illegal actions in the sale of tickets to The Nutcracker and to ensure regular operation of the box office during the period of sale of tickets for the ballet.

Earlier, the Bolshoi Theater published a special pre-sale program for tickets for performances of the ballet “The Nutcracker” on its official website due to increased demand for the performance. According to the sales schedule, for performances on December 23-28, pre-sale of tickets will begin at the theater box office from November 4, and on the website from November 5. Ticket sales for productions on December 29-31 will start on November 11 and 12 at the box office and on the website, respectively. Tickets for performances during the January holidays from January 2 to 7 will be available for purchase on November 18 and 19. At the second stage, tickets remaining after pre-sale at the box office will be available for purchase on the website and at the theater box office.
< br />On Saturday morning there were several lines at the theater, in the first there were people waiting for wristbands for places in line, and in the second there were people who had already stood in line for tickets. People standing in it noted that the line for bracelets was chaotic. Previously, according to one of the customers, tickets were purchased using lists and notebooks compiled by volunteers. According to her, this year this did not happen.

Later, advertisements appeared on Avito for the sale of tickets and bracelets for places in line, the price ranged from 15 to 50 thousand rubles, the service blocked these advertisements. Another ad offered pre-order tickets to The Nutcracker. A certain agency promised tickets with an advance payment of 50% of the total cost.
The head of the State Duma Committee on Culture, Elena Yampolskaya, previously stated that an appeal from the State Duma Committee on Culture was sent to the General Director of the Bolshoi Theater Vladimir Urin with questions about the situation with the sale of tickets for the ballet «The Nutcracker» .