In order to lighten the heavily congested volume of the theater and take all the engineering underground, thereby expanding the possibilities of the stage, the architects turned to the only possible way of developing the theater complex - the development of underground space. However, this path requires a detailed analysis of underground soils, which would give one hundred percent confidence that the underground architecture will not become a "time bomb".
Reconstruction project presented by the chief architect of ZAO "Kurortproekt" N. G. Shangin, suggests the creation of underground spaces under Teatralnaya Square, Schepkinsky Proezd, Kopyevsky Lane. and under the sidewalk st. Petrovka. Their engineering structure rests on pressed piles that extend 18-20 meters deep into the earth.
In addition to the parking, it is planned to create a hall underground, where the functions of the chamber Beethoven Hall will move, where, finally, in full force, the orchestra will be able to rehearse and additional performances will be arranged.
However, despite the seemingly thoughtfulness of the project, many of those present expressed distrust caused, on the one hand, by significant material costs, and in general by the question of the need for additional theater areas - after all, the theater already has a second stage, but the main reason was the lack of confidence in the reliability of the underground structure. The first person to express his mistrust was Yu. M. Luzhkov, who asked whether the designers were sure of the reliability of the soils. It is known that the groundwater here runs quite high, because of them it was necessary to reduce the number of storeys during the construction of Okhotny Ryad, and the work on the conclusion in the 1970s. the Neglinka River into the sewer almost led to the death of the Metropol Hotel and the Maly Theater. What, then, is the difference between the Bolshoi Theater, given that both the hotel and the theater are also on stilts?
The verdict of the Public Council was the temporary rejection of the project until the final conclusion on the state of soil and groundwater in this area.
The second issue on the agenda was the installation of the famous monument to V. I. Mukhina "Worker and Collective Farm Woman" is a topic that has been discussed since 2003. It is planned to return the geometry of the original pedestal to the sculpture, that is, to copy the pavilion designed for the Paris exhibition in 1937 by B. Iofan. It must be said that the idea of restoring the Iofanov pavilion at the end of 2002 was part of a failed attempt to offer the All-Russian Exhibition Center and Russia in general for the international exhibition EXPO-10. The sculpture was dismantled for restoration in November 2003. Both then and now, Andrey Bokov (Mosproekt-4) is engaged in the design of the pavilion and the surroundings.
The monument will be erected approximately in the same place where it stood before - at the intersection of Mira Avenue and S. Eisenstein Street. Around it is planned to build a public shopping center (in the dominant public function - a cinema, etc.), which, according to the projects presented, will surround the sculpture like an amphitheater.
Three variants of the “monument + community center” solution were proposed for the Council's consideration; all three were rejected by the mayor as an overwhelming masterpiece from Mukhino. However, indirectly, preference was given to the squat version, no higher than 20 meters, which obscures the sculpture least of all (the height of the pavilion-pedestal is about 35 meters, the height of the sculpture is 24 meters). All those present were unanimous in the opinion that the monument is one of the brightest symbols of the Soviet era, and should dominate in the ensemble being created. Different points of view were voiced about how to arrange the monument so that it would be better seen. The summary was presented by Yu. M. Luzhkov, according to him, the sculpture should become one of the dominants of the city and therefore requires "a more logical solution."
