Travelers to St. Petersburg next year will not be able to visit Russia's nearly 150-year-old Mariinsky Theater, which is closing in January 2007 for major renovations. The theater is not slated to reopen until May 2008, though funding was secured for a new concert hall on Ulitsa Pisareva, a short distance from the Mariinsky's current location, reports the St. Petersburg Times. The new 1,100-seat venue was completed this summer and will be able to accommodate most of the Mariinsky's 2007 shows, with a few exceptions.
