The present book is the first comprehensive study of the best known among

Prokofiev’s ballets. Over several decades, the history of how the ‘woeful story’ of the

ballet’s staging culminated in fantastic triumphs has become a theatrical legend

almost as exciting as Shakespeare’s play. Though the established facts and scholarly

discoveries cannot compete with its hypnotic charm, they can supplement the

intricate storyline, making its details and nuances more well-defined. The book is

illustrated by rare musical, literary and pictorial materials from Russian and foreign

archives.