Ruslan and Lyudmila

opera by Glinka

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July 13, 2026

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Ruslan and Lyudmila is a romantic opera by Russian composer Mikhail Glinka, which premiered in St. Petersburg in 1842. Based on a poem by Aleksandr Pushkin, the opera tells the story of Ruslan's quest to rescue his bride, Lyudmila, from an evil magician.123

While Italianate in style, Glinka incorporated elements of Slavic folk music, unique orchestration, and modified leitmotifs, setting a course for Russian opera. The opera's bold originality was not immediately popular but influenced later Russian composers like Mily Balakirev, Aleksandr Borodin, and Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. Glinka is recognized as the founder of the Russian nationalist school of music.12

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Mikhail Glinka
…in 1842 his second opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila, was produced. The exotic subject and boldly original music of Ruslan won neither favour nor popular acclaim, although Franz Liszt was struck by the novelty of the music.
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…in 1842 his second opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila, was produced. The exotic subject and boldly original music of Ruslan won neither favour nor popular acclaim, although Franz Liszt was struck by the novelty of the music.
Read More

Russia
The 19th century
…Tsar (1836) and his Pushkin-inspired Ruslan and Lyudmila (1842) are the oldest Russian operas that remain in the standard repertoire.
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…Tsar (1836) and his Pushkin-inspired Ruslan and Lyudmila (1842) are the oldest Russian operas that remain in the standard repertoire.
Read More