Riccardo Drigo was an Italian composer and conductor who spent a significant part of his life working in Russia. From an early age, he performed as a pianist and composed music. He was educated at the Venice Conservatory and then began his career in Italian theatres, conducting opera productions, including at La Scala. In 1878, he was invited to Saint Petersburg. He first worked as conductor of the Italian Opera and later became conductor and composer of the ballet orchestra at the Mariinsky Theatre. Under his direction, the premieres of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s ballets “The Sleeping Beauty”, “The Nutcracker”, and a new version of “Swan Lake”, as well as Alexander Glazunov’s “Raymonda”, were presented. Riccardo Drigo composed several ballets of his own, including “The Talisman”, “The Pearl”, and “Harlequinade”, as well as operas. In 1920, he returned to Italy and continued composing until the end of his life. His last opera was staged in Padua in 1929. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum collection preserves a large number of items related to the work of Riccardo Drigo.