The Voyevoda, Op.3, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s first opera, was composed to the plot of the comedy 'A Dream on the Volga, Scenes from Popular Life of the 17th Century', by Alexandr Ostrovsky who offered it to the composer. The playwright planned to write the libretto himself.

In 1867, Tchaikovsky started his work on the opera. However, because of some other business and creative disagreement with Ostrovsky, their collaboration stopped after writing the first act and the first scene of the second act. Tchaikovsky had to finish the libretto on his own. It all slightly impeded the process of writing. The composer had cooled off the plot. “The plot is good for nothing, that is it lacks any dramatic interest and flow”, he wrote to Nadezhda von Meck. Tchaikovsky resumed his work in late October of 1867 at the insistence of singer Alexandra Menshikova, the performer of the role of Marya Vlasyevna who planned to showcase the opera to her benefit.

In July of 1868, the opera was completed. It was premiered on 30th October, 1869 at the Bolshoi Theatre and was very well received by the audience. The composer was awarded a laurel wreath and had to take a bow many times. Vladimir Odoyevsky, a Russian writer, musicologist and music theorist, said “Russian tonality reigns. But gifted Tchaikovsky also did not resist the desire to please the public. This opera guarantees a great future for Tchaikovsky.”

Cast:
- Nechay Shalygin, the Voyevoda: Vladimir Matorin (bass)
- Vlas Dyuzhoy, a wealthy merchant: Leonid Zimnenko (bass)
- Nastasya, his wife: Alexandra Fatkina (soprano)
- Their daughters: Marya Vlasyevna: Galina Kuznetsova (soprano)
- Praskovya Vlasyevna: Lyudmila Bondarenko (soprano)
- Stepan Bastryukov: Anatoly Mishchevsky (tenor)
- Roman Dubrovin, a fugitive tradesman: Oleg Klyonov (baritone)
- Olyona, his wife: Yulia Abakumovskaya (mezzo-soprano)
- Rezviy, Bastryukov’s servant: Vladimir Svistov (bass)
- Jester: Viatcheslav Voynarovsky (tenor)
- Nedviga, a nurse: Nina Isakova (mezzo-soprano)
- New Voyevoda: Vladimir Svistov (bass)