Vienna is preparing for the traditional "ball of balls"

On Thursday, late in the Vienna Opera Theater, a traditional opera ball will begin, which will be the culmination of the season of balls passing throughout Austria since the beginning of the year.

According to RIA Novosti at the Vienna Opera Directorate, in the 49th season, unlike past years, there will be no celebrities at the Vienna Opera Ball.

There was even the question of the abolition of the Viennese ball as a result of tragic events in Southeast Asia, where 15 Austrians died from the consequences of the tsunami and several dozen were missing.

The ball will be more modest than always

However, as the director of the Vienna opera John Holender said, "nevertheless, the Viennese opera ball will take place, although it will be pretty faded compared to last year's brilliance."

On the eve of the organizer of the Viennese opera ball Elizabeth Gürtors told reporters that "the Federal Chancellor of Austria Hinz Fisher did not invite anyone to the Vienna Ball."

At the Vienna ball, politicians will be represented only by Fisher himself, the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Wolfgang Shusissel and the mayor of Athens, Dorea Bakoyannia, who in these days was in the Austrian capital.

According to the Directorate of the Vienna Opera, the prices for visiting the opera ball this year are quite modest: the entrance ticket costs only 215 euros, but 16 thousand euros are sold in lodges. The table for six people costs 900 euros, for four persons - 600 euros, for wine and snacks is paid separately depending on appetite. The "standing" places cost 12 euros.

This year, smoking is prohibited at the opera ball. To do this, only the lobby of the opera building is allotted.

For the first time, the Viennese ball took place in 1877 and since then passed regularly, interrupted only for the period of the First World War and from the end of the Second World War until 1956, when Austria restored its independence.

In total, almost 500 various balls took place in Vienna in the so -called "carnival period", which lasts since November last year - including balls of UN employees, psychotherapists, chimney sweeps and gays.

The police are preparing for the invasion of anti -globalists

As in previous years, this year a demonstration of anti -globalists is expected near the theater. As the head of the Vienna, Peter Stidl, said, “in order to prevent anti -globalists, hooligans and pogroms to the building of the Vienna Opera, one thousand police officers and employees of the Kobra Ministry of Internal Affairs were additionally allocated. According to him,“ it is mainly expected to anticipate levoradial elements that have already arrived in Vienna and are waiting for the start of the opera ball. ”

According to him, "if the weather does not hurt, then from 800 to a thousand people will try to break through to the opera theater." Among the slogans of anti -globalists and other demonstrators, among whom there will be many students, this year there will be: "Americans, out of Iraq!", "Americans, hands off Iran!"

In the diameter of up to one kilometer around the opera Theater, police barriers will be set, the task of which will be included not to miss the demonstrators directly to the building of the Vienna Opera and not to allow clashes and other violent actions. The Viennese opera ball will begin on Thursday at 24:00 Moscow time and end in the morning on Friday, February 4.