In 1776 the history of the Bolshoi Theatre began when Empress Catherina II allowed Prince Pyotr Urusov to run theatrical performances. That theatre burned down and a new one was built in 1825. That one burnt down too, but it was rebuilt and reopened in 1856. After that, no important repairs were made to the building for 150 years. By the beginning of the 21st century it was in a very bad state and in danger of falling down. Major repairs were started in 2005, and the work should be completed by the end of October 2011. When it is finished the theatre should look just as it did at the time of the tsars, with embroidered silk tapestry and the tsar's sign replacing the communist hammers and sickles. The total cost of the rebuild will be around £400 million which is 16 times what they originally said it would cost.