Moscow's Bolshoi is streaming its iconic ballet performances for free

The legendary Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow is broadcasting its best classic performances online for free in response to new restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The Bolshoi's announcement came after the Moscow mayor on Thursday ordered the closure of all non-essential services and encouraged residents to stay home.

"Our country, like the rest of the world, is experiencing a very difficult time" said Vladimir Urin, general director of the Bolshoi Theatre, announcing the digital shows.

"We've never faced this type of situation before and since we had to close the theatre we didn't want to lose our connection with our audience," he said.

The ballet and opera house said it is showing six of its most popular productions on its YouTube channel (which began on March 27) with the Swan Lake ballet.

"We're honoured that YouTube can support the Bolshoi as they engage with fans in new ways during these challenging times," Julia Solovieva, head of Google in Russia, said in the statement.

The "Golden Collection" of the Bolshoi's most popular productions include Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, ballets scored by the Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

The Bolshoi earlier cancelled all of its scheduled performances between March 17 and April 10, following restrictions on public events of more than 50 people.

Dozens of theatres and operas around the world have closed their doors to the public in recent days to slow the spread of the coronavirus, with some livestreaming shows. - AFP