Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" is one of the most famous and beloved ballets that has been performed all around the globe. Russian ballerinas who performed the role of the Queen of Swans Odessa became the legends of the ballet world — among them were Marina Semenova, Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Raisa Struchkova and Natalie Bessmertnova.

Swan Lake's libretto was written by the dancer Vasily Seltzer and playwright Vladimir Begichev. It is based on the swan motives in fairytales from around the world. Its difference from usual ballet scenarios is that it has a tragic ending. It is possible that this theme was an idea of Tchaikovsky himself, who back in 1871 composed a one-act children's ballet "Lake of the swans".

Unfortunately, in 1877, when the "Swan Lake" premiered on the Moscow stage, there was no choreographer capable of understanding the author's idea and rising up to the task. Back then the Bolshoi Theater's ballet master Julius Resigner simply illustrated the literary scenario with his stage vision, using the music in the tradition of that time — as a rhythmical foundation for the dancing. But Moscow audience captivated by Tchaikovsky's melodies went to the Bolshoi not so much to watch the dancing as to listen to the music.

The "Swan Lake" had to wait for its second birth for almost 10 years — until 1893. It took place after the death of the great composer: at the memorial evening party St. Petersburg choreographer Lev Ivanov presented the second "swan" act with his own staging. Ivanov's rare gift was his ability to see musical images as dance moves. Marius Petipa quickly appraised Ivanov's genius solution and suggested they stage the complete ballet together. That was how the famous staging of Petipa and Ivanov was born and it survives to this day.

Although Swan Lake is presented in many different versions, most ballet companies base their stagings both choreographically and musically on the 1895 revival of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first staged for the Imperial Ballet on 15 January 1895, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. For this revival, Tchaikovsky's score was revised by the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre's chief conductor and composer Riccardo Drigo.

During the late 1880s and early 1890s, Petipa and Vsevolozhsky discussed with Tchaikovsky the possibility of reviving Swan Lake. However, Tchaikovsky died on 6 November 1893, just when plans to revive Swan Lake were beginning to come to fruition. It remains uncertain whether Tchaikovsky was prepared to revise the music for this revival. Whatever the case, as a result of Tchaikovsky's death, Drigo was forced to revise the score himself, after receiving approval from Tchaikovsky's younger brother, Modest. There are major differences between Drigo's and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake score. Today, it is Riccardo Drigo's revision of Tchaikovsky's score, and not Tchaikovsky's original score of 1877, that most ballet companies use.

In February 1894, two memorial concerts planned by Vsevolozhsky were given in honor of Tchaikovsky. The production included the second act of Swan Lake, choreographed by Lev Ivanov, Second Balletmaster to the Imperial Ballet. Ivanov's choreography for the memorial concert was unanimously hailed as wonderful.

The revival of Swan Lake was planned for Pierina Legnani's benefit performance in the 1894–1895 season. The death of Tsar Alexander III on 1 November 1894 and the ensuing period of official mourning brought all ballet performances and rehearsals to a close for some time, and as a result all efforts could be concentrated on the pre-production of the full revival of Swan Lake. Ivanov and Petipa collaborated on the production, with Ivanov retaining his dances for the second act while choreographing the fourth, with Petipa staging the first and third acts.

Modest Tchaikovsky was called upon to make changes to the ballet's libretto, including the character of Odette changing from a fairy swan-maiden into a cursed mortal woman, the ballet's villain changing from Odette's stepmother to the magician von Rothbart, and the ballet's finale: instead of the lovers simply drowning at the hand of Odette's stepmother as in the original 1877 scenario, Odette commits suicide by drowning herself, with Prince Siegfried choosing to die as well, rather than live without her, and soon the lovers' spirits are reunited in an apotheosis. Aside from the revision of the libretto the ballet was changed from four acts to three—with act 2 becoming act 1, scene 2.

All was ready by the beginning of 1895 and the ballet had its première on Friday, 27 January. Pierina Legnani danced Odette/Odile, with Pavel Gerdt as Prince Siegfried, Alexei Bulgakov as Rothbart, and Alexander Oblakov as Benno. Most of the reviews in the St. Petersburg newspapers were positive.