How to complete the Ballerina puzzle and open the gate in the theatre in Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart is the latest Bioshock-esque video game title from Mundfish. Players assume control of the protagonist, Sergey Nechaev - a special duties officer and agent of Sechenov, as they investigate the ruins of Facility 3826 in this fictional representation of the USSR while uncovering dark secrets about the facility and the major's past.

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On account of it being a role-playing title, there are several puzzles players will encounter throughout the campaign, one of the more troublesome ones being in the Theatre - the last stand between you and Petrov. The door to Petrov is guarded by a set of programmable ballerinas that players must arrange in a specific order to proceed.

This article will detail how players can solve the Ballerina puzzle to unlock the gate.

Note: Spoilers for Atomic Heart will follow. Viewer discretion is advised.

Solving the Ballerina puzzle in Atomic Heart.

A specific set of Ballerinas is set in debug mode, allowing some interactivity. Players must interact with these statues to recreate grim stances to unlock the gate and push forward to Petrov.

This quest is automatically unlocked during the events of “Ascending the (Gallows) Stage” and can be solved with the following steps:

1. Make your way through the corridor and interact with each Ballerina in the order prescribed below from the start of the corridor.

2. Croisée at the fifth position, with the arms placed in the third position.

3. Relevé as the fifth position yet again. Effacé with the arms upright, loose in an allongé.

The Attitude position (Image via YouTube/AMHarbinger)

4. Attitude as the next adjustment.

A la seconde postion (Image via YouTube/AMHarbinger)

5. Finally, A la seconde - with the arms free.

Following these steps in order will arrange the statues to recreate a shadow painting of the final moments of the poor souls impaled on the railings above. Additionally, the “Art is Sacrifice” objective will be notified to be completed, and players can make their way through the now unlocked doors to confront Petrov. Be prepared for a fight.

Who is Petrov?

Viktor Vasiluevich Petrov, as seen in-game (Image via Focus Entertainment)

Viktor Vasiluevich Petrov is a gifted engineer and programmer posted within Facility 3826’s robotic theater during the game's events. As described by the game, he is exceptionally skilled in Fine Arts and an ally of Comrade Stockhausen, managing even to impress Sechenov. He was soon assigned to the scientific team and took part in developing the Kollektiv 2.0 network.

However, shortly before the campaign's events, he was terminated and ordered to undertake mandatory community service for the perversion of the ideals of the Facility. He was considered a threat to human society.

Petrov is one of the several antagonists' players who will come face-to-face during their stay in Atomic Heart.

What is Atomic Heart?

Atomic Heart is set as a first-person shooter role-playing video game title from Mundfish and Focus Entertainment. Players take control of the “Major” as they enter Facility 3826 - a top-secret scientific experimental facility of the Soviet Union. The Major must endure the horrors of the facility and attempt to put an end to the root cause of the malfunctioning robots, which are hell-bent on murdering any humans they may come across.

Atomic Heart was released on February 21, 2023, for the PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 worldwide. Last-generation ports of the game for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are also available. The title is also playable via Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service.

Edited by Ashmita Bhatt