October Palace


The October Palace is a performing arts center in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is officially known as the International Center of Culture and Arts of the Trade Union Federation of Ukraine, while October Palace is used for its brevity.
WWW Official Site

History

The building was constructed between 1838 and 1842 upon the design of architect Vikentiy Beretti as the Russian "Kyiv Institute for Noble Maidens", hence the street where it was located was called Instytutska Street. After the revolution, the building was used by the government, including housing for Kyiv's Cheka.
Almost completely destroyed in the Second World War, the building was renovated between 1952 and 1959, and named the October Palace of Culture, used primarily as a concert stage. The street was also renamed October Revolution Street.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, it was renamed to its present-day name. Today, it continues to be used as a concert hall. A movie theater wing was recently added. Even now, the Centre remains a real centre of Ukraine's spiritual capital. The library's unique holding amounting to more than 70,000 items. Various events featuring famous writers, composers, diplomats, politicians, members of parliament and other public figures contribute to the spiritual renaissance of Ukraine, inspire people and endow them with ardent creativity. The well-lit and spacious rooms of the Centre's foyer are always capable of hosting exhibitions spectacularly, emphasising their strong points; the Centre hosts various exhibitions: those of painting, photography, consumer goods, technology and so on. The Centre's capabilities range from intimate family celebrations or somewhat larger anniversary celebrations to large international conferences, symposiums, seminars and congresses.
The building is also the main training centre for prominent rhythmic gymnastics training center, the Deriugins School.
The Bridge over Instytutska Street, in front of the October Palace, was opened in 2002.
During the 2013–2014 Euromaidan protest in Kyiv, the October Palace was occupied by protesters. According to Deriugins School pupil Ganna Rizatdinova, after Euromaidan her school discovered that some of their equipment "like a TV set and a kettle, balls and clubs" had disappeared; "it was a strange kind of robbery. We don't know who did it." Effective from 30 January 2015, part of Instytutska Street was renamed Alley of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred; consequently, the October Palace's address changed to "Алея Героїв Небесної Сотні, 1".
In 2018 the British rock band Bring Me the Horizon recorded their music video for the song "Mantra" here.

NKVD execution prison

During the 1920s and 1930s about 120,000 people were killed in the building. Among them - famous Soviet Ukrainian artists, painters, writers, politicians, professors, teachers, scientists, priests and so on, like Hryhorii Kosynka, Mykola Ivasyuk, Maik Yohansen and Mykhail Semenko. The bodies of the victims were secretly taken to the outskirts of Kyiv, to the Bykivnia Forest, and buried.

Ensembles

  • National orchestra of folks instruments
  • Jazz orchestra "Muzychna laboratoria"
  • National ensemble of folk dance "Horlytsia"
  • National opera studios
  • National ensemble of classic ballet "Prosvit"
  • Children ensemble of classic ballet "Etyud"
  • Children ensemble of folk songs "Spivanochka"