Description of the attraction
For the first time, concerts were performed at the Kiev Philharmonic in 1863, at least this year the Kiev branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society was founded. In 1882 the society received a new building - the recently erected House of the Merchant Assembly (now known as the N. Lysenko Column Hall). At first, it hosted masquerade balls, charity lotteries, family celebrations, literary and musical evenings. And with the beginning of the 90s of the 19th century - and matinees of chamber music. A special place in the development of Kiev's philharmonic activity was played, of course, by the outstanding composer Nikolai Lysenko, although his activities, painted in a national flavor, were not welcomed by the authorities. However, the composer's contribution was so high that the philharmonic activity continued successfully during the First World War and the Civil War.
In 1919, the merchants' meeting was dissolved. The Philharmonic Hall housed the Proletarian House of Arts, then the House of Political Education, the Bolshevik club, the House of Pioneers and Octobrists. The Philharmonic itself was forced to work from 1927 to 1934 in Kharkov, which was then the capital of Ukraine. Only with the transfer of the capital to Kiev, the Philharmonic was able to return to its place, where it worked until 1941.
In the post-war period, the building of the Philharmonic was threatened with demolition, since it was in an emergency condition, but these plans were never implemented, since there was simply no better room with such acoustics as the Philharmonic. The Philharmonic Society successfully continued its activities, and in 1962, on the 120th anniversary of the birth and 50th anniversary of the death of Mykola Lysenko, it was named after him, and in the early 80s the building of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine was recognized as an architectural monument.
