St. Petersburg is the center of cultural life. And an important place in it is occupied by concert halls, which have become a popular stage for entreprise performances and various concerts. Among the most famous venues is BKZ Oktyabrsky.
St. Petersburg. The past
The face of the northern capital is constantly changing. And few people already remember what a corner of the city looked like at the intersection of Ligovsky Prospect, Starorusskaya and 4th Sovetskaya Streets.
One of the main urban development features of the layout of St. Petersburg is the orientation of a group of streets on the square as the center of the ensemble. In this regard, it seemed visually that the main structure of the square seemed to close the street opening. Thus, this St. Petersburg section was organized: the target of the Zhukovsky street, oriented specifically to the location of the current BKZ - the Summer Horse Square was closed by the Greek Church, founded here by decree of Alexander II in 1861, by an amazing neo-Byzantine-style master Roman Ivanovich Kuzmin.
The church in the Greek settlement was consecrated in the name of the patron saint of the Russian army, St. Dmitry Solunsky. It belonged to the Greek Embassy, and the famous Petersburger, Greek by descent, Dmitry Yegorovich Benardaki, invested in its construction.
BKZ. The origins
Due to the tendency to close churches after 1917, this church was also closed, only much later than many others in the late 30s. During the Great Patriotic War, a military training center was located in the building of the Greek Church, but after a bomb hit the building it stood for a long time inactive. When the bomb was taken out, the structure remained unowned and gradually collapsed. And by 1961 it was dismantled.
In its place the famous Concert Hall “Oktyabrsky” was laid - a huge building by the standards of the time and innovative in architectural design, which became one of the famous city objects of the era. Its capacity was amazing - up to 3737 spectators could simultaneously assemble a cozy and equipped with advanced technology auditorium.
The purpose of the construction of the "October", erected to the 50th anniversary of the revolution, was associated with the holding of especially solemn events dedicated to major political and state events. And even outwardly it is very reminiscent of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.
The Concert Hall "Oktyabrsky" was located at Ligovsky Prospekt, 6.
Concert Hall "October". The present
Now BKZ is one of the most used and favorite concert halls of the city. It hosts almost all the celebrations, as well as the most ambitious festivals and concerts. His stage space knows, perhaps, all the major stars of the Russian stage and theater. On its stage, the dance extravaganza is presented by the ballet theaters I. Moiseyev, A. Dukhovoy, famous classical music performers perform with the classical program, among which the opera singer Vasily Gerello, titans of the Soviet stage Joseph Kobzon and Edita Pieha, the famous group of the Radio and Television Grandiose children's performances are arranged here, including the famous New Year trees. There are theatrical meetings and performances in the repertoire of the Concert Hall “Oktyabrsky”, many European and world celebrities tour on it.
It is important to note the convenient location of the BKZ - in the very center of the city. Every Petersburger knows how to get to the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall: to the Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station. It is possible and a variety of land transport. For nonresidents, the main landmark is Moscow Station.
A look into the future
Concert Hall “Oktyabrsky” does not stand still: all its structures are constantly evolving. A special place in the quality activity of the hall is occupied by sound and technical improvement. And on the basis of the concert complex, master classes are held for students of St. Petersburg universities and professionals. For example, in the summer of 2015, it was a master class on the topic “Sound Engineering of Audiovisual Arts”.
The Oktyabrsky Concert Hall is also developing a charity direction: on October 6-7, gala concerts for children and young people with disabilities were held in its hall. Every year, concerts are held for teachers on their professional holiday, for veterans on Victory Day, etc. In November, residents of the historic Grazhdanka district who were invited to a celebration dedicated to his anniversary were able to use the stage of the concert hall.
There are problems with the development of the BKZ. So, next to it is planned the construction of a modern shopping and entertainment complex. Many residents of the city opposed this construction, and, first of all, the Greek community "Petropolis". Its representatives appealed to the governor with a request to restore the church of Dmitry Solunsky on a free site near the BKZ, albeit not quite in its historical place.