St. Petersburg is the center of cultural life. And an important place in it is occupied by concert halls, which have become popular stages for private performances and various concerts. Among the most famous venues is the Grand Concert Hall "October".
St. Petersburg. Past
The appearance of the northern capital is constantly changing. And few people remember what the corner of the city looked like at the intersection of Ligovsky Prospekt, Starorusskaya and 4th Sovetskaya streets.
One of the main town-planning features of the layout of St. Petersburg is the orientation of a group of streets to the square as the center of the ensemble. In this regard, visually there was a feeling that the main building of the square seemed to close the street opening. This St. Petersburg section was organized in this way: the alignment of Zhukovsky Street, oriented exactly at the location of the current BKZ - Summer Horse Square, was closed by the Greek Church, founded here by decree of Alexander II in 1861 by the amazing master of the neo-Byzantine style Roman Ivanovich Kuzmin.
The church in the Greek settlement was consecrated in the name of the patron saint of the Russian army, St. Demetrius of Thessalonica. It belonged to the Greek Embassy, and the famous St. Petersburg resident, a Greek by birth, Dmitry Yegorovich Benardaki, invested in its construction.
BKZ. Origins
Due to the trends in the closure of churches after 1917, this church was also closed, only much later than many others - at the end of the 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 idle for a long time. When the bomb was taken out, the structure was still abandoned and gradually destroyed. And by 1961 it was dismantled.
In its place, the famous Grand Concert Hall "Oktyabrsky" was laid - a huge building by the standards of that time and an innovative architectural solution, which became one of the famous urban objects of the era. Its capacity was amazing - up to 3737 spectators could simultaneously gather a cozy auditorium equipped with advanced technologies.
The purpose of the construction of "Oktyabrsky", erected on the occasion of 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.
BKZ "October" is located at the address: Ligovsky prospect, 6.
BKZ"October". Present
Now the BKZ is one of the most used and loved concert halls in the city. It hosts almost all festive events, as well as the most grandiose festivals and concerts. His stage space knows, perhaps, all the major stars of the Russian stage and theater. On its stage, the ballet theaters of I. Moiseev, A. Dukhovoi present the extravaganza of dance, famous performers of classical music perform with a classical program, among which the opera singer Vasily Gerello, the titans of the Soviet stage Iosif Kobzon and Edita Piekha, the famous collective of the Children's Choir of Radio and Television. Grandiose children's performances are organized here, including the famous New Year trees. There are theatrical meetings and performances in the repertoire of the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall, and tours of many European and world celebrities are like on its stage.
It is also important to note the convenient location of the BKZ - in the very center of the city. Every Petersburger knows how to get to the Grand Concert Hall "Oktyabrsky": to the metro station "Ploshchad Vosstaniya". You can also use a variety of ground transport. For out-of-towners, the main landmark is the Moscow railway station.
A look into the future
BKZ "Oktyabrsky" does not stand still: all its structures are constantly evolving. A special place in the hall's quality work 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".
Develops Big Concert Hall "Oktyabrsky" and charitable direction: on October 6-7, gala concerts for children and young people with disabilities were held in its hall. Concerts are held annually for teachers on their professional holiday, for veterans on Victory Day, etc. In November, residents of the Grazhdanka historical district, invited to the celebration dedicated to its anniversary, could use the stage of the concert hall.
There are also problems with the development of the BKZ. Thus, it is planned to build a modern shopping and entertainment complex next to it. This construction was opposed by many residents of the city, and, above all, the Greek community of "Petropolis". Its representatives turned to the governor with a request to restore the church of Dmitry Solunsky on a free site near the BKZ, albeit not quite on its historical site.
