Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall

The Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall (BKZ) (Russian: Большой концертный зал «Октя́брьский», romanized: Bol'shoy kontsertnyy zal «Oktyábr'skiy», Big Concert Hall "October") is a theatre located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It hosts variety actors, rock musicians, and also dance and ballet collectives.[1] Located in the Greek Square, it opened October 1967, inaugurated 50 years after the October Revolution.

Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall
Большой концертный зал «Октя́брьский»
БКЗ «Октябрьский»
Exterior of the concert hall (c.2011)
AddressLigovsky Prospekt, 6
Saint Petersburg 191036 Russia
LocationGreek Square
Coordinates59°56′08″N 30°21′55″E
Capacity3,727
Construction
Broke ground1961
Opened25 October 1967 (1967-10-25)
Renovated2007
ArchitectAleksandr Zhuk
Website
Venue Website (in Russian)

The director of the hall, since 1988, has been Emma Lavrinovich.[2] According to the administration, about one million spectators visit the hall each year.

History

The venue was built on the grounds of the former Greek church, Греческая церковь на Греческой площади. This was reflected in Joseph Brodsky poem "Остановка в пустыне".

The construction took place between 1961 and 1967, by a group headed by Aleksandr Zhuk. The project involved architects Valentin Kamensky and Jean Verzhbitsky, and the engineers Galkin and Maksimov.

The building silhouette is strictly geometrical, the facade is decorated with a huge stained-glass window. Over the front entrance, there is a bronze frieze by sculptor Mikhail Anikushin. By the steps into the building stands the sculpture, «Октябрь», by sculptor Alexander Matveev (It was cast in bronze in 1968 after his death in 1960, underneath is the original of 1927).

In 2007, the concert hall underwent necessary repairs. The works covered all systems of the building, taking place from July until October 2009.[3]

Noted performers

Notes
1.^ "Grand", "Large", "Big" and "Great" are all accepted translations of «Большой». However, "big" is most commonly used within the media in reference to the concert hall.[4]

References
  1. Афиша. Playbill (in Russian). Official Website. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  2. История зала [History of Hall] (in Russian). Official Website. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  3. "Свой 40 день рождения БКЗ «Октябрьский» встретит обновлённым" [BKZ "Oktyabrsky" will celebrate its 40th birthday with an updated]. Фонтанка (in Russian). Ажур-медиа. 12 September 2007. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  4. "St. Petersburg's Summer Cultural Agenda". The Moscow Times. 1 June 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

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