Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall


The Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall is a theatre located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It hosts variety actors, rock musicians, and also dance and ballet collectives. Located in the Greek Square, it opened October 1967, inaugurated 50 years after the October Revolution.
The director of the hall, since 1988, has been Emma Lavrinovich. 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, :ru:Греческая церковь на Греческой площади|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 :ru:Жук, Александр Владимирович|Aleksandr Zhuk. The project involved architects :ru:Каменский, Валентин Александрович|Valentin Kamensky and :ru:Вержбицкий, Жан Матвеевич|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.
In 2007, the concert hall underwent necessary repairs. The works covered all systems of the building, taking place from July until October 2009.

Noted performers