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Kyiv Opera House Photo By Anntinomy –

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about National Opera House of Ukraine

The National Opera House is found in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It was constructed in 1856 by I. Shtrom after the city theatre that existed failed to satisfy the esthetic needs of the developing town of Kyiv. The National Opera House changed its name from the Kyiv Opera in 1992.

Kyiv is home to multi-talented people such Vaslav Nijinsk and Serge Lifar, the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20^th century. The National Opera House hosts choir singers, orchestra musicians, and ballet dancers among other acts.

1. The National Opera House Was Named After An Influential Ukrainian Poet

Taras Schevchenko Selfportrait (1840) Oil on Canvas. Photo By Taras Shevchenko –

The National Opera House was named after Taras Shevchenko. The famous poet wrote over 230 poems and had several paintings as masterpieces. The opera house was named after him due to his influence on the country’s politics and entertainment industry.

Taras’ writings were a great contribution to the country’s literature and formed the foundation for the modern written Ukrainian language. Taras also has monuments across Ukrainian Cities and is the current face of the 100-hryvnia banknote.

2. It Is Located In The Oldest Street In Kyiv

The National Opera House is located at the centre of Bohdan Khmelnytky street and Volodymyrska street. Volodymyrska street is one of the oldest streets in the city.

It is one of the most important streets and has the Red University Building (the oldest 4-story building of Kyiv University), National Academy of Science of Ukraine (NASU), Tsentralna Rada building, and Saint Sophia Cathedral (first world heritage site) amongst others. The four buildings are also included in the Ukrainian hryvnia banknotes.

3. The National Opera House Was The Second City Theatre To Be Constructed In Ukraine

Before the Opera house was constructed, performances were done in the court of Prince Volodymyr the Great. In 1803, the first city theatre was built by Andy Melensky, the chief architect of Kyiv from 1799-1829. It was located where the Ukrainian House currently stands.

The theatre became the center of the cultural life practices of Kyiv in the 1800s before the construction of the City Theatre in 1856. The City theatre hosted the first professional ballet performance in Kyiv.

The Italian troupes that performed in the theatre aided in discovering famous artists such as Amadeus Mozartt, Antonio Rossini, and Domenico Donizetti. The building was deconstructed in 1851.

4. Its Day of Allocation To The Russian Opera Troupe Was Made A Public Holiday

Performance at The National Opera House Photo By Anastasiia Mantach –

The first regular opera troupe from Russia was established in 1867. It was led by Ferdinand Berger who was able to invite talented musicians and recruit them to the troupe.

On 8^th November, the Russian Opera Troupe had its first performance in the Opera House after its allocation by the City Council of Ukraine. The debut of the opera was a success and the date is marked as a form of celebration by Kyiv.

5. It Was Part of Over 20 Theatrical Premises That Burnt Down In Europe and America

Image of a fire. Photo By Suhas Rawool –

From 1889 to 1891, a total of 22 theatrical premises burned down all across Europe and America. 40 years after its construction, the Opera House burnt to the ground after a fire caused by a candle started in one of the theatre rooms.

The fire started after the 1896 performance of Tchaikovsky, the first international Russian music composer. The inferno caused a massive loss of musical books, stage props, and numerous costumes. Performances shifted from the Opera House to Solovtsov’s Theatre, Bergoni’s Theatre, and Arena of Krutikov’s Circus.

6. The National Opera House Was Reconstructed After 5 years Due to Public Demand

The people of Kyiv put pressure on the city council to rebuild the burnt opera house. The council put up an international competition for the best project and about 30 architects took part in it. Viktor Shreter’s proposal for a neo-renaissance exterior and functionality won the competition.

The opera house began reconstruction after 5 years and it was open in September 1901. The hall accommodated 1683 people. The reconstruction between 1935 and 1988 extended the orchestra pit and reduced the seats to 1300.

7. It Hosted World Opera Stars in The 1910s

From 1900-1910, 10 of the best Ukrainian and Russian singers graced the stage of the National Opera House. Platon Tsesevych, a Russian Singer, made his debut in Ukraine at the Kharkiv Opera in 1904 and later on proceeded to perform in 3 more Kyiv theatres before concertizing all throughout the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).

Some of the world Opera singers who have performed in the theatre are Mattia Battistini, Titta Ruffo, Giuseppe Anselmis, Gemma Bellincioni (Italy), Maria Galvani, Maria Gay(Spain), Regina Pinkert, and Adam Didur (Poland).

8. The National Opera House Was To Be Permanently Closed After Claims Of Genre Alienation

From 1918 to 1920, Ukraine was struggling for its independence. Kyiv Opera had dimmed down due to the civil war of 1917. The preparations for the first Ukrainian language performance began and led to the revival of the national culture.

The innovations that we aimed at establishing the country’s national culture were aborted after Ukrainian People’s Republic lost its remaining territory to Bolsheviks in Volhynian.

Allegedly, there were claims that the opera house was alienating the working class in Kyiv. This led to the demand for its closure. The head of the theatre, Leonid Sobinov, and other artist combined their efforts and stopped this from happening.

9. The National Opera House was Hit By An Air Bomb During The Second World War

Second World War Soldiers with mortar Photo By No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit –

After being in operation for nearly 82 years after rebuilding, the opera house had worn down due to time and events. The building began having cracks as it had been put on a former ravine.

It also suffered the effects of Soviet-Nazi warfare after it was directly hit by an air bomb during the 1939-1945 war. Fortunately, the bomb broke through the roof and stuck in the basement of the building.

10. The National Opera House Was Considered The Architectural Pearl Of Ukraine

Opera and Ballet Theatre Photo By Tokugawapants-

The National Opera House is known as Kyiv’s architectural masterpiece because of its exterior and interior design. The Opera house underwent reconstruction for 5 years (1983 -1988) but maintained Shreter’s interior design and added choir classroom, rehearsal rooms, and dressing rooms.

The façade of the Opera House is half oval and decorated with deep arches. The interior has a queen lamp in the middle of patterned ceilings. The central entrance has 2 winged women ascending in the air. There are elegant velvet armchairs, Viennese lamps and Venetian mirrors, marble stairways and mosaic floors.

During the designing of the opera house, Viktor Shreter’s neo-renaissance concept put into consideration the artist and the audience. The building had scenic equipment, steam heating, and air conditioning.