History of philharmonic

One of the best corners of Gagarina street is a small square at the intersection of Kamyanetska Street, decorated with the monument of Bogdan Khmelnitsky and the majestic construction of regional philharmonic.

A little more than a century ago, there was a huge empty estate on this place, which wore a completely official name - Equestrian Area. Horses, wagons, britches, horse harness and other appropriate equipment were selling here on fair days. Before the XX century, after the transferring of trading horses to the area of ​​Felshtinsky railway crossing (now the place of transition through the railways on the way to the commodity market), Equestrian area was gradually built up mostly single-storey buildings. A new look the square got in 1960: at the intersection of Frunze (now Kamianetska) and Gagarina streets  the construction of a magnificent building with a hall of 750-seat was completed for the needs of the musical and drama theater named after Petrovsky. The theater had been here for more than 20 years, and in 1982 it moved to a new building, and the building on Gagarina street, 7, was placed at the disposal of the Khmelnitsky Regional Philharmonic.

The readout of Philharmonic’s history started from 1938, when a number of regional institutions were created in Kamyanets-Podilskyi (at that moment  the regional center) immediately after the formation of our region (22nd of September, 1937). Among them there was the regional philharmonic, a concert organization, its task was to popularize the achievements of musical and other forms of art (dance, artistic reading, and performing arts). The activity of the Philharmonic was interrupted by war, and in 1945 it was restored, but in the new regional center - Proskuriv. The institution was located in the premises of the former cinema theater "Oasis" on the Kotovsky street (now it is a building of mono-theater "Angle").

In those years the Regional Philharmonic included the pop-concert brigade, bandura chapel, the group of soloists, the ensemble of the musical comedy, the concert-tour sector, the song and dance ensemble, the puppet theater (separated as independent in 1970), the brass band, the folk theater.     

Khmelnitsky Philharmonic has many points be proud of. Firstly, the Academic song and dance ensemble "Cossacks of Podillya", the diploma winner of the XII World Festival of Youth and Students, awarded with the Honorary Diploma of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the winner of numerous international and national festivals and competitions. Ensemble has the same age as the philharmonic. The collective was founded as a choral chapel in 1938, and in the postwar years under the name "Podolyanka" began to gain popularity not only in Ukraine and the Soviet Union, but also in many countries of the world. In 1989 the ensemble got a new name "Cossacks of Podillya" and now is one of the best collectives of Ukraine. Secondly, in 1991 the concert organ hall became the pride of the Philharmonic. Then a hall for 200 seats and the "Rigger-Klos" organ ware equipped on the second floor, this became a significant event in the cultural life of Khmelnitsky. Now the Khmelnitsky Philharmonic is a permanent place of the international of organ and chamber music festivals. Thirdly, the main pride of Philharmonic is its artists. In our short essay, it is simply impossible to recall all well-known and talented, honored and people’s artists of Ukraine. Let us name only a few popular pop performers who worked at Philharmonic at different times: Lidia Rotaru, Valery and Antonina Marenychi (from the famous "Trio of Marenychi"), people’s artists of Ukraine Mykola Mozgovy, Vasyl Zinkevich, Mykola Hnatyuk, "mega-star" of soviet pop music Valery Leontiev was also an artist of Khmelnitsky Philharmonic.

It is difficult to make a list of all well-known artists who came on tour to Khmelnitsky. Many popular singers, artists, dance and music groups performed on the stage of the regional philharmonic for Khmelnitsky society.