Top 10 Interesting Facts About Lviv Theatre of Opera

Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Lviv, Ukraine. Author Bo&Ko. WIKIMEDIA

Top 10 Interesting Facts About Lviv Theatre of Opera

It is an opera house which is located in Lviv, Ukraine. Which is the largest western city and also among the Polish and Ukrainian historic cultural centres. The theatre of Opera was originally built on marshland, Poltva River and is currently located on Freedom Avenue.

The Theatre of Opera was initially built when Lviv was the capital of the Galicia province during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It first stood at Archduke Karl in Ludwig Avenue, which later came to be known as the Grand Theatre.

 It was renamed in the year 1956 after the then city’s famous poet and political activist. In the year 2000, the Lviv Opera theatre was renamed again but this time after the city’s native daughters, known as Solomiya Krushelnytska.

Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Lviv Theatre of Opera

1. The Grand Opening was in 1900

On October 4, 1900, the grand opening of The Lviv Opera was held and the ceremony was attended by the cultural elites. The cultural elites included painters, writers, composers and also delegates from various European theatres.

 Among the guests were, writer Henryk Sienkiewicz, composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski, painter Henryk Siemiradzki, Chief magistrate of Lviv Godzimir Małachowski, the provincial governor, Leon Piniński and also the head of the provincial assembly, Count Stanisław Badeni. Also in attendance was the delegation of Prague which was led by the then mayor Vladimir Srb. The building was blessed by the then-American Catholic archbishop of Lviv, Izaak Mikołaj Isakowicz.

2. The Theatre of Opera Architectural Design was Announced in 1895

Lviv Opera House at the night. Author RLuts. WIKIMEDIA

In the year 1895, an architectural design competition was launched by the city which attracted a bigger number of participants. Among the interested participants were the Viennese architects Fellner & Helmer, but we were later disqualified from the competition because they were too international.

Zygmunt Gorgolewski who was a graduate of the Berlin Building Academy and also the director of the city’s Engineering Academy design was picked by the independent jury. Locating the building at the centre of the city surprised the jury because the area was densely built- up. In his plan, he proposed to solve the space problem by utilizing the Poltva River’s underground.

3. The Opera’s Cornerstone was Placed in 1897

In June the year 1897, the cornerstone of the theatre was placed and Gorgolewski supervised the construction, earthwork and design. He employed the leading stonemasons around the city and beyond.

During the construction, local materials were used but marble elements used were manufactured in Vienna. The paint used to paint the line in the foyer was imported from Belgium. The electrical wiring was done by a German company known as Siemens.

Moreover, the hydraulic mechanization of the opera theatre was built by the Polish railway workshop company in Sanok. The funding for the construction came from the city, the surrounding communities, and voluntary donations. The estimated cost of the whole construction totalled 2.4 million Austrian crowns.

4. The First Performance of the National Anthem of Ukraine was held at the Theatre

Immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union, the new Ukrainian republic held its first performance of its national anthem in the theatre. The performance was conducted at the theatre in the year 1990, which was during the last perennial rule of Soviet Ukraine.

5. The Theatre of Opera is Among the First Electrified Buildings in the City

This is a photo of a monument in Ukraine. Author Konstantin Brizhnichenko. WIKIMEDIA

The Opera House was built during an era when the city’s first tram and a car came to the city streets and electricity appeared. This made the opera house to be part of the first electrified buildings in the city.

 This happened because it was during a time when rapid scientific and technological growth in the world was high. it was also a period when steel and concrete stone were mostly used for construction.

6. The theatre was Constructed for Opera Performances

The Lviv theatre building is used for performances of opera. The theatre has a stage, audience seating, a pit, and also a backstage facility for costumes and building sets.

The opera theatre host variety of functions in the town of Lviv. Such as hosting dances, plays, and shows as well as operas and other events.

7. The theatre was Built in a Neo-Renaissance Style

Lviv – Inside the Theatre of Opera and Ballet.Author maclaw13. WIKIMEDIA

The Lviv Opera House was built in a Neo-Renaissance style where elements of Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism were used. Its facade was fully decorated with allegorical sculptures, Corinthian columns, niches, and balustrades.

At the top of the façade, two sculptures of bronze symbolize Drama, Comedy, and Music.

8. The Theatre was Renamed Lviv State Theatre of Opera and Ballet

In the year 1939, when West Ukraine joined the USSR, the Theatre was changed and renamed the Lviv State Theatre of Opera and Ballet. After the renaming, it became subordinate to Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture.

This caused the orchestra, the chorus and also the ballet company to be reorganised. The head of conductors positions was offered to M. Pokrovsky and M. Goncharov who were from different cities. there also came different kinds of teachers, such as stage directors, ballet masters and designers.

9. The Theatre was Closed for Restoration in the Late 1970s

The restoration of the Lviv theatre began in the Late 1970s when the reinforcement of the building foundation was done. The rooms were fully redesigned and its stage machinery was upgraded to allow the installation of 4 plunger lifts on the stage which were to help in placing stage sets on various levels.

 The rooms mirrors were filled with the composers of Mikhail Lysenko, Semyon Gulak-Artemovsky, Mikhail Glinka and Pyotr Tchaikovsky and were created by the sculptors Emmanuil Mysko, Yakov Chayka, Iosif Sadovsky and Aleksandr Pilev.

10. The fully Restored Theatre was Opened in 1984

After the Lviv theatre of opera was fully reconstructed it’s was opened in 1984 for use.

Lviv Opera theatre is one of the best-designed theatres in the world with amazing features and decorations.