The most recent renovation of the Kharkiv Philharmonic took 13 years, from 2006 to 2019.
It is now a massive music complex featuring separate new organ and concert halls at Rymars’ka Street, 21.
It is worth noting that the current appearance of the old Commercial Club building (where the history of the Kharkiv Opera began) was achieved between 1932 and 1937 as a result of a renovation project designed by architects V. Trotsenko, and V. Peti.
The building has undergone numerous renovations throughout its history. It was originally built in 1829 to a design by an unknown architect; in the late 1850s, it was purchased by the Kharkiv merchant class for the Commercial Club—an entertainment complex where formal dinners and musical evenings were held. After a fire in the early 1880s, it was reconstructed according to a design by architect Bolesław Mikhalovsky. Subsequent renovations were carried out in 1905 (architect M. Dashkevich) and 1913 (architect A. Gorokhov).
Before its renovation in 1937, the Philharmonic Hall had a much more modest appearance and reflected the spirit of the first half of the 19th century—it was during that period that the original building was constructed, which had housed the Commercial Club since 1859.
The most recent renovation was carried out by Jilstroi-1 JSC between 2006 and 2019; in effect, the building was rebuilt using modern materials, with only fragments of the walls—particularly the facade—remaining original.
It is worth noting that during the renovation of the philharmonic hall, the large arch on the left side of the building, which serves as the entrance to the courtyard, was preserved.
A mural featuring musician Andriy Kuzmenko (Kuzma) was created by the creative group Kailas-V on a building adjacent to the philharmonic hall in 2018 and sparked a great deal of debate.
The restored Great Hall is impressive in its attention to detail.
During the renovation, a chamber music hall was built at the Philharmonic:
The philharmonic also now features an organ hall with a new organ.
The hall had been carefully acoustically designed—even from the back rows, it was easy to hear the speakers on stage without a microphone.
Between 2017 and 2020, in addition to numerous concerts and events, the Kharkiv Philharmonic hosted 11 “Kharkiv History Nights,” organized in collaboration with the administrators of Alluring Kharkiv. These comprehensive events, which took place from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, consisted of 12 lectures in three concurrent sessions by architects, historians, and specialists in archaeology, literature, and art on various topics related to Kharkiv and Sloboda Ukraine. The Kharkiv History Nights concluded with a dawn tour of Kharkiv.
The Philharmonic complex features historic cellars dating from the mid-19th century.
As a result of Russian airstrikes on March 1, 2022, the philharmonic hall was damaged.