October Palace, Kiev

October Palace, Kiev

The October Palace is a concert hall and a place where cultural events are held regularly. The palace was built at the turn of the 20th century to a design by Vikentiy Beretti, and initially hosted Institut Blagorodnyh Devits (the Noble Maidens School). After the 1917 Revolution, the building was taken over by a new government and used as the headquarters of ChK (the secret service, forefather of the KGB). It was here, during the Bolshevik period, that as many as 120,000 people - mostly intellectuals: writers, scientists, priests, teachers and actors – were executed by a firing squad.

During World War II, the building suffered great damage. It then had to undergo thorough restoration which lasted seven years, from 1952 until 1959, but largely preserved the original architecture. After the restoration, the October Palace has been used as a concert hall. Not long ago, it had a movie theater wing added in order to have more space for entertainment events.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Kiev. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

October Palace on Map

Sight Name: October Palace
Sight Location: Kiev, Ukraine (See walking tours in Kiev)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Kiev, Ukraine

Create Your Own Walk in Kiev

Create Your Own Walk in Kiev

Creating your own self-guided walk in Kiev is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Kiev Introduction Walking Tour

Kiev Introduction Walking Tour

Kiev is a very old city. It was initiated approximately 1500 years ago. Since 1934, it was Soviet Ukraine's capital and remained the main city of the country with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Being one of the biggest cities in Europe, it has a very specific history, architecture and cultural life. One can never be bored in Kiev, as it has endless interesting and captivating places to...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Andriyivskyy Descent Walk

Andriyivskyy Descent Walk

Andriyivskyy (Andrew's) Descent is a historic cobblestone street, running 720 meters (2,360 ft) downhill from the Upper (Old) Town of Kiev to the once commercial neighborhood of Podil (Lower Town), ending at Kontraktova Square.

According to a legend, there was once a sea where the Dnieper River now flows. When Saint Andrew, the Apostle came to Kiev and erected a cross on the spot where St...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Kiev's Architectural Jewels

Kiev's Architectural Jewels

Kiev is a city with such a wide diversity of architectural styles from various periods of time. The best European, Russian and Ukrainian architects and artists worked on the buildings of the capital of Ukraine. Some of the elements are absolutely unique and can be seen exclusively in Kiev. Some of the most famed architects who contributed to the city's beauty and originality are Vikentiy...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Monastery of Kiev Caves Tour

Monastery of Kiev Caves Tour

Some sources say that Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra (Monastery of Kiev Caves Tour) was initiated in 1051, when Reverend Anthony arrived there. He, together with some of his followers, built an entire complex composed of caves and monasteries. When the monks moved to a monastery which is on Lavra's territory, the caves were utilized as burial sites. Nowadays it is included in the UNESCO World...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


Kiev Souvenirs: 12 Distinctively Ukrainian Products to Bring Home

Kiev Souvenirs: 12 Distinctively Ukrainian Products to Bring Home

In recent years, Ukraine has made the news rather distant from welcoming tourism. Still, despite some controversial publicity, the country - for the most part - continues normal life and retains its traditional hospitality. There are quite a few things in Kiev, distinctively Ukrainian, that a...