Palats Ukraina: 50 years of Entertainment

Considered to be Kyiv’s premiere performing venue, the Palats Ukraina hosts main events and concerts happening in Kyiv.

The venue was constructed in 1970 under the direction of the architect Yevhenia Marychenko with interior design by Irma Karakis. Everyone involved in the construction of the Palats Ukraina was awarded the Shevchenko Prize the following year. The size of the hall is impressive; trapezoidal in shape and with a seating capacity in the main hall for over three thousand people. Unfortunately, the size of the hall makes it understandably hard to maintain and it’s disappointing to find trash and remnants of less polite guests, however, it’s important to consider the hall’s double identity; One day it may serve as the location for presidential inaugurations and the next a mosh-pit for hardcore concerts. 

While the Palats Ukraina has hosted numerous international acts, home talents are also fostered. It is the home-theatre of the Virsky National Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble and the venue for the prima ballerina Yana Salenko when she returns to Kyiv. Notable events which occurred here include the 1999 inauguration of President Leonid Kuchma, the 1997 Miss Europe Pageant, the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2020, the Palats Ukraina is celebrating 50 years.

How to get there: Take the metro to Palats Ukraina. It’s also walking distance from the Pecherska metro.