City Philharmonic Square

The area of Philharmonic Square is cozy and charming. It is not surprising, that it (by the way, one of the oldest in city) so often changed its name: there were such names as Rudolfplatz or Dachia, then the Square of Victory. Old residents gave this place a familiar name, Flour Square. This referred to the flour you were able to buy here in first half of the 19th century when this scrap of ground had a powder warehouse, a grocery warehouse (in 1777), a brick-works, and even a military barracks (in 1787) and prison (in 1787). Gloomy surroundings, of course.

The situation has changed only in 60th years of XIX century when Melplatz became not a village fence, and practically city centre. The barracks and powder warehouses were moved to the vicinity of modern Shevchenko park, in place of the prison was constructed an elegant stone hotel " National" (L. Tolstogo street, 2, now one of the buildings of Financial-Legal University).

The active reconstruction of Philharmonic Square began in the middle of the 19th century. It became the centre of city musical life. The Bukovinian Music Society building was built there in 1876-1877. Famous musicians, composers and singers, such as Lysenko, Rubin¬stein, Karusi, Rusnak, and Tal, presented concerts in this building. In Philharmonic Hall at the beginning of the 20th century the Ukrainian anthem "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina", rang out while a multinational audience, and representatives of the Austri¬an government stood. In this hall many famous artists began their musical careers.

Also adorning the square is the five story hotel "Bristol," a wonderful example of late Art Nouveau style. Its "rooms" now house students of Buckovinian Medical University. Near to this "skyscraper" there is an especially decorative old pig-iron water-column -- greetings from those times when functionality of a subject went side by side with aesthetics. But good! Even the fence nearby the "Bristol" is modled on the sample of its predecessor of 30th years of XX century. The square also retains ancient storm gutters.

Philharmonic Square is filled with details; they are hidden from an inattentive eye, but are easily noticed if one looks. A beautiful two-storey stone house at the corner of Beethoven and Zankovetska Streets is decorated with a dome. Above the dome is a weather-vane with a symbol of a so-called dog eye.

One more detail. In the 1930’s there was a covered market in the square that operated till 1999. Its walls have not yet become covered by cracks. In 2005, on its 597th birthday, Chernovtsi received a magnificent gift -- an updated square on which soon there will be a fountain, and in winter children and adults are able to use the skating rink. Old houses have removed many old layers of paint from their facades, and repainted in those colors which so suited them originally. By the way, during the reconstruction of the square workers found about ten ancient coins.