Conference Venue: Budynok Vchytelya (House of Teachers)

Address: 01009 Kyiv, Volodymyrska Str. 57

One of the most famous and recognizable buildings in Kyiv, the House of Teachers' design and construction was preceded by tragic and turbulent history.

A famous Ukrainian architect, then young, Pavel Alyoshin was hired to design a building for Public Auditorium. When the first draft of the design was ready, social storms shaking the Russian Empire did not bypass the peaceful, provincial Kyiv. In 1911 Piotr Stolypin, Russian premier and minister of the interior (1906-11), known for his repressive policies, was assassinated by a revolutionary terrorist in the Kyiv Opera. After this, the construction of Public Auditorium was banned. But due to the efforts of a famous patron of arts, S. Mogilevtsev, who allocated 500 thousand roubles, the architect's labor was not in vain. The patron decided to replace the "dangerous", i.e. liberal, Public Auditorium, with a more modest "Pedagogical Museum".

The government was satisfied with the idea, and work on the construction site continued. The Pedagogical Museum was opened in 1911, on the 50th anniversary of abolition of serfdom in Russia.

Alyoshin combined classic architecture with original elements of Ukrainian civil architecture. Note the multi-figure (almost 200 statues) frieze representing humanity's long path towards education and arts, and the mask of Socrates above one of the side exits.

The House of Teachers has witnessed many important events of Ukraine's education and political life. In the tempestuous 1917, the building accomodated Ukraine's first national government, the Central Rada, which was headed by the famous Ukrainian historian, Mykhailo Hrushevsky. During its brief existence from 1917 to 1918, the Central Rada was the fundamental governing institution of the Ukrainian People's Republic and set precedents in parliamentary democracy and national independence that were never completely forgotten during Soviet times and are still remembered today.

In 1921 the building hosted the Proletarian Museum, and since 1924 the Revolution Museum. In 1937 it became the Ukrainian branch of the Lenin Museum. Teachers were forced out of their spiritual home. And only in 1982 Kyiv's teachers went back to the building on Volodymyrska and once again became its rightful owners.

The House of Teachers has become the center of international relations of Kiev's educators. In spring of 1999 a conference created the International Pedagogical Club of the European Capitals, joined by Heads of the Departments of Education from 30 European cities including Athens, Baku, Kyiv, London, Moscow, Paris, Warsaw and others.

Over 200 000 people annually attend various events held at the House of Teachers. Every year the building hosts about a thousand scientific, cultural and political events, including festivals and singing competitions, teachers and scientists conferences, political party conventions, business seminars, and art exhibitions.