THE EMERGENCE OF FILM DISTRIBUTION IN KYIV AT THE END OF THE 19TH — BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY (PART I)
Solovtsov Theatre, 1910 / pastvu.com
For over 120 years, film distribution has existed in Kyiv as an independent type of business. How it all began and from what — which films were shown, who the audience was, and how much they paid… That’s what we’ll discuss.
When the first spectators, holding their breath, watched this novelty called in the French manner cinema in various halls, the champions of morality were outraged by the dominance of «foreignness» on the screens, where a significant part of the distribution consisted of erotic films.
Domestic cinema either had very low competitiveness or didn’t exist. However, there were always pioneers and the pioneer of film distribution in Kyiv was found — he was the theater director Mykola Solovtsov.
PARISIAN PICTURES
But a little earlier, there was Paris. In this remarkable city, the first paid film screening by the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière took place on December 28, 1895, in the Parisian «Grand Café». And already six months later, on July 11, 1896, the first demonstrations of the Lumière cinematograph began in Ukraine, specifically in Odesa. The townspeople received a new form of entertainment, which quickly became the most popular.
The photographer-artist Alfred Fedetsky filmed the first film in Ukraine on September 30, 1896, in Kharkiv. He used a cinematograph he had personally improved, and in December of the same year, he organized the first public film screening on the premises of the Kharkiv Opera House.
As for Solovtsov, in 1896, he met a representative of the French company «Lumière». The Frenchman was looking for partners in Kyiv to promote the new spectacle. The partnership took place.
In December 1896, in the premises of Auguste Bergonier’s house, located at the corner of Fundukleivska and Novo-Elizavetinska streets (now the site of the Lesya Ukrainka Theater), the Lumière films «Dancing Ballerina», «Arrival of a Train», and others were shown. The program of the first film screening organized by Solovtsov included 50 «numbers» — short documentary scenes.
Due to the colossal success of the spectacle, Solovtsov even canceled several performances of his theater in favor of «cinema». However, he soon began combining theatrical productions with short «newsreels». In January 1897, the Lumière brothers’ cinematograph management in Kyiv announced that film screenings could be arranged directly at home for those interested. Some wealthy individuals took advantage of this offer. Thus, the «home video era» began even then…
CINEMA KYIV-STYLE. THE FIRST ILLUSION SHOWS
Many people attended the film screenings. However, at the End of the 19th century, there were no permanent cinemas, and film products were mainly supplied by foreign companies. Cinematography was yet to be a mass spectacle, with film screenings occurring once a week (on Sundays), primarily on the premises of the Bergonier Theater in Kyiv.
The first Kyiv cinematograph was mobile, so it began to be invited to various venues, including the Krutikov Circus, the Nikitin brothers’ troupe, and various traveling performers. The Lumière brothers’ management advertised in newspapers that they accepted orders and «arranged screenings upon invitation in buildings where there was electricity or where an electric current could be provided».
And how children love cinema! They couldn’t be torn away from the screens! Therefore, the first children’s film screening took place in January 1900 on the premises of the Literary and Artistic Society (1 Rognedinskaya Street)…
Time passed, and the «wandering cinematograph» (owners who traveled fairs with their foreign devices and films in makeshift theaters) ceased to exist.
It was replaced by the stationary cinematograph, which was given the strange name «illusion». The first illusions were few and were located only in major cities. Kyiv’s first illusion was, of course, in the premises of the Bergonier Theater. Besides it, in 1905, the city had the following illusions: «Electrobiograph» by R. Stremmer (27 Khreshchatyk), «Edisonoscope» by A. Myanovsky (47 Khreshchatyk), «Electrotheatre» in the Châteu de Fleur Park, and others.
Moisei Landesman describes the illusions in his book «This is How Cinema Began»: «Warehouses, stores, wedding halls, and outdated dance halls were adapted for the illusions. All these premises were repurposed for illusions without considering the specifics of the new spectacle. Neither safety measures nor basic conveniences for the audience were provided. Special ventilation was out of the question. These halls were designed to accommodate 120–200 spectators. The floor needed to be more inclined. Even for those sitting in the front rows, visibility was abysmal.
Mechanics manually operated the apparatus. There was no scheduled session system; the audience was allowed in continuously. Tickets were sold without considering the available seats in the hall. Spectators came and went as they pleased… All the time, you could hear: «Sit down!», «Don’t stand in front of people’s eyes!». In these cinema halls, where ether-oxygen lighting was used instead of electricity, and the image constantly flickered or plunged into prolonged darkness, intriguing titles emerged: «Mother-in-Law Witch», «Murder in the Forest», «The Power of Love», and others. These films offered the audience a world of fake suffering and various sensations. From 11 PM, the illusions showed films for men at significantly inflated prices.
Advertisements for the illusions at Châteu de Fleur and A. Myanovsky (1905—1906) were as follows:
«By the way, scenes of a frivolous and piquant nature.
Adults only. Children and students are not allowed».
The French company Pathé supplied explicit pornography, earning millions in profits from it. The owners of the illusions also indulged in this filth. Starting in 1904, Pathé opened branches in many cities across Russia and, from July 1, 1907, in Kyiv.
Newspaper Advertisement:
«Cinematographs ‘Pathé Brothers’!
Complete equipment for a theater illusion,
with both electric and ether-oxygen lighting.
Cost — 444 rubles 80 kopecks.
Power stations — from 1800 rubles.
A vast selection of films and weekly new releases!
25 Khreshchatyk, premises of the ‘Russia’ Society».
A NEW FORMAT
The last illusion closed in 1907, and the film distribution system began to operate. It was founded by Kyiv resident Serhiy Andriyovych Frenkel, a business-savvy and well-educated man—primarily thanks to the knowledge he gained at Kyiv University of St. Vladimir and higher education institutions in Belgium. After receiving his diploma as an electrical engineer, he returned to Kyiv and founded an electrical engineering enterprise. However, what attracted him most was cinematography.
In 1906, he organized the country’s first film distribution office in Kyiv and opened his cinema, «Lux» (28 Khreshchatyk, corner of Prorizna Street—architect Vladyslav Horodetsky), with 300 seats. This was just the beginning. A few years later, he already had his office-warehouse for film distribution, where he invested up to 100,000 rubles. Frenkel’s activities turned out to be very successful. In 1910, he transformed his distribution office into the country’s first «Joint-Stock Cinematographic Company S. A. Frenkel», where he became the managing director.
