 The history of the Merchants' House has been greatly affected by the Ukrainian composer, pianist and conductor Mykola Lysenko.As one of the founders of the Philharmonic Society, Ukrainian Club, and Ukrainian School of Music, Lysenko was elected to the directorate board of the Merchants' House and brought the music of many Russian and European composers to the citizens of Kiev.After the Russian Revolution the building underwent a big change in its purpose and accommodated the "Proletarian House of Arts", converted to the "House of Political Education", and later to the "Bolshevik Club and Republican Palace of Pioneers".