Street Formation
Lviv’s Rynok Square took shape in the mid-13th century during the reign of Prince Lev Danylovych, becoming the city’s central hub of trade and civic life. Archaeological excavations in 2017 confirmed its medieval origins. The German colony in Lviv was granted new privileges by King Casimir III, prompting the construction of a new urban section on the site of the earlier settlement. The streets surrounding the square were laid out before the great fire of 1381, and by 1452, the square and its streets were paved with stone.
During the Renaissance period, the square received its architectural character through the work of renowned architects. The buildings were erected by wealthy merchants and nobles on narrow plots with inner courtyards. For centuries, Rynok Square remained the heart of the city—its commercial, political, and cultural center.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the square hosted agricultural markets. These were later moved to other locations in the city after the 1940s.
Architects and Styles
The Zipper Department Store, located at 32 Rynok Square, was designed by architect Michał Łużecki in the Art Nouveau style with elements of historicism. The architectural work was executed by the firm of Edmund Żychowicz.
Who was the owner?
The building was originally home to “Trust,” the first department store in Lviv.
What does the building look like?
The former Zipper Department Store occupies the northwestern corner of Rynok Square and is an important component of the architectural ensemble on the square’s western side. This four-story brick building with a basement and mezzanine was constructed using reinforced concrete elements. It shares an address with the adjoining block at 1 Shevska Street and also goes by the alternate address of 32 Rynok Square.
The structure comprises a corner block housing retail spaces, including a main hall and additional rooms in the basement and upper floors. Inside, two stairwells—main and service—provide vertical circulation. The central hall interior features galleries surrounding its perimeter and spanning the lower two floors.
The building’s façades display a modernized Renaissance style. The eastern façade includes a large portal and a rectangular display window divided into six vertical sections with a cornice above. Another showcase window with a rusticated arch is located near the corner on the northern façade. A notable feature of this façade is the series of oriel windows spanning the upper three floors.
Interesting Facts
The department store building, constructed at the end of the 19th century, replaced an 1801 townhouse that had itself been built on plots once occupied by several 16th–18th-century buildings. Initially, the property had multiple owners until it was purchased by Abraham Zipper in 1895. In 1911, Zipper commissioned a new architectural design from Edmund Żychowicz and Michał Łużecki. The resulting building featured a monumental façade with a large portal and display windows, and spacious interior areas for retail halls.
In the 1930s, the building became known as “Trust.” After World War II, it was nationalized and converted into a department store. Since 2014, after extensive renovations, it has housed the “Pravda” craft brewery and beer theater. The building is a designated local architectural monument.
What is it now?
Today, the building houses the Pravda craft brewery.
Sources and Literature
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R. Mohytych, The Oldest Urban Building Register of Lviv from the 14th Century, Halytska Brama, 1999
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I. Krypiakevych, Historical Walks Through Lviv
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R. Mohytych, Urban Structure of Lviv’s Old Town and the Problem of Its Dating, NTSh Notes, Vol. CCXXVII, Section of Art History, 1994
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T. Trehubova, R. Mykh, Lviv: An Architectural and Historical Essay (Kyiv: Budivelnyk, 1989) — ISBN 5-7705-0178-2
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St. Theodore’s Square – Streets of Lviv, PERSHYY ZAKHIDNYI TV
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Archaeologists Disprove the Claims of Polish Historians About Lviv
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State Archives of the Lviv Region (DALO) 2/1/5186
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V. Vuytsyk, The State Historical-Architectural Preserve in Lviv (Lviv: Kameniar, 1991)
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D. Zubrytsky, Chronicle of the City of Lviv (Lviv: Center of Europe, 2006)
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M. Kapral, National Communities of Lviv in the 16th–18th Centuries (Lviv: LA Pyramida, 2003)
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Catalogue of 17th–20th Century Prints from the Collections of the V. Stefanyk Scientific Library of the NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1989)
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B. Melnyk, Along the Streets of Old Lviv (Lviv: Svit, 2001)
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On the Beauty of Rynok Square in Lviv, Gazeta Lwowska, March 21, 1912
