Formation of the Street
In the mid-19th century, the area around Zelenа Street in Lviv was a sparsely populated suburb, home to aristocratic estates—most notably the Zamoyski family, who owned a large part of the present-day block bounded by Konopnytska, Levytskoho, Vahylevycha, and Zelena Streets. The street saw active development in the second half of the 19th century, and in the early 20th century, a tram line connected Zelena Street to Lychakivska Street.
Industrial development began in the early 20th century with the emergence of brickyards and a furniture factory. During the Soviet period, multistory residential buildings and Snopkivskyi Park were constructed along the street. In the 1960s, trams were replaced by trolleybuses. In the 1970s and 1980s, the line was extended to connect the city center with the Sykhiv district. Today, trolleybus No. 24 runs along Zelena Street, linking the city center with Chervonoi Kalyny Avenue.
Architects and Style
The building at 22 Zelena Street was constructed between 1911 and 1913 on the foundations of the former Zamoyski Palace. It was designed by architects Alfred Zachariewicz and Józef Sosnowski in the Art Deco style.
Who was the owner?
This was the first private girls’ gymnasium (secondary school) in Galicia, founded by Zofia Strzałkowska in September 1895.
What does the building look like?
The five-story building has an independent structure. The side risalits (projecting sections) of the main façade are unadorned, while the recessed central section is emphasized by a portico and ends with a terrace. On the side façade, between the windows, were allegorical reliefs titled “Life” and “Art.” A clock is positioned at the top center of the building.
The building is distinguished by its functional layout and spacious classrooms, as well as a festively decorated assembly hall with a chapel. Amenities included sanitary facilities, a laundry room, central steam heating, and drinking fountains. Above the assembly hall, which is covered by a glass ceiling, there was a rooftop terrace with plants, and an astronomical observatory was located in the attic.
The assembly hall, dining room, and some classrooms were decorated with frescoes by artists K. Stefanowicz and M. Stina. Corridors and classrooms feature friezes with figures of children and flowers in light pastel tones. Ornamental stained-glass windows on the second and third floors have also been preserved. Outside the building, there are sports grounds and a large flower garden.
Interesting Facts
In the 18th century, the site of the current building was home to the Kalinowski family palace. In the 19th century, it became the residence of the Counts Zamoyski, whose palace—built around 1857 by architects Wilhelm Schmid and Antoni Serwacki—was designed in the Empire style. By the early 20th century, the palace had fallen into disrepair, and between 1911 and 1913, a new building was constructed on its foundations, designed by Alfred Zachariewicz and Józef Sosnowski.
The façade of the new building features allegorical sculptures, “Life” and “Art,” created in the Art Deco style by sculptor Zygmunt Kurczyński. The school complex led by Zofia Strzałkowska included Private Girls’ Gymnasium No. 5 (established in 1895) and several other educational institutions.
In 1939, one of the first Soviet schools in Lviv—Secondary School No. 6 with Russian as the language of instruction—was opened here. During the 1950s, the building also housed Evening Secondary School No. 3 for working youth, Youth Sports School No. 3, and a stenographers’ bureau. Until August 2019, it was home to Secondary School No. 6; today, it is Lviv Lyceum No. 6, overseen by the Lviv City Council.
During restoration works in 2008, mosaics with the coats of arms of Poland, Lithuania, and Ruthenia—made of smalt and Venetian glass—were discovered and restored in 2009.
What is it now?
Since 1999, the building has housed Secondary School No. 6.
Sources and Literature
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Lviv, Zelena Street, School (No. 22)
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The Lost Palaces of Zelena Street or the Girls’ Educational Institute of Zofia Strzałkowska — Photos of Old Lviv
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The Assembly Hall of the Z. Strzałkowska Institute, 22 Zelena Street | City Media Archive
