Formation of the Street
Stepana Bandery Street is one of the most important thoroughfares in Lviv, connecting the central part of the city with its western districts. The street began to take shape in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, during a period of rapid urban expansion beyond the historic city center.
Originally, the street was named 3 Maja (Third of May) in honor of the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791. It retained this name until 1939. During the interwar period, it was one of Lviv’s most prestigious streets, home to educational institutions — most notably the Polytechnic School (now Lviv Polytechnic National University) — as well as administrative offices and distinguished residential buildings.
During the Soviet era, the street was first renamed to Dzerzhynskoho Street, and in 1991 it received its current name in honor of Stepan Bandera, a leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement.
The route of the street was laid along key transportation lines, including a railway connecting the Main Railway Station with the city center and new neighborhoods developing toward Klepariv and Zamarstyniv. From the beginning, the street was planned as a wide urban avenue with a tram line and a tree-lined median.
Architects and Styles
The building at 2 Stepana Bandery Street in Lviv is part of a group of Secession-style buildings constructed in 1909, designed by architects Władysław Derdaćki and Witold Minkiewicz. The construction was carried out by the firm of Ivan Levynskyi. These buildings are characterized by decorative elements typical of the Secession style and are recognized as local architectural monuments.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building is designed in the Art Nouveau (Secession) style with characteristic decorative elements. The façade features vertical accents in the form of bay windows or risalits topped with gables, while the balconies on the second floor are supported by stone brackets.
What’s Here Now?
The building at 2 Stepana Bandery Street in Lviv currently functions as a multi-apartment residential building.
Sources:
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Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. 13th–21st Centuries / M. Bevz, Yu. Biryulov, Yu. Bohdanova et al. — Lviv: Center of Europe, 2008. — 720 p.
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Encyclopedia of Lviv / Edited by A. Kozytskyi and I. Pidkova. — Lviv: Litopys, 2007–2010. — Vols. 1–3.
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Ilko Lemko, V. Mykhalyk, H. Behliarov. “Bandery Street” // 1243 Streets of Lviv (1939–2009). — Lviv: Apriori, 2009. — Pp. 78–80.
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Uliana Shcheviova. “Artistic Murals in the Decoration Programs of Entrance Spaces in Residential Buildings of Eastern Galicia in the Late 19th – First Third of the 20th Century” // Bulletin of the Lviv National Academy of Arts. — 2019. — No. 42. — Pp. 79–87.