Formation of the Street
Zamarsynivska Street is one of the oldest thoroughfares in Lviv, stretching from the Pidzamche area northward toward the former suburb of Zamarsyniv. The street takes its name from the village of Zamarsyniv, founded in the 15th century around the estate of German colonist Sommerstein. The original name — Sommersteinhof — was gradually Ukrainianized into “Zamarsyniv.”
In medieval times, the street functioned as a route from the city to rural settlements such as Zamarsyniv, Holosko, and further on to Bryukhovychi. In the 17th century, it was known as “Muravani Mosty” (“Stone Bridges”) due to a stone bridge over an artificial branch of the Poltva River, built to protect the northern approaches to the city.
By the 18th century, buildings began appearing along the road, and in the 19th century, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it became a regular city street. In 1930, Zamarsyniv was annexed to Lviv, and the street took on a fully urban character. During World War II, part of the street became part of the Lviv Ghetto. Postwar reconstruction led to further development and new residential buildings.
Builders and Styles
Building No. 10 was constructed in the 1930s in the functionalist style. This five-story structure emphasizes utility, with flat surfaces, minimal ornamentation, and geometric clarity. Its architectural features reflect the rationalist modernist movement popular in interwar Central Europe.
Who Was the Owner?
In the 1930s, the building housed the “Zhyttia” Library, a cultural hub visited by writers such as Yaroslav Halan, Yurii Velykanovych, and Andrii Havryliuk. The original owner of the building is unknown.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building is five stories high with a symmetrical, elongated façade. Its design is purely functional — evenly spaced windows and balconies follow the logic of the interior layout. There is no decorative molding, but the overall appearance is one of elegant simplicity, typical of modernism.
Interesting Facts
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The “Zhyttia” Library was one of the few free public libraries in interwar Lviv.
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In the 1950s, the building was updated as part of the city’s housing expansion plan.
What Is There Now?
The building remains residential, with several units converted into offices or used for short-term rentals.
Bibliography
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Encyclopedia of Lviv. Vol. 2.
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Melnyk I. Lviv Streets and Tenement Houses. — Lviv, 2008.
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Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. XIII–XXI centuries. — Lviv, 2008.
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Historic Districts of Lviv: Zamarsyniv.
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Lviv in the Modernist Era: 1920s–1930s.