Formation of the Street
Knyazya Romana Street is one of the oldest streets in Lviv. The first documented mention dates back to 1382, when it was called Honcharska Street (Potters’ Street), indicating the presence of potters in this area. In 1885, following administrative changes, a part of Halytska Street was separated and renamed in honor of the Polish king Stefan Batory. Throughout the 20th century, the street underwent several name changes: Sverdlova (1940–1941), Wehrmachtstrasse (1941–1944), and Vatutin (1944–1992). Its current name — Knyazya Romana (Prince Roman) — was granted in 1992 to commemorate Roman Mstyslavych, the founder of the Galicia-Volhynia Principality.
The street’s architecture reflects various historical epochs, ranging from Classicism to Constructivism. Many of its buildings are protected architectural monuments of national and local significance.
Building No. 26
Builders and Styles
The five-story building at 26 Knyazya Romana Street was constructed between 1914 and 1924 for the French oil company “Premier.” The project was designed by architects Julian Cybulski and Ferdinand Kassler. The building is an example of modernized Classicism with Art Deco elements. The sculptural decoration of the façade was created by the renowned Lviv sculptor Zygmunt Kurczyński.
Who was the owner?
Until the 1930s, the building was owned by the French oil company “Premier,” which used it as both office space and housing for its employees. In the 1930s, the company relocated to the Sprecher House at 8 Mitskevych Square. After World War II, the building was nationalized and transferred to municipal ownership. During the Soviet era, the large apartments were subdivided and converted into communal housing.
What does the building look like?
Constructed of brick, the building is butterfly-shaped in plan. Its façade along Knyazya Romana Street is symmetrical, featuring a wide bay window spanning three window axes. The central axis is accentuated by loggias with metal railings and a recessed portal entrance. The façade is topped with a simple low attic above a prominently profiled cornice. The spandrels of the fifth floor’s bay window section are richly decorated with bas-reliefs featuring anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs, cast from Roman cement. Rectangular niches beneath the windows on the third and fourth floors of the outermost bay axes house sculptural bas-relief compositions. The balconies on the second floor feature masonry balustrades. The mansard roof, with its wide, low windows, is highlighted by two dormer windows with triangular pediments.
Interesting facts
The attic of the building houses the studio of the prominent Lviv painter and head of the Painting Department of the Lviv National Academy of Arts, Yaroslav Shymin.
The building’s façade includes a depiction of a peacock — a symbol of beauty and immortality — a rare motif in Lviv architecture.
What is there now?
Currently, the building serves as a residential property.