Formation of the Street
Akademika Bohomoltsia Street in Lviv developed as part of the so-called villa district in the Novyi Svit area, which was actively built up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This area previously belonged to the suburb known as Novyi Svit, which began to develop in the second half of the 19th century as Lviv expanded beyond its historic center.
Initially, the street was named Ferdinand Street (in honor of Emperor Ferdinand I), and during the interwar period, it was known as Stefan Batory Street. After World War II, it was renamed in honor of Academician Oleksandr Bohomolets — a prominent Ukrainian scientist, pathophysiologist, and president of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.
Bohomoltsia Street was designed as part of an elite residential area intended for intellectuals, professors, wealthy entrepreneurs, and government officials. The street is dominated by villa-style buildings in the styles of Art Nouveau, historicism, and early functionalism.
Its alignment follows the natural terrain: the street runs from east to west with a gentle curve, giving it a cozy, intimate character. Spatially, it connects the modern streets of General Chuprynky, Konovaltsia, and Kotliarevskoho, forming an important intra-quarter link.
Today, the street retains its historical atmosphere and has protected status as part of Lviv’s architectural heritage.
Builders and Style
The building at 11 Akademika Bohomoltsia Street in Lviv is a three-story residential townhouse, built in 1905 for Izrael and Salomon Elster, as well as Leon Topf. It is designed in the style of ornamental Secession and is a locally protected architectural monument.
The project was developed by the architectural bureau of Ivan Levynskyi. The architecture combines elements of historicism and Secession. The façade features French rustication on the ground floor, pilaster strips on the upper floors, as well as stucco decoration and wrought iron elements. The building has an L-shaped layout with a side wing.
Who Owned It?
The first owners were Izrael and Salomon Elster, as well as Leon Topf. In 1931, the building was acquired by Samuel Frenkel, and later by Elsa Hahn (Frenkel).
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building is three stories high, brick masonry, and plastered. The façade is decorated with stucco and wrought iron elements. The roof was originally covered with metal sheets painted dark red; today it is covered with slate tiles.
Interesting Facts
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The building was constructed as part of a complex together with the neighboring townhouse at No. 9 and the Elster & Topf paper factory located behind it.
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In 1935, the old galleries of the building were replaced with new concrete ones based on a design by architect A. F. Zaransky.
What’s Here Now?
Today, the building houses office spaces.
Sources
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State Archives of the Lviv Region (DALO) 2/1/129.
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DALO 2/1/131.
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Almanach Żydowski by Herman Stachl (Lwów, 1937).
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Kotlobulatowa, I., Lwów on Old Postcards (Kraków, 2002).
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Address Book of the Royal Capital City of Lviv, 1914.
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Lewicki, Jakub, Between Tradition and Modernity: Architecture of Lviv 1893–1918 (Warsaw: Society for the Protection of Monuments, Neriton Publishing House, 2005).