Akademika Bohomoltsia Street in Lviv developed within the so-called villa district of Novyi Svit, which was actively built up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Previously, this area belonged to the suburban settlement of Novyi Svit, which began to grow in the second half of the 19th century as Lviv expanded beyond its historic center.
Initially, the street was named Ferdynand Street (in honor of Emperor Ferdinand I), and during the interwar period — Stefan Batory Street. After World War II, it was renamed in honor of Academician Oleksandr Bohomolets, a renowned Ukrainian pathophysiologist and president of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.
Bohomoltsia Street was designed as part of an elite residential zone, intended for intellectuals, professors, wealthy entrepreneurs, and civil servants. The area is characterized by villa-style housing in the styles of Art Nouveau, historicism, and early functionalism.
The street follows the natural topography, running from east to west with a gentle curve that gives it a cozy, intimate character. Spatially, it connects modern Chuprynky, Konovaltsia, and Kotliarevskoho Streets, forming an important internal neighborhood link.
Today, the street retains its historic atmosphere and holds protected status as part of Lviv’s architectural heritage.
Architects and Styles
The four-story residential building in the row development of Bohomoltsia Street is one of six townhouses surrounding a square in the center of the street. It was built in 1905–1906 based on a design developed by Ivan Levynskyi’s architectural bureau. This is a rental house in the Art Nouveau style, and it is designated as a local architectural monument.
Who Owned It?
The plot on which this building stands was created in 1904, when Bohomoltsia Street (then called Adam Asnyk Street) was laid out and the former villa and gardens on the site were subdivided for development (formerly located at Panska Street 5, or cadastral no. 508 4/4).
In 1905, part of the former plot was purchased by architect Ivan Levynskyi, who was also the author of the street’s layout, its subdivision plan, and the designs of most buildings located here (DALO 2/1/125:11).
Construction began in August 1905 and was completed by October 1906, when occupancy permits were issued for all the apartments (DALO 2/1/125:15). Shortly after, Levynskyi sold the completed building to Captain Stanisław Bastgen and his wife Józefa Wanda (DALO 2/1/125:16).
From at least 1928 until 1939, the building belonged to Bernard Pordes, an engineer and civil servant at the Regional Office, who was Jewish by faith, and to Władysław Makowicz (DALO 2/1/125:24–34). During this time, the building underwent several renovations — in 1929, the roof and skylight over the staircase, gutters, attic, electrical wiring, and toilets were repaired; and in 1935, the façade was thoroughly restored (DALO 2/1/125:33, 22).
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building is part of the row development on Bohomoltsia Street and faces the square in the middle of the street. It is a former rental townhouse, typical of the early 20th century: constructed with modern building materials and systems, connected to electricity, water supply, and sewerage.
Due to the small size of the plot, the space is fully built up, with only one apartment per floor. The building features a spacious hexagonal staircase, illuminated by a skylight. The decorative design incorporates Art Nouveau motifs, along with stylized elements of classical architecture.
The building is four stories tall, with a brick masonry structure and metal I-beam inter-floor supports. The roof is made of wooden rafters with a tin covering. The facades are plastered, and the decor includes wrought iron, majolica tiles, and stucco work.
The plot is relatively narrow — 10.3 meters wide and up to 19 meters deep. The floor plan is T-shaped. To the south, the courtyard is connected to that of building No. 3, and to the north, it directly adjoins building No. 7.
According to the original plans, each floor contained one five-room apartment with a kitchen in the rear wing and indoor sanitation facilities. The basement included the caretaker’s quarters, a laundry, and five storage cellars.
What’s There Now?
Today, the building serves a residential function.
Sources
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State Archive of Lviv Oblast (DALO) 2/1/126.
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Informator Lwowski, 1932.
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Address Book of the Royal Capital City of Lwów (Księga adresowa królewskiego stołecznego miasta Lwowa, Lemberg, 1914).
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Jakub Lewicki, Between Tradition and Modernity: Architecture of Lviv in the Years 1893–1918 (Warsaw: Society for the Protection of Monuments, Neriton Publishing House, 2005), pp. 258–261.
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Index of the Royal Capital City of Lwów (Skorowidz królewskiego stołecznego miasta Lwowa, Lemberg, 1910).
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Index of the Royal Capital City of Lwów (Skorowidz królewskiego stołecznego miasta Lwowa, Lwów, 1920).