Formation of the Street
Ivana Franka Street is one of Lviv’s oldest and most prestigious streets, tracing back to the medieval trade route leading south toward Hungary. Until the mid-19th century, this area, known as Sofiivka, remained sparsely populated with rural-style buildings. However, from the late 19th century, it developed rapidly as part of the urban expansion, especially with income-generating townhouses and villas.
Before 1950, this stretch of the street was known as Zyblikevycha Street and had gone through several name changes, including Panska, Pilsudskiego, and Chernyshevskoho. It was renamed after Ukrainian poet and public figure Ivan Franko during the Soviet period. At the turn of the 20th century, the area was built up with Art Nouveau, Neo-Renaissance, and Secession-style buildings, including the ensemble at Nos. 46–50.
2. About the Building at 50 Ivana Franka St.
Builders and Styles
Building No. 50 is part of a four-building ensemble constructed between 1910 and 1912 in the rational Secession style, designed by architect Aleksander Warteresevych-Slonevskyi. The ensemble forms a cour d’honneur (ceremonial courtyard), a feature common in prestigious residential architecture of that period. What distinguishes No. 50 is its Moorish Gothic decorative elements, quite rare in Lviv’s architectural landscape.
The façade features unique dragon reliefs — the work of sculptor Ivan Severa — which reflect medieval fantasy themes, an unusual addition to otherwise functionalist modernism.
Who Was the Owner?
The original owner was Jakub Silberstein, a prominent Jewish lawyer and member of Lviv’s intelligentsia, who also owned the neighboring house at No. 52. During the interwar years, the building was used for rental apartments. In the 1950s, it housed a tailoring and hosiery repair salon. After World War II, it was nationalized, and today it remains partly municipal and partly private property.
What Does the Building Look Like?
It is a four-story structure facing Ivana Franka Street and forming part of a courtyard ensemble. The façade features Moorish arches, Gothic details, and decorative brickwork. Its most remarkable features are the two dragon reliefs located at the second-floor level. The balconies have wrought-iron railings, and the entrance group retains some original decorative elements.
Interesting Facts
-
The dragon reliefs are a rare surviving example of sculptural ornamentation in Lviv Modernist architecture.
-
Sculptor Ivan Severa was one of the leading local artists of the early 20th century.
-
In the 1950s, this was one of the few hosiery repair salons in Lviv.
-
Together with buildings Nos. 46, 48, and 52, this forms a distinct architectural ensemble.
What Is There Now?
Today, the building houses a beauty salon (“L’Etoile”) and several residential and office spaces. Some apartments have been privatized. The building is listed as a local architectural monument as part of the early 20th-century ensemble on Ivana Franka Street.
Bibliography
-
Biriulow J. Architecture of Lviv: Secession Period
-
Melnyk I. Lviv: Between Past and Future
-
Vuytsyk V. Architectural Ensembles of Lviv