Formation of the Street
Akademika Bohomoltsia Street in Lviv emerged as part of a so-called villa district in the area known as Novyi Svit, which saw active development at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. This area previously belonged to the Novyi Svit suburb, which began to develop in the second half of the 19th century, when Lviv expanded beyond its historical center.
Initially, the street was named Ferdinand Street (after Emperor Ferdinand I), and during the interwar period it was renamed 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.
The street was designed as part of an elite residential zone for members of the intelligentsia, professors, wealthy entrepreneurs, and government officials. The prevailing architecture consists of villas built in the styles of Art Nouveau (Secession), historicism, and early functionalism.
The layout of the street follows the natural terrain, stretching from east to west with a gentle curve that gives it a cozy, intimate atmosphere. It connects modern streets such as General Chuprynka, Konovalets, and Kotliarevsky, forming an important internal neighborhood link.
Today, the street retains its historic ambiance and holds protected heritage status as part of Lviv’s architectural legacy.
Architects and Style
The building at 3 Akademika Bohomoltsia Street in Lviv is an example of early modernist architecture from the early 20th century. It was designed in the Secession style with strong influences from the Viennese school of Otto Wagner. The project was developed by the Ivan Levynskyi architectural bureau for physician Jan Pape and his wife Maria. Construction was completed in 1906. The façade is decorated with wrought iron elements and majolica tiles, reflecting the refined aesthetics of the time.
Who Owned It?
The first owners of the property were Dr. Jan Pape and his wife Maria, who purchased the land in 1904. The Pape family retained ownership of the building until the late 1930s.
What Does the Building Look Like?
This is a three-story townhouse with a basement, located at the corner of a green public square. The walls are built from brick and covered with plaster. The layout includes angled main staircases and spiral service staircases in the courtyard. A pioneering feature for its time was the inclusion of kitchens, bathrooms, and toilets inside the apartments.
The building is one of six townhouses surrounding the square on Bohomoltsia Street. During construction, modern materials and utilities for that era were used, including electricity, running water, and sewage systems.
What’s Here Now?
Today, the building is used primarily as a residential property. The first and part of the second floor are occupied by private institutions.
Sources
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State Archives of the Lviv Region (DALO) 2/1/121.
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DALO 2/1/123.
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Infornator Lwowski (Lviv, 1932).
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Address Book of the Royal Capital City of Lviv (Lviv: Publisher Franciszek Reichman. From the “Narodowa” printing house, 1913), p. 79.
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Address Directory of the Royal Capital City of Lviv (Lviv: J. Spiegel, printed by A. Goldman, 1910), p. 72.
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Józef Wiczkowski, Lviv, Its Development and Cultural State, and a City Guide (Lviv: G. Sk. in the bookstore of H. Altenberg, 1907), p. 623.