Street Formation
Petra Doroshenka Street is one of the most significant historical thoroughfares in Lviv, running from Svobody Avenue to the intersection with Stepana Bandery Street. In medieval times, it served as the main road leading to the village of Klepariv, then a suburb of Lviv. The street was part of a major trade route and is first mentioned in records from the 14th century. In the 16th century, it was known as Klepariv Road. From the 18th century, it took the name Sixtus Street, after the Sixtus family who owned plots in the area. The name was also associated with the Sixtus Chapel near the Jesuit Church.
From the late 19th century, during the intense urban development of the Galician capital, the street took on the appearance of a typical Austro-Hungarian city artery lined with income-generating houses, shops, hotels, and cafes. During World War II, the street suffered partial damage, and afterward, under Soviet rule, it was renamed Zhovtneva Street. In the 1990s, the historical name was restored—Petra Doroshenka Street, honoring the 17th-century hetman who sought to unite Ukrainian lands. Today, it remains one of Lviv’s busiest and most commercially active streets.
Builders and Styles
The building at 17 Doroshenka Street was constructed in 1895 in the Secession style typical of late 19th-century Lviv architecture. The architect is not definitively known, but the structure’s overall composition and façade details are consistent with other buildings along this part of the street. It is a four-story, brick, plastered building with a symmetrical façade and central carriageway. The side sections of the façade are decorated with linear rustication, and the windows on the second and third floors have profiled surrounds.
Who Was the Owner?
Since 1905, the owner of the building was Dawid Abrahamowicz (1839–1926), a prominent Galician politician, a member of the Austrian Parliament, and Minister of Galician Affairs from 1907 to 1909. The building also housed Stanisław Zarewicz, a collector, historian, and long-serving staff member of the Lviv Historical Museum.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building is four stories high, made of brick, plastered, and rectangular in plan. The façade is symmetrical with two side projections on the second to fourth floors and a central arched carriageway. The decoration includes light rustication, profiled window surrounds, and restrained ornaments characteristic of early Secession style.
Interesting Facts
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In the interwar period, the ground floor was home to the well-known perfume factory “Salfers.”
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Later, the premises housed the Drabik antiquarian bookstore and the Bund clothing shop.
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During Soviet times, the building hosted a footwear store and the “Lvivski Kruchenyky” café, which operated until the mid-2000s.
What Is There Now?
Today, the building at 17 Doroshenka Street is a residential structure with privately owned apartments. A jewelry shop called “Kalimantan” operates on the ground floor. The building is a local architectural heritage site (protection number 93).
Bibliography
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History of Petra Doroshenka Street in Lviv
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Buildings from the late 19th – early 20th century in central Lviv
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Directory of Architectural Monuments of Lviv
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Architecture of Lviv: Eras and Styles
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Residential Buildings of the Austro-Hungarian Period in Lviv