Street Formation
Until the mid-20th century, the Poltva River flowed along what is now Snopkivska Street, forming a pond in the area of present-day Stusa Street. This pond, approximately 100 meters long and 20 meters wide, belonged in the 18th century to Józef Kamiński.
Stusa Street, formerly called Ostrovskyi Street, was part of Snopkivska Street until the 1930s.
In 1963, a trolleybus route (No. 4) was established on Snopkivska Street, and starting in 1967, route No. 1 connected this area with the main railway station.
In 2008, construction began on a tram line linking Snopkivska Street with the Sykhiv district, but it was halted due to lack of funding. Work resumed in 2014, and on November 17, 2016, the tram began running to Sykhiv.
Today, Snopkivska Street is also served by city bus route No. 26 and several suburban lines connecting Lviv with surrounding villages.
Builders and Styles
The building at 47 Snopkivska Street was constructed based on a design by architect Władysław Sadłowski (with contributions by Adolf-Viktor Weiss). Sculptor Petro Vitovych created the sculptures “Art” and “Labor”, which are placed above the central entrance.
Who Owns It?
The building was originally constructed to house the State Industrial School.
What Does the Building Look Like?
Located on a large plot between Snopkivska, Severy, and Kubiiovycha Streets, the building occupies a significant portion of the block, with its main façade facing Snopkivska Street.
It is a three-story brick and plastered structure with a symmetrical main façade, emphasized by central and side risalits, pilasters, and horizontal cornices. The windows are rectangular, and the decorative design includes numerous stucco elements, vibrant ceramic inlays, and ornamental ironwork. The central entrance is adorned with a sculptural composition by Petro Vitovych. The overall decorative style reflects strong influence from the Viennese Secession.
The floor plan is close to rectangular, with an office-corridor layout and a large interior courtyard.
Interesting Facts
The school was inaugurated on June 7, 1910. During World War I, it served as a hospital under the patronage of Empress Maria Fyodorovna. After the war, it reopened in 1919, continuing with Polish educational traditions. In 1929, the institution became more industry-oriented, acquiring the name State Technical School. In the interwar period, it trained electromechanics, steam locomotive engineers, radio operators, and other specialists. In 1938, the State Institute of Fine Arts was established here but only functioned until 1939.
After the Soviet annexation in 1940, the Lviv State Vocational School of Art and Industry was founded. During the 1940s, the building was split between two institutions: the Technical School for Locomotive Engineers of the Lviv Railway and the Lviv College of Railway Transport (located in the central section). Since 1946, the side wing has housed the Lviv Children’s Art School, later transformed into a college of applied arts, which in 1956 was named after Ivan Trush.
What Is It Now?
Today, the building is shared by the Lviv College of Railway Transport and the Ivan Trush Lviv College of Decorative and Applied Arts.
Sources and Literature
Stusa Street | City Media Archive
50 Years of the Tram to Sykhiv – ZAXID.NET
Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. 13th–21st Century / M. Bevz, Yu. Biryulov, Yu. Bohdanova, V. Didyk, U. Ivanochko, T. Klymeniuk et al. — Lviv: Center of Europe, 2008. — ISBN 978-966-7022-77-8
47 Snopkivska Street – Lviv College of Decorative and Applied Arts | Interactive Lviv