Street Formation
Until the mid-19th century, during the Austrian period, the street was known as To the Jesuit Garden and New Postal Street. In 1871, it was given the Polish name Zygmuntowska. From 1939 to 1941, it was renamed Chelyuskintsi Street, in honor of the participants of the Arctic expedition aboard the Chelyuskin vessel. In July 1944, the street received its current name — Mykola Hohol Street, in honor of the renowned Ukrainian writer.
Builders and Styles
The building at 1 Hohol Street was constructed between 1912 and 1913 in the Art Nouveau style with elements of Neoclassicism. Prior to construction, an architectural competition was held, and the best projects were recognized as those by architects Jan Zawiejski and Roman Bandurski, Alfred Zachariewicz and Ludwik Sokołowski, as well as S. Piotrowski and S. Fertner. However, the project ultimately chosen for implementation was a non-competition entry by architect Zbigniew Brochwicz-Lewiński.
Who Owns It?
The building originally housed the Directorate of the Imperial-Royal State Railways of Austria-Hungary.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building at 1 Hohol Street in Lviv is a monumental five-story structure in the Art Nouveau style with elements of Neoclassicism, completed in 1912–1913. The façade is notable for its grand, symmetrical decoration, reflecting the building’s administrative function.
The façade features a rhythmic arrangement of large windows and a richly decorated main entrance with stucco details, cornices, decorative panels, and symbolic elements possibly referencing its use as a railway administration office. Above the entrance is a tower with a clock, topped by a small dome that adds elegance and a unique touch to the overall structure.
The central section of the façade contains more massive and expressive elements, emphasizing the building’s importance and lending it a solemn, official character.
Interesting Facts
Before 1939, the building at No. 1 housed the Directorate of State Railways. During the Soviet period, it became the Lviv Railway Administration. In the 1940s–1950s, the building also housed the editorial office of the Lviv Railwayman newspaper and the Pobut cooperative.
In 2008, a memorial plaque honoring Heorhii Kirpa (designed by architect Andriy Dorosh and sculptor Roman Patyk) was installed on the façade facing Lystopadovoho Chynu Street.
What Is It Now?
Today, the building is home to the Lviv Railway Administration.
Sources and Literature
Melnyk B. V. Index of Modern Names of Streets and Squares of Lviv // Directory of Renamings of Lviv Streets and Squares. 13th–20th Centuries. — Lviv: Svit, 2001.
Myhal S. Design in Names. The Lviv School: A Popular Science Edition. — Lviv: Papuha, 2010.
Księga adresowa Król. stoł. miasta Lwowa… (Address Book of the Royal Capital City of Lviv…)