Street Formation
Dudaieva Street in Lviv, previously known under various names, has a rich history of toponymic changes. It was first marked in 1766 by the French cartographer Jean du Défi, and later, only the upper part appeared in Count Maurycy Dzieduszycki’s city plan. In the 19th century, the street was known as Khorunshchyna. In 1855, it was renamed Zimorowic Street in honor of Bartłomiej Zimorowicz, a Lviv burgomaster and chronicler. In 1871, the name Lower Khorunshchyna appeared. During the German occupation, it was called Ahornstrasse (“Maple Street”). After the war, it was renamed once again, this time in honor of Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov. The current name — Dzhokhar Dudaiev Street — was adopted in 1996 in honor of the first President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. In 2014, a proposal was made to rename it after Ukrainian General Serhiy Kulchytskyi, but Lviv’s mayor Andriy Sadovyi stated at the time that such plans were not under consideration.
Builders and Styles
The building at 9 Dzhokhar Dudaiev Street was constructed in 1905–1906 in the Historicist style, designed by Wincenty Rawski Jr., who won first prize in a 1905 architectural competition for this project.
Who Owns It?
The first owner of the building was Karol Edward Epler, who served as treasurer of the Polish Polytechnic Society.
What Does the Building Look Like?
Aesthetically, the building contrasts with its surroundings, both on the street and in Lviv as a whole. The mix of colors and textures — brick masonry, plastered rusticated sections, colorful majolica tiles, and metal elements — creates a picturesque effect. This architectural approach in Lviv traces back to the construction of the Galician Savings Bank designed by Julian Zachariewicz, as well as to discussions among architects at the 1892 Exhibition of Building Industry in Lviv, which focused on developing local architectural solutions.
A prominent feature on the fourth floor is a slender risalit, supported by neo-Gothic columns and topped with a blank frieze. It once displayed the inscription “Dom Towarzystwa Politechnicznego” (“House of the Polytechnic Society”), which was removed after Soviet forces entered Lviv in 1939. The risalit is crowned by an attic with volutes and obelisks — the so-called “Polish attic,” considered in the early 20th century to be a uniquely Polish Renaissance architectural element.
The façade also includes the official emblem of the Polytechnic Society, which today is more often associated with Masonic imagery than with engineering. On the first floor, a composition designed by architect Jan Tarchalowicz in 1896 features symbols of drafting (triangle and compass), mechanics (gear), mining (hammers), architecture (Ionic capital), and victory (palm branch). Triangles and compasses also decorate the attic.
Interesting Facts
The vestibule’s sculptural decorations were crafted by Edmund Pliszewski. The ceiling over the assembly hall — a glass skylight on a rolled metal frame beneath a lantern — was installed by the firm of Zygmunt Piotrowicz and Jan Schumann. The initiative to build the structure came from Karol Edward Epler, treasurer of the Polish Polytechnic Society in Lviv.
Before 1939, the building housed the Polish Polytechnic Society and the Chamber of Engineers of Lesser Poland. After the Soviet takeover, it became a residential building, and in the 1950s, it served as a dormitory for the Lviv Polytechnic Institute. Today, the building houses the “Premium” Bank. The former lecture hall was converted into a wrestling gym, and its walls were coated with multiple layers of oil paint. The skylight above the hall was covered with Soviet-style slate panels.
On September 23, 2008, the building was added to the list of cultural heritage monuments not subject to privatization. It is also registered as a locally significant architectural monument under protection number 156-m.
What Is It Now?
Today, the former Society’s premises are used as office space for a bank, while the 2nd to 4th floors remain residential.
Sources and Literature
Directory of Street and Square Renamings in Lviv, 2009.
Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. 13th–21st Centuries / 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.
Biryulov, Yu. O. The Art of Lviv Secession. — Lviv: Center of Europe, 2005. — ISBN 966-7022-44-7.
9 Dudaieva St – Former Building of the Polytechnic Society | Interactive Lviv
Lviv’s Dzhokhar Dudaiev Street Will Not Be Renamed – ZAXID.NET