Formation of the Street
Hlyboka Street is located in the Frankivskyi district of Lviv, within the historical area of Novyi Svit. Its development began in the second half of the 19th century, as the city expanded westward beyond its historic core. The name “Hlyboka” (meaning “Deep”) is associated with the area’s natural landscape, which once featured numerous hollows, depressions, and wetlands stretching between present-day Kopernyka and Sakharova streets.
The Novyi Svit neighborhood was actively developed after the 1870s, with the creation of new residential quarters, the installation of sewers and water mains, and the extension of electric tram lines. Hlyboka Street initially served as a local connector between key urban roads — the former Stryi Road and Vitovskoho Street.
By the early 20th century, the street was largely built up with tenements and villas in the Secession and Neoclassical styles. It attracted middle-class residents such as engineers, clerks, and teachers. In the interwar period, it was considered a respectable residential area. The street remained largely unchanged during the Soviet period and preserved its original layout and building stock.
Today, Hlyboka Street is a quiet, green, and historically intact street with low-rise buildings and excellent preservation of its historical urban environment.
Builders and Styles
Building No. 12 was built in 1910 as a revenue house for architect Yakiv Rysiak and his wife Helena. The building features late Secession style with elements of Neo-Gothic, which distinguishes it from the more restrained architectural landscape of the district.
The façade is decorated with plaster reliefs of dancing women holding ribbons and garlands of flowers. A prominent attic above the entrance emphasizes the verticality of the structure. A colored stained-glass window once adorned the staircase (possibly crafted in Jan Stadler’s workshop), but it has not survived.
Who Was the Owner?
The original owners were Yakiv Rysiak, the architect, and his wife Helena, who lived in the building themselves. In the interwar period, the ground floor housed Zalewski’s barbershop — a well-known establishment. After 1944, apartment no. 6 was used as a bureau for the newspaper “Pravda Ukrainy.” Today, the premises are partly used as offices and housing.
What Does the Building Look Like?
This is a three-story structure with a symmetrical façade and central entrance. The decoration includes stucco, wrought-iron balconies, attics, and Art Nouveau motifs. The windows are mostly arched, framed with fine plaster molding. The building is painted in a light beige tone. Despite minor deterioration, the overall architectural appearance remains well-preserved.
Interesting Facts
-
The building is listed in the Register of Local Architectural Monuments under protection number 1079-m.
-
It is one of the few residential buildings in Lviv featuring female dance figures on the façade.
-
The barbershop that operated here until the 1950s was one of the city’s most respected.
-
There is unverified local lore suggesting an underground passage once connected this house to a neighboring villa.
What Is There Now?
Today, Building No. 12 on Hlyboka Street serves both residential and commercial functions. The ground floor hosts small organizations and charities, while the upper floors contain apartments. The building has preserved its original architectural forms and is an important element of the historical landscape of Novyi Svit.
Bibliography
-
Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. 13th–21st Centuries — Lviv: Center of Europe, 2008.
-
Biryulov, Yu. Lviv: Architecture of the Late 19th – Early 20th Century — Lviv: Center of Europe, 2010.
-
Lemko, I., Mykhalyk, V. 1243 Streets of Lviv (1939–2009) — Lviv: Apriori, 2009.
-
Lewicki, J. Between Tradition and Modernity: Architecture of Lviv 1893–1918 — Warsaw: Neriton, 2005.
-
Universal Encyclopedia of Lviv / Ed. A. Kozytskyi — Lviv: Litopys, 2008–2010.