Formation of the Street
Ivana Verkhradskoho Street is located in the Lychakivskyi district of Lviv, within the Stryiskyi–Snopkivskyi area. It was laid out in the early 20th century during the city’s eastern expansion. Previously, the land here was mostly agricultural — used for gardens, fields, and summer estates.
Originally called Hofman Side Street, in 1905 it was renamed Holomba Street in honor of architect Andrzej Hołomb, who designed and developed most of the street. During the German occupation (1943–1944), it was temporarily named Röntgengasse. In 1946, it was renamed after Ivan Verkhratskyi — a Ukrainian linguist, naturalist, and educator who lived in Lviv in the second half of the 19th century.
The street’s architecture is uniquely cohesive, since it was designed almost entirely by one architect — Hołomb. During the interwar period, it remained a prestigious residential street. Its built environment has changed very little since, preserving the street’s original character.
Builders and Styles
Building No. 9 was constructed in the 1920s as part of the final phase of development along the street. It features a blend of late Art Nouveau and Neoclassical elements. The asymmetrical façade is decorated with restrained stucco work, including floral and geometric motifs. A central oriel with a wrought-iron balcony adds a vertical accent, while the windows are framed with understated classical trims.
Who Was the Owner?
The original owner was likely a private investor — possibly a lawyer or academic — as was typical for this elite residential street. In the interwar period, the building was home to members of the city’s intelligentsia, including professors and doctors. It was nationalized during the Soviet era and divided into apartments.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building is three stories high with a plastered façade and mansard-style roof. The windows are symmetrically arranged with a central oriel and balcony. The decorative stucco is modest but stylistically consistent with the street’s late 1920s character. The building retains original wooden doors, window frames, and metal fixtures.
Interesting Facts
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The building was one of the last erected on Verkhradskoho Street during the 1920s.
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The street ensemble is considered a textbook example of architectural harmony in Lviv’s Secession period.
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The balcony railings are original and are examples of interwar-era applied metalwork.
What Is There Now?
Today, the building remains residential. It retains its original apartment layouts, with some units adapted for use as offices or home studios. The façade is well maintained, and the building is part of Lviv’s protected historical fabric.
Bibliography
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Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. 13th–21st Centuries — Lviv: Center of Europe, 2008.
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Biryulov, Yu. Lviv: Architecture of the Late 19th – Early 20th Century — Lviv: Center of Europe, 2010.
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Lemko, I., Mykhalyk, V. 1243 Streets of Lviv (1939–2009) — Lviv: Apriori, 2009.
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Lewicki, J. Between Tradition and Modernity: Architecture of Lviv 1893–1918 — Warsaw: Neriton, 2005.
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Universal Encyclopedia of Lviv / Ed. A. Kozytskyi — Lviv: Litopys, 2008–2010.