Formation of the Street
Ivan Fedorovych Street, located in the historic center of Lviv, has a centuries-old history. In the Middle Ages, its different sections bore separate names: Dominikanska Side, Ruska Side, and Zhydivska. In 1871, these segments were unified under the name Blakharska Street. In 1949, the street was renamed in honor of the pioneering printer Ivan Fedorov, and in 2024, the name was changed to Ivan Fedorovych Street.
Builders and Styles
On January 10, 1907, the owner of a Renaissance-style townhouse, Zelda Schönblum, received permission to demolish it and build a new rental apartment building. In December 1908, a site plan with a regulatory (red) line designed by architect Volodymyr Pidhorodetskyi was approved, which moved the street line back by 3.15 meters. The design was commissioned by the owner from architect Leon Riemer and authorized builder and engineer Leon Graf. The first project was completed in 1908. In 1909, a second, revised project was prepared, with minor changes to the rear wings and interior layout. During the construction of the new building, some walls of the Renaissance townhouse were reused.
The actual façade differs from the original design: for example, the planned decorative attic crown was never constructed, and the ornamentation was altered. In 1912, the city magistrate granted permission to install three windows in the rear wing. In 1914, the bathrooms were renovated. By the 1930s, the owners of the newly constructed building were Regina Flecker and Peppi Weiss.
Who Was the Owner?
At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was owned by Zelda Schönblum, who initiated the demolition of the old townhouse and construction of a new rental property. In the 1930s, the owners were Peppi Weiss and Regina Flecker.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The building’s façade preserves a five-axis window composition, similar to the earlier townhouse. The façade wall is decorated with board-like rustication featuring horizontal and vertical divisions. A wall projection spanning two window axes on the right ends with a low rectangular attic. Above the entrance, balconies extend from the 2nd and 3rd floors, supported by simple brackets with artistically forged metal railings. Beneath the windows of the second floor are decorative inserts in the form of recessed frieze panels, while under the third-floor windows are oval medallions in low relief. Delicate garlands hang above the same windows. The fourth floor is separated by a modest cornice ornamented with classical Ionic motifs. The top of the façade beneath the crowning cornice is decorated with a meander frieze. Overall, the façade is light, modest, and not overloaded with ornamentation.
Interesting Facts
Building No. 21 is recognized as a local architectural monument.
What Is There Now?
Today, the building is used as a residential property. On the ground floor, it houses the bookstore “Rare Book” and the phone repair shop “Mobaks.”
Bibliography
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Vuytsyk V. “Building No. 21 on Fedorova Street. Historical Reference”
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Bałaban M. “Jewish District: Its History and Monuments”
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Kapral M. “National Communities of Lviv in the 16th–18th Centuries”
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“Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. 13th–21st Centuries”