Formation of the Street
General Chuprynky Street is one of the main arteries of the western part of Lviv, formed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries as an extension of Kopernyka Street. During the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was named Batoregasse after Polish King Stephen Báthory. In the interwar period, it was renamed 29 Listopada Street, in honor of the Polish uprising of 1830. During Soviet times, it was known as Kleparivska Street, and in the 1990s it was renamed to honor General Taras Chuprynka (Roman Shukhevych), the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
The development of the street coincided with the rapid expansion of the Kulparkiv district. Both villas for wealthy families and tenement houses for the middle class were built here. Stylistically, this part of the city features a blend of Secession (Art Nouveau), Neo-Romanesque, Neo-Gothic, and Neoclassical styles.
About the Building at 27 General Chuprynky Street
Builders and Styles
Building No. 27 was constructed between 1900 and 1901 based on a design developed at the architectural office of Ivan Levynskyi. The project architect was Jarymowicz, who worked at this bureau. Archival blueprints bear the bureau’s stamp and the inscription “Z biura Jana Lewińskiego konces. budowniczego we Lwowie”.
This is a three-story tenement house with an attic, originally intended for middle-class rental apartments. It is one of the few buildings in Lviv that combines a functional layout with a richly decorated façade.
The façade stands out due to its asymmetry, wrought-iron balconies, mascarons, a vertical bay window (oriel), and deeply set window openings. The decorative elements include stylized plant motifs characteristic of Art Nouveau facades.
Who was the owner?
The client and first owner of the building was Walenty Kruszewski.
What does the building look like?
It is a two-story apartment building constructed with a setback from the street’s regulatory line. The façades are segmented by projections topped with gables. The building has an elongated rectangular footprint. The narrower façade faces General Chuprynky Street, with a portal on the left side. On the rear façade, facing the garden, there is a small extension with a veranda. Inside the structure, there is a small enclosed courtyard. The architectural style is Secession.
Interesting Facts
The building is located in one of the most architecturally significant ensembles on Chuprynky Street, alongside works by architects such as Zachariewicz, Obminskyi, and Levynskyi.
According to archival maps, a small printing shop operated on the first floor in the early 20th century.
The original façade design, registered in the magistrate in 1909, has been preserved (State Archives of the Lviv Region, Building Department Fund).
A decorative bas-relief on the façade is believed to be the work of a sculptor from the Soltys workshop.
What is there now?
The building continues to serve a residential function; most apartments are privatized. The ground floor is occupied by a shoe repair workshop and a small office. The façade is in satisfactory condition; while some decorative elements have been preserved, others are in need of restoration. The tenement is part of Lviv’s protected historical heritage zone.
Bibliography
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Biriulow J. Architecture of Lviv: Secession Period
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Vuytsyk V. Architectural Ensembles of Lviv
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Melnyk I. Lviv: Architectural Mosaic