Residential Building

Formation of the Street

Dekarta Street is located in the Zaliznychnyi (Railway) district of Lviv, within the historical area of Pryvokzalna. It connects Brativ Mikhnovskykh Street with Marka Vovchka Street, intersecting with Vernyhora Street. The street was established in 1891 and initially bore the name Nova Doroga (New Road). In 1893, it was renamed Kostopalni Side Street due to the nearby facility for processing animal bones into potash and saltpeter.

In 1894, it received the name Dekerta Street, in honor of Jan Dekert, a Polish Roman Catholic priest and auxiliary bishop of Warsaw. In 1946, it was renamed again to Dekarta Street, in tribute to the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes.

The street developed rapidly at the turn of the 20th century, forming part of the expanding residential zone around the new Main Railway Station. Most buildings were two- to three-story townhouses constructed in the styles of late Classicism and early Secession. During the early 2000s, some old structures were replaced with new six-story residential buildings featuring commercial spaces on the ground floors. Despite these changes, Dekarta Street still retains a fragment of historical architectural identity typical of Lviv’s early suburban development.

Builders and Styles

Building No. 22 is part of the early 20th-century development of Dekarta Street. It is a two-story masonry townhouse designed in a blend of late Classicism and Art Nouveau (Secession). Its façade is decorated with ornamental stucco and structured window frames, providing it with a restrained but elegant appearance characteristic of the period.

Who Was the Owner?

There is no specific archival data on the original owner of Building No. 22. However, it is known that in the 1930s, nearby buildings housed notable businesses: a bakery run by Hesheles operated at No. 20, and a flour wholesaler, Jakub’s warehouse, was located at No. 5. These records suggest that the area was part of a lively, small-scale commercial zone supporting the residential neighborhood.

What Does the Building Look Like?

Building No. 22 is a symmetrical two-story townhouse with a restrained yet detailed façade. Architectural elements include linear cornices, pilasters, and plaster frames around the windows — typical of early 20th-century urban residential architecture in Lviv. The façade is painted in light colors, and the structure retains most of its original features.

Interesting Facts

Dekarta Street is one of the few streets in Lviv where fragments of early 20th-century development in the styles of Classicism and Secession have survived.
In 2018, the street became one-way, with traffic flowing from Marka Vovchka Street to Brativ Mikhnovskykh Street.
The street’s layout and modest scale reflect the historic pattern of suburban planning in Lviv during Austro-Hungarian rule.

What Is There Now?

Today, Building No. 22 serves as a residential property. It retains its original layout and appearance and remains part of the architectural heritage of Lviv. Some nearby buildings have been adapted for commercial use, while Building No. 22 remains exclusively residential.

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.