Formation of the Street
Stepana Bandery Street is one of Lviv’s main thoroughfares, connecting the city center with its western districts. The street began to take shape in the second half of the 19th to the early 20th century, during a period of rapid urban development beyond the historical core of the city.
Originally named 3 Maja Street—in honor of the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791—it retained this name until 1939. During the interwar period, it was one of Lviv’s most prestigious streets, home to educational institutions (notably, the Polytechnic, now Lviv Polytechnic National University), administrative buildings, and elegant residential developments.
During the Soviet era, the street was renamed Dzerzhinsky Street, and in 1991 it received its current name, commemorating Stepan Bandera, a leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement.
The route of the street followed key transport lines, including the railway connecting the Main Train Station with the city center, as well as newly developed neighborhoods stretching toward Klepariv and Zamarstyniv. From the beginning, the street was planned as a broad urban artery with a tram line and a tree-lined median.
Builders and Style
The income-generating residential building at 47a Stepana Bandery Street in Lviv was constructed in 1911–1912. It was designed by architect Artur Schleien for the client Anna Schwieger. The building is a striking example of the Secession style (Art Nouveau), which was popular in Lviv in the early 20th century. The façade features the flowing lines and decorative elements typical of the style. A particular highlight is the interior: the staircase is adorned with a painted ceiling triptych titled “Spring”, created by artists Alfred Rosen and Henryk Feller.
Who Were the Owners?
This building has a rich ownership history:
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1911: The lot belonged to Anna Schwieger, who commissioned the construction of the building from architect Artur Schleien.
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1928: Ownership passed to Samuel Ecker, who undertook sewage system renovations and upgraded the façade’s drainage system.
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1937: The building was owned by Samson Hirsch Brück and Maier Grünner. That year, the city magistrate required them to repair the façade and other building elements.
What Does the Building Look Like?
This four-story tenement house, built in 1911–1912, features a symmetrical façade in a rational Secession style with elements of Neoclassicism. Decorative plasterwork in low relief adorns the façade: medallions with garlands below the second-floor windows and balconies, fluted-texture garlands under third-floor windows, medallions with female profiles above the outer third-floor windows, and pilasters between the second and third floors topped with vases. The attic includes an oval medallion, which likely once held a relief.
The vestibule and staircase are also decorated in the Secession style. The floors are laid with monochrome tiles; the hallway walls are divided by pilasters and mirrors, with medallions of profile reliefs and garlands. The ceiling is adorned with botanical ornaments. The stairs are made of sandstone with metal railings, and the lower walls are faced with warm brown majolica tiles. Authentic wooden doors and their casings are preserved.
Interesting Facts
The highlight of the building is the ceiling of the staircase, painted with a triptych titled “Spring”, created by Alfred Rosen and Henryk Feller in 1912. At the center of the composition is a golden-haired woman in a white tunic, set against a spring landscape with blooming trees and grasses.
What’s There Now?
As of April 2025, the building at 47a Stepana Bandery Street remains a residential property and continues to serve both residential and commercial functions.
Sources:
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Interactive Lviv: Detailed description of the building’s history, architecture, and interior
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Wikipedia: Stepana Bandery Street (Lviv)
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Uliana Shcheviova. “Mural Paintings in the Entrance Decor of Residential Buildings in Eastern Galicia from the Late 19th to the First Third of the 20th Century”
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Register of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Ukraine. Lviv. Volume 1