Formation of the Street
Petra Doroshenka Street is one of the oldest and most important arteries in Lviv. It originated in the 15th century as a road leading to the estate of Madame Mikulinska outside the city walls. Over time, it developed into a central route through the suburb to the southwest of the city.
In the 16th century, it became known as Sixtus Street, named after Erasmus Sixtus — a prominent city doctor and burgomaster whose estate was located near the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. This name remained in use for several centuries. In the 19th century, it became a major transportation route, particularly after the launch of Lviv’s first electric tram line in 1894, which ran along this street.
The street was intensively developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Revenue houses, commercial arcades, shops, and hotels were built. The architecture of Doroshenka Street reflects a wide range of styles — Classicism, Historicism, Secession (Art Nouveau), and Functionalism. Before World War II, it was a vibrant center of cultural and commercial life in the city.
During the Soviet period, the street was renamed several times — as Defense of Lviv Street and October Street — before being officially named after Hetman Petro Doroshenko in 1992. Today, it retains many architectural landmarks and remains one of Lviv’s most vibrant central streets.
Builders and Styles
Building No. 11, also known as the “Chopin House,” was constructed in 1898 based on a design by architect Karl Boublik for Sabina Hersheles. It is a three-story Art Nouveau-style tenement with an asymmetrical façade and a commercial ground floor.
The ground floor is rusticated, and the upper levels feature decorative plasterwork, a projecting bay window (oriel), and a cartouche with floral ornamentation. Above the third-floor windows, a sculpted bust of composer Frédéric Chopin — by sculptor Bronisław Soltys — crowns the façade. Personalized architectural sculptures of this kind were rare in Lviv’s residential buildings at the time.
Who Was the Owner?
The original owner was Sabina Hersheles, who also ran a piano and musical instrument shop on the ground floor. The Hersheles family were well-known music merchants in Lviv. Until 1939, their store was one of the most prominent music salons in the city. Historical records also mention that in the 1840s, the first photographic salon in Lviv — operated by Józef Polman — stood at this location.
What Does the Building Look Like?
This three-story building has an asymmetrical façade. The central focus is a wide oriel window with decorative plasterwork. The bust of Chopin sits above the third-floor windows. The façade is topped with a profiled cornice and a dormer window. The architecture skillfully combines commercial functionality with the aesthetics of upscale urban housing.
Interesting Facts
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The building is known as the “Chopin House” thanks to the sculpted bust of the composer on its façade.
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In 1843, the first photographic salon in Lviv was located at this very site.
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In the 1990s, a snack bar called “Hot Sandwiches” operated on the ground floor.
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The building is a listed local architectural monument (Protection No. 90).
What Is There Now?
Today, Building No. 11 functions as a mixed-use property. The ground floor houses shops and service businesses, while the upper floors contain residential apartments. The building has preserved its historical architecture and remains a distinctive part of Lviv’s urban landscape.
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.