Formation of the Street
Verkhratskoho Street is located in the Lychakivskyi district of the city of Lviv, in the Lychakiv neighborhood. It connects Patriarkha Dymytriia Yaremy Street with Chernihivska Street.
The street was established in the early 20th century. By 1904, it was named Hofmana Side Street, and in 1905 it was renamed Gołomba Street, in honor of architect Andrzej Gołomb. During the German occupation, from 1943 to July 1944, it was known as Röntgengasse. Its current name has been in use since 1946, in honor of Ukrainian linguist and naturalist Ivan Verkhratskyi, who worked and was buried in Lviv.
The street is mostly lined with three-story buildings in the Viennese Classicism and Secession styles. The only five-story building is No. 10, which was later extended in 1923. The street’s architectural unity and completeness can be attributed to the fact that its sole author was Lviv architect Andrzej Gołomb, who between 1887 and 1903 designed and built residential houses in the Lychakiv district of Lviv.
Development of the street began in 1899 and proceeded in two stages. By 1903, under the direction of A. Gołomb, the odd-numbered side of the street was developed, characterized mainly by eclecticism. After the architect’s death, construction continued. Buildings Nos. 7–15 were erected and the even-numbered side was built up, where late Secession became the dominant style. In the entryway of building No. 9, painted arabesques have been preserved.
Builders and Styles
Building No. 7 on Verkhratskoho Street in Lviv is a notable architectural landmark from the early 20th century.
It was constructed in 1903 according to a design by architect Andrzej Gołomb, and it originally served as his private residence.
The building is located at the corner of present-day Patriarkha Dymytriia Yaremy Street (formerly Chekhova Street) and Verkhratskoho Street.
Architecturally, the building is designed in the style of late historicism.
It is a three-story structure with a high ground floor and a complex floor plan, featuring a distinctive cut-off corner at the intersection.
The main façade is symmetrical and decorated with stucco ornamentation, including shell motifs, garlands, and mascarons.
The second-floor balconies rest on ornamented brackets and are enclosed with wrought-iron railings.
The house was once home to the famous Austrian-Jewish writer Joseph Roth, a native of Brody, who enrolled at Lviv University in 1913–1914.
On October 8, 2009, a memorial plaque was installed on the façade in his honor, created by sculptor Mykola Buniak.
What’s There Now?
Today, Building No. 7 retains its residential function and is considered part of Lviv’s cultural heritage.
Sources:
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“Architecture of Lviv: Time and Styles. 13th–21st Centuries” / Edited by M. Bevz, Yu. Biryulov, Yu. Bohdanova et al. — Lviv: Center of Europe Publishing, 2008. — 720 pages.
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“Encyclopedia of Lviv” / Edited by A. Kozytskyi and I. Pidkova. — Lviv: Litopys Publishing, 2007–2010. — Vols. 1–3.