Formation of the Street
Orzeszkowa Street is located in the Frankivskyi District of Lviv, within the historical area known as Novyi Svit. The street emerged at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century as part of the planned development of new residential quarters to the southwest of the city’s historical center. Its formation was part of the general urbanization of Lviv during the Austrian period, when the city was actively expanding beyond its former defensive structures.
The street was named after Eliza Orzeszkowa (1841–1910), a Belarusian-Polish writer, a representative of Positivism, a public figure, and a strong advocate of women’s emancipation and social justice. The name was granted during the Austrian era and has survived to this day — a rare example of consistency in Lviv’s toponymy.
The planning of the street followed the general layout of the Novyi Svit district, where short, straight or slightly curved streets with low-rise (2–3 story) buildings were predominant. Orzeszkowa Street is mainly characterized by interwar residential development — modest modernist villas and functionalist houses, often with gardens and front courtyards.
Several typical examples of interwar Lviv architecture have survived on the street, including modernist houses with geometric facades, bay windows, and restrained decoration.
Architects and Styles
The villa at 11 Eliza Orzeszkowa Street was built in 1907 to a design by Lviv architect Ludwik Veltze. He was known for his work in the Secession style with Neo-Gothic elements, and this building is a vivid example of such a combination.
The building is distinguished by its picturesque volumetric-spatial design and decorative elements typical of late Secession. A central feature is the corner round tower with a tall conical spire and a weather vane that gives the house the appearance of a romantic castle. The year of construction — 1907 — is preserved on the weather vane.
The facades are decorated with dark red clinker brick combined with contrasting inserts of gray hewn stone. Some surfaces are plastered, creating a rich textural effect. The villa has a complex asymmetrical composition, mansard roofs, and large windows with ornate frames.
Who Was the Owner?
The first owner of the villa was police advisor Wojciech Wentz. In the early 1920s, the building became the property of Zygmunt Radzimiński — a prominent Polish historian, archaeologist, and heraldry expert. From 1926 to 1946, the villa belonged to Jerzy Kuryłowicz, an outstanding Polish philologist and linguist, professor at the University of Lviv.
What Does the House Look Like?
Architecturally, the villa resembles a small, slightly austere castle, largely due to the corner round tower with a sharp conical spire and a weather vane. The year “1907” is carved into the small steel weather vane. The walls are built of dark red brick with numerous light gray stone inserts and are partially plastered. The building is notable for its rich and varied decoration — all four facades, windows, and roofs differ in design and are asymmetrical.
The villa consists of two full stories, a ground (semi-basement) floor with separate entrances, likely intended originally for utility purposes or domestic staff. In some elements, the villa echoes its neighboring buildings — the grand “Apothecary’s Villa” and the “Lubań” Villa.
The main facade faces Orzeszkowa Street. It includes several tall windows adorned with various stone and brick pediments. The stairwell features the largest window and is accentuated by a slightly protruding risalit topped with a high fronton with Neo-Gothic steps. However, the dominant element of this facade is the veranda, supported by a barrel-shaped column with a carved capital, accessible by double-run stairs. The veranda retains an authentic wrought-iron lantern, metal vault ties, and a charming little balcony above.
One can also see sloped brick, tile, and ceramic window sills, as well as metal flower stands on the second floor. The entrance to the ground floor, separated by a sloped ceramic mini-cornice, also has a veranda and is decorated with rustication. This facade is half-plastered (as it was originally), although unfortunately parts have been repainted in inappropriate pale lilac and white colors. The original plaster color on all facades was pale yellow. The walls feature numerous large stone block inserts, which enliven the building’s appearance.
What’s There Now?
The former Zygmunt Radzimiński Villa is now divided into apartments owned by several residents, each with separate entrances. The tiny yard around the house has even been divided into three or four parts. In a way, this has helped preserve the building: as of 2019, the villa remained in relatively satisfactory condition. However, the original roof tiles have been replaced with sheet metal, and the attic has been converted into additional rooms with dormer windows. Some windows and doors have been replaced with modern ones. The original fence has been lost and replaced with an inconsistent “Euro-style” metal fence, but the majority of the building’s decorative elements have been preserved, and the walls remain free of insulation panels. The state of the interiors, unfortunately, is unknown.
The style of this villa was popular in the early 20th century and is echoed in other nearby buildings in Novyi Svit and Kastelivka. Notable parallels include the villas of Wincenty Rawski (61 Chuprynky St.) and Kazimierz Dziadoń-Dzieliński (21 Chuprynky St.).