Street Formation
Vyshensky Street in Lviv was laid out in the early 20th century and was initially called Bichna Solodova (Side Solodova). In 1910, it was renamed after the Polish artist Stanisław Wyspiański. The current name, honoring the Ukrainian writer Ivan Vyshensky, was given to the street in 1950. The street was developed between 1909 and 1912, mostly in the styles of Secession, Romantic Modernism, and Neo-Gothic, with projects by architects such as Adam Opolski and Ivan Levynskyi. Most buildings on the street are listed in the Register of Local Architectural Monuments.
Architects and Style
The villa of Roman Kovshevych, professor of canon law at the Lviv Theological Academy, is located at 12 Vyshensky Street in Lviv. The building was constructed in 1911–1912 by the architectural bureau of Ivan Levynskyi, likely based on a design by the young architect Oleksandr Lushpynskyi. The villa is a striking example of late Secession style, featuring elements of folk ornamentation in its facade decoration. Notable decorative features include a roof turret (signturka) and a ceramic panel above the entrance.
Who Was the Owner?
After Roman Kovshevych’s death in 1932, the house was inherited by his son Bohdan.
What Does the House Look Like?
The building is a two-story brick house with plastered walls and a basement level. It has a nearly rectangular footprint and is covered with a steep, tiled, gable roof. Set back on a fenced plot with a brick gate and decorative wrought-iron fencing, the street-facing composition features two side projections (risalits) and a roof turret. The windows are both arched and rectangular. Decorative highlights of the main facade include a balcony balustrade between the projections and a ceramic ornamental panel. The walls are smooth and undecorated with stucco; the base is made of natural stone. The tall, four-sloped roof is topped in the center with an octagonal skylight lantern crowned by a small dome.
Interesting Facts
In 2019, instructors and students from the Ceramics Department of the Ivan Trush Lviv College of Decorative and Applied Arts restored the villa’s ceramic panel to its original appearance.
What Is There Now?
Today, the building is used as a residential house.
Sources
-
Description partially developed within the framework of the “Galiciana” project, 2001–2002, author: I. Zhuk
-
State Archives of the Lviv Region (DALO) 2/1/1743: 2–10
-
Lwów. Illustrated Guide (Lviv: Center of Europe, Wrocław: Via Nowa, 2001, pp. 214–215)
