Historic and Architectural Lviv, Page 3

The Renaissance architecture of Lviv is supplemented with two more masterpieces: the Chapel of Kapyans (1619) and the Chapel of Boims (1609-1617). These used to serve as mausoleums of their kind burial vaults for the rich city citizens. The chapels impress with the variety of sculptures, stone carving, relieves, detailed Evangelic scenes. The Chapel of Boims is decorated with carvings on white stone representing the history of Christs sufferings. The chapel is crowned with a cupola with a figure of sitting Jesus Christ in the Gethsemane.

The Kapians Chapel is decorated from outside with carved plates, also depicting Evangelic scenes. Fresco portraying Mary with Christ adorns the eastern side of the chapel. Busts of Paul and Martin Capians are located inside.

Beginning with the 30-ies of the 17th up to the second half of the 18th century Baroque shapes dominate in Lviv architecture. Jesuits church became the first baroque building in Lviv (1610-1630). It is one of the largest temples in Lviv. The thick walls of the church used to harbor the Jesuits Collegium, and later the Academy. St. Maria Church was kept in the same style, constructed for the Barefooted Carmelites nunnery.

Construction works reaches its heyday in the first half of the 17th century. For the most part these are suburban buildings. In 1615-1639 St. Magdalena wooden church was substituted by its stone descendant an explicit example of the early XVII century baroque. Today the church serves as a concert hall of chamber and organ music. In the vicinity of St. Magdalena Church you can find St. Lazarus Church. Deprived of redundant decorations, strict in its simplicity, the church resembles a fortress.

Ukrainian brotherhoods slow down their construction works in the first half of the 17th century. However, in the face of the Liberation War of the Ukrainian people a building was erected to become the true decoration of Pidzamche, a pearl of Lviv architecture. This is Pyatnytska Church, which was built in 1643-1644 at the place of the old 13th century church at the cost of Moldavian voevodes.It was erected by the Ukrainian brotherhood at the place of the old 13th century church. The interior contains an icon wall which is considered to be a unique monument of the Ukrainian art. It belongs to the brush and chisel of Lviv painters and wood carvers and consists of seventy icons. It is a vivid combination of fine art and decorative carving.

Another interesting architectural ensemble arises as the Benedictines Nunnery, which was laid down in 1595. Situated behind the city walls, the church with the nunnery have shaped a separate defense structure.

The Bernadine Monastery complex (today St. Andrew Pervozvannyy Church) used to make a separate fortification unit consisting of the church, the monastery buildings, the bell tower, the rotunda over the well, defense walls and the decorative column. It used to be located behind the city walls and had independent defense fortifications, the relics of which have preserved till nowadays. The Bernardine Monastery is an example of the 17th centuries Renaissance architecture.

The second half of the 17th century was overfilled with dramatic events battles, sieges. Only a few simple churches arose, among which are St. Kazimierz Church and St. Laurence Church. Peter and Paul Church was built in 1660 as a wayside chapel with a baroque façade and a gothic tower. The church had its own monastery.

Among the unique monuments of late baroque architecture of XVIII c. one should mention St. George Cathedral and the Dominican Cathedral which stand out in their magnitude and beauty. It is in these two masterpieces that Lviv architecture reached its height.

St. George Cathedral was built in the 18th century in the flavor of the Byzantine tradition. The ensemble contains the church, the bell tower, the capital, the Metropolitan chambers and the garden. None of the city buildings has got this combination of decorative carving and architecture. Particularly picturesque is the terrace surrounding the church. This is the basic sanctuary of the Greek-Catholic Church, the residence of its Metropolitans. It is here that Sylvester Sembratovych, Andrey Sheptytskyy, Yosyf Slipyi, Myroslav-Ivan Lyubachivskyy would conduct Holy Services. The metropolitan rooms used to serve as a rest place for Joan Paul II, the Roman Pope, during his visit to Lviv in 2001.

In 1772 Lviv was rendered a part of the Austro Hungarian Empire and within one and a half centuries completed another page in its history, architecture, and culture.

Fortifications lost their defensive character. The gates were pulled down, fortifications and defense towers dismantled. The Austrian epoch represents construction of living quarters, administrative and social buildings.

Beginning with the 1780-ies and well into the middle of the 19th century Lviv architecture takes the direction of classicism. Classic style is brought to Lviv from the central Europe. Its characteristic representative is building No.4 in Krakivska Street. Classicism lasted into Empire style which told on decorative motifs on the buildings façades in Krakivska, Virmenska, and Teatralna streets. In Virmenska street you will find some unique Empire relieves decorating buildings No. 21, 23 (frieze with star signs, scenes Seasons etc.). The most perfect monuments of Classicism are represented by the building of the Scientific Library in Stefanyka Street, the Natural History Museum, new Town Hall building, and the Potocki Palace. The Potocki Palace was originally built by the Potocki family on the marshland as a hunting house. Classicism culminates in the building of the Ukrainian Drama Theatre named after M. Zankovetska.

The architecture of the first half of the 19th century was characterized by the congruity of style, harmonious combination of constructive shapes and sculpture. This kind of style integrity was not any longer typical of the second half of this century.

In the end of the first half of the 19th century Classicism in the architecture comes to its end and gives a rise to clecticism. It lasted well into the late 19th century and left tangible traces in the city architecture. Eclecticism extensively employed Gothicism, Renaissance, and other styles. The imitation of the architecture of the past in combination with freshmeans resulted in vivid examples of that epoch. Some beautiful samples to mention here are the core buildings of the National University Lviv Polytechnics, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ivan Franko Opera and Ballet Theater. The pediment of the National University Lviv Polytechnics is decorated with an allegoric group symbols of engineering, construction, and mechanics. Particularly lofty looks the central building façade of the Ivan Franko National University, which is decorated with allegoric figures of Halychyna, the Dniester, the Vistula, the Education, and the Labour. The House of Scholars (former casino) was constructed in 1898 to keep up the late Baroque tradition.
The Opera House is built next to the Poltva river bed. This location was dictated by the architectural ensemble. This building is a mixture of various architectural styles of European countries. The theatre building is rich in the Renaissance and Baroque imagery, copper figures it abounds in statues and paintings. The façade is adorned with the figures of Comedy and Tragedy.
tectural styles of European countries. The theatre building is rich in the Renaissance and Baroque imagery, it abounds in statues and paintings. The façade is adorned with the figures of Comedy and Tragedy. The pediment is crowned with three winged copper figures: Glory, in the center, with an olive branch, the Genius of drama and comedy on her left, and the Genius of music on her right. The interior is decorated with multicolor marble, gilding, wall paintings, and sculpture. A decorative curtain called Parnassus is a pride of the stage.

Characteristic monuments of Lviv architecture of The Cupola of the Museum of the late 19th century are buildings in Svobody Avenue. Ethnography and Art Crafts The Museum of Ethnography and Art Crafts was built building in 1891. You will see a well-known sculpture group symbolizing the heyday of Halychyna, right at the façade top, next to the cupola. The former Sapyehs Palace is built in French Baroque style (today it is occupied by the regional society of monuments protection).

The George Hotel building is built in Renaissance style in 1901. Its sculptural decorations include allegoric figures symbolizing Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. The façade is crowned with St. George killing the dragon bas-relief.

The Main Railway Station of Lviv was constructed in 1904. The central entrance niches hide the statues symbolizing industry and commerce.

Old style following got widely spread in Lviv. As a representative on the neo-gothic style St. Elizabeth church was built early in the 20th century (Pryvokzalna square) to recreate the gothic purity and convey its character.

Out of all eclectic buildings one should mention the Transfiguration church. It was built in 1900 on the foundation of the former Trinitarian monastery of the 17th18th centuries in the spirit of the Ukrainian national traditions.

The 20th century architecture shows vivid attraction to fresh styles Modern and Constructivism. In Lviv this style received a particular Vienna flavor of the so-called Secession. This style got expressed in the Philharmonic building with secession elements on the façade and in the concert hall. Modern principles were intertwined with folk art elements, folk ornaments were introduced into façade decoration. Such is the case with insurance societys building Dnister, the scientific library, the M. Lysenko Higher Musical Institute (present building of the musical college), the House for the Ukrainian Pedagogic Society (present building of the Forestry Engineering University of Lviv).

Lviv historical and architectural monuments make a group of unique masterpieces of Lviv architecture. Though they were built by non-native architects who brought some set traditions of the construction culture, they still attained typical Lviv character. You may try as you might and trace analogies with the European architecture, you will hardly find any exact one. The art of architecture has always been highly developed in Lviv. It would elaborate its own stylistic features which firmly incorporated traditions of the Old Rus and the beautiful art of folk architects of Halychyna.

Year by year Lviv is growing, expanding beyond its suburbs, reaching the sky with high-rise buildings. Time opens wide prospects facing the city, brings fresh changes for the better. While building new things, lvivites strive to preserve the best things left by the centuries and past generations. First of all, these are architectural monuments, artistic heritage of the human genius which imparts a particular hint to the city, charging it with original and unique beauty.