Kiev has always been known for its architectural sights. Unfortunately, many of them suffered during the Second World War and were irretrievably lost, however, among the surviving there are many objects that deserve attention. Among them is the House with chimeras.
Kiev in the beginning of the 20th century owed much of its architectural appearance to the creator and owner of this building - Vladislav Gorodetsky, who is also the author of the projects of the Kiev kenassa, the church of St. Nicholas and the building of the National Museum of Art.
Kiev, House with chimeras: the story of one dispute
Until 1900 in the area where today is the theater. Ivan Franko, was an extensive goat swamp. After it was drained by the decision of the city authorities, the land plots that were formed were allocated for the construction of public buildings, and the rest were auctioned to private individuals. A famous architect Vladislav Gorodetsky took part in one of these public tenders. To the surprise of his friends, he bought a cliff site very cheaply. Soon after, in one of Kiev's restaurants, Gorodetsky met with two colleagues: Vladimir Leontovich and Alexander Kobelev. During the conversation, he informed them of the purchase and that he intended to build a tenement house on the wasteland, using only cement and concrete. A dispute arose, because Leontovich and Kobelev did not believe that the acquired plot was suitable for construction, and the new construction materials at that time could generally be used as basic ones. Then Gorodetsky, who was considered an extremely gambling man, made a big bet with them and promised that in 2 years he would surprise Kiev.
The house with chimeras really began to be built on a slope next to the theater and only cement and concrete were used. Moreover, all work was carried out in record time. In particular, although construction began only in March, the external walls were finished by August 21, 1901, and the brickwork and roof were completed on September 13.
In less than two years, a construction appeared on the rejected site, called the House with Chimeras. Kiev, whose photo dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, often depicts this particular building, has acquired a new attraction.
Description
Are you going to Kiev? A house with chimeras is one of those attractions that you definitely need to visit.
The building was built in the Art Nouveau style, which was very fashionable in the early 20th century, and resembles a large cube. At the same time, from the side of Ivan Franko Square, the building has 6 floors, and from the side of Bankova Street - three. According to the architectural concept of that era, ceremonial, residential and utility rooms are isolated from each other.
External design
The exterior of the House with chimeras is the creation of the talented Italian sculptor Elio Sal, who used sketches of Gorodetsky himself, with whom he had a long-standing friendship. Researchers believe that the architect, who all his life wanted to go hunting in Africa, created an exterior resembling a mountain range characteristic of the Black Continent. At its top, according to the idea of Gorodetsky, there should have been a mountain lake and a waterfall, which depicted the steps of the main entrance.
To enhance the impression of being in Africa, concrete heads of giraffes, rhinos, lions, antelopes, crocodiles and other representatives of the African fauna were installed on the walls of the house. The roof was decorated with sea monsters, giant toads and Nereids, and downspouts disguised as elephant trunks were lowered from its corners to the sidewalks.
Floor plan
Many tourists claim that the first thing to visit when arriving in Kiev is a House with chimeras. The photos inside it taken and presented on advertising booklets are simply amazing, what can we say about reality.
The living quarters in the building are fan-shaped, which allows maximum use of natural light.
Initially, on the ground floor of the House with chimeras there were two stables, a laundry room, which the servants of all tenants could use, two rooms for the groom and 2 apartments for rent. Each of them, except the bedroom and living room, had an entrance hall, kitchen, bathroom and pantry.
On the remaining floors there was one spacious apartment. They provided rooms for servants, several toilets and two pantries.
The best apartments, consisting of 13 rooms, which were located on the fourth floor, belonged to Gorodetsky himself and his family. Another similar apartment was a floor above and was rented out.
In relation to his tenants, Gorodetsky was a caring and hospitable host. He wanted to supply his tenants with fresh milk in the morning, so a small barn was located in the house. It was designed so that the smell does not penetrate the apartments.
Interiors
The interior design of the house was a continuation of the external. According to experts, the architect’s idea was as follows: opening the front door, the visitor had to get into the lobby of the house, decorated as the bottom of an African lake. Such an association should have been created by the image of an octopus descending from the ceiling, and fish, the image of which was everywhere.
The interiors of the house are also decorated with stained-glass windows on hunting themes, painting and stucco molding. Even wall lamps have the shape of flowers, and the floor lamp in the hall resembles the tails of fish intertwined with lotuses and algae.
The fate of the building
Gorodetsky was an extraordinary person. His passion was hunting, to which he devoted all his free time. Shortly after completing the construction of the house, the architect realized his old dream and went on a safari to Africa. On this trip, he not only spent all his savings, but also owed debt to creditors. Upon returning to Kiev, he had to lay his brainchild, and a little later he was sold at auction. According to legend, Gorodetsky cursed the future owners of the building, as with a heavy heart he parted with the house where he dreamed of living until the end of his days.
The new owner of the building was Daniil Balakhovsky, who served at the French Consulate. However, he did not stay in this capacity for long, and soon sold the house to Samuel Nimets.
The history of the house after 1917
The October Revolution brought great changes to the life of the city. In particular, the process of nationalization of private buildings began, including those that Kiev was proud of. A house with chimeras was among them and was turned into a large communal apartment.
In 1921, the headquarters of the logging squad was placed there, and later - the Veterinary Department of the Kiev HE.
The house with chimeras in Kiev, tours of the halls of which are very popular with tourists, was badly damaged during the Second World War. After the Nazis were expelled from Kiev, he remained abandoned for some time, and then he was somehow repaired and given housing for actors who served in the I. Franko Theater.
In the late 1960s, the Central Committee of the Communist Party found a new use for the House of Chimeras - they began to use it as, as they would say today, an elite clinic for the party elite of Ukraine.
The building was owned by the Ministry of Health of the Ukrainian SSR until the collapse of the USSR, after which the departmental clinic was closed, and the future of the building was in jeopardy.
Building condition by the beginning of the 1990s
For its more than a thousand-year history, what kind of architectural monuments did Kiev lose! A house with chimeras could comprehend the same. By the beginning of the 90s, the construction piles ceased to fulfill the supporting function, and at the joints of the tape and pile foundations, the house split into 2 parts. One of them leaned toward the presidential residence by 33 cm, and the other towards the Ivan Franko Theater by 10 cm. It became obvious that urgent measures were needed to reconstruct, otherwise the next generation of residents of the capital of Ukraine would not see the House with chimeras. Kiev will lose one of its main attractions, and architectural students will study it only from photographs.
In 1998, the Research Institute for Restoration developed a project for the restoration of the building, but its implementation had to be postponed for some time.
Reconstruction
The project for the restoration of the House with chimeras was approved by the Government of Ukraine in 2003. During the restoration work, the workers removed the earth, strengthened the foundation, and restored the interiors of the rooms and wall paintings.
However, they had to face many difficulties. In particular, it was impossible to straighten the house, the slope of which towards the Bank restorers was more than 30 cm, so this required the performance of work, which meant the reconstruction of the structure, and contrary to the principles of restoration. In this regard, I even had to install curved window frames.
Not only was the House equipped with chimeras inside, work was also done to restore objects located on the passing territory, such as an artificial lake, a garden with a beautiful alpine hill and fountains.
How is used today
Immediately after completion of reconstruction, in November 2004, a cultural center was opened in the building. At the same time, floors 3 through 5 were converted and converted into premises for official events. In particular, today in the House with Chimeras there are halls where ceremonies for presenting credentials by ambassadors, briefings, face-to-face talks are held, and there are rooms for ceremonial receptions. In addition, on the first floors are the offices of the presidential secretariat and the state protocol.
Kiev, House with chimeras: tours
Although the building is today used for official events, visitors are allowed to attend certain conditions.
At any time of the year there are many who want to see this attraction, including foreigners and those who first arrived in Kiev. A house with chimeras, an excursion inside which is carried out only for organized groups, can be visited if you have a passport in hand. It should be remembered that photo and video shooting inside the building is prohibited.
Usually, a building inspection is combined with a visit to the Pechersk mansions of the same period, located nearby.
Standard excursions to the House with chimeras take about 1 hour. As a rule, they are organized on Saturdays, and the tourist group can only be reached by appointment. At the same time, the approximate cost of visiting this attraction is 230 hryvnias (about 700 rubles).
House with chimeras, Kiev: address and how to get
This famous attraction of the capital of Ukraine is located on the street. Bank (building 10). You can get there by metro to the Khreshchatyk station with access to Institutskaya Street. Then you should go to the street Bankova. You can also get off at the Khreshchatyk metro station with access to Gorodetsky Street, go through I. Franko Square, past the theater, and climb up.
Now you know where the House with Chimeras (Kiev) is located, how to get there, you also know, therefore, once in the capital of Ukraine, you can easily find this amazing attraction.