House with Chimeras

Address: Str. 10 Bankova

Attractions in Kiev, House with ChimerasGetting there: to get on the subway to the station. Khreshchatyk with access to the street. Institutskaya, then go up to the street Bankova, go to the station. Kreshchatik (Gorodetsky) and go on the street. Gorodetsky, Ivan Franko across the square, past the theater. Franco's up.

There is a unique home in Kiev, which had heard, probably all - "The House with Chimeras." This architect Vladislav Gorodetsky's house, built in the early twentieth century (1901-1902 gg.).

It is located in the city center, on ul.Bankovoy, 10, in front of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. It was originally conceived as a house and tenement house Gorodetsky (ie, the owner rents comfortable apartments for rent), after the revolution and before the war, it was communal (you imagine - to live in this house!), Then he became the hospital of the Central Committee Communist Party, and is now the residence of the small tricks of the President.

What is interesting for this home?

When in 1891 an ambitious but as yet unknown graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, Vladislav Gorodetsky came to Kiev, no one guessed how soon it will change the city.



Money was a little familiar - the same as an intern and take any orders. But soon he was really lucky - both ambitious and creative order - the creation of the Municipal Museum of Antiquities and Arts (St. Grushevskogo 6). Soon the area decorated building, resembling an ancient temple, - Doric colonnade, portico and two huge lions on each side of the stone stairs. Then very few people knew what a magnificent facade of the architect had to "close" the lack of construction budget: Society of Friends of antiquities collected only half the required amount.

At the same time Gorodetsky implemented the other project - Karaite kenasa on the street. Yaroslav Val 7, you can enjoy today. Karaites - a small nation with peculiar beliefs, in which there are elements of Judaism, Islam and other religions. Now here is the actor's house.



Roman Catholics who lived in Kiev, also needed a new church - the old could no longer accommodate all the parishioners. Created Gorodetsky church of St. Nicholas on the street. Big Vasylkivska (now Krasnoarmeyskaya) hit the public - it was the first building constructed of concrete, and the thickness of the vaults in places was only about 8 cm



Talent, not all young professionals recognized at once, because the museum and the church began to create other architects, but he was just finishing them. To permanently stop the unwanted calls and to verify your professional experience, Vladislav Gorodetsky decides to build a house for himself, but one that will shake the people's imagination and make them admire the skill of the architect. For this purpose it was necessary to turn the existing concepts of construction technology and the laws of architecture.

The beginning was impressive: Gorodetsky has chosen, according to contemporaries, to be extremely unfortunate place - a steep and inconvenient interruption of one of the hills in Pechersk. "But you, sir, is mad. Only a madman could come up with this idea, "- he was perplexed Kiev architect Alexander males. It was a bet, and after two years Gorodetsky proudly showed the astonished colleagues his house.



For the strength of the building placed on the printed pile (at the time it was a revolutionary technology), with the street. Bankova Street, it had three floors of the theater - 6. Planned as a profitable (the owner lived on the first floor), the house consisted of an ice room, crew compartment, the luxurious rooms with fireplaces, bedrooms, a separate staircase for the servants and even a barn - the architect saw fit to drink fresh milk guests. Monsters, clinging to the facade and roof, painted himself Vladislav Gorodetsky, then they are cast in concrete in a sculpture studio of the famous Salle. Inside the house was decorated with numerous trophies.



Perhaps no less architectural masterpieces of the architect shook his contemporaries love to hunt. When you have finished building and enjoying well-deserved triumph, he goes to Africa - on safari. Hunting lions, crocodiles and gazelles - fun, not cheap, and in our days, and during the few months Gorodetsky on another continent were worth a fortune. Not surprisingly, he returned to Kiev, he lays the property. Forced to pressure lenders to part with her beloved home, the architect leaves him, and wished the new owners all sorts of trouble.

Since then, the owners of the House with Chimeras are constantly changing. First he bought a French consular agent, then he moved on to the public sugar factories, and then - to Mr. S. German. In 1912 there was located the headquarters of the military and labor squads, later - the polyclinic № 1. Over time, the house was split in half - width of the crack was 40 cm, "It was a miracle that he survived - says Vadim Ilchenko, the architect of the House with Chimeras restorers. - The building stood on stilts, and a hundred years they have lost their load-bearing function. Designers had to re-create it under the pile field. "



The interior of a strange home for a long time, too, were affected. In 2002 at the initiative of President of Ukraine began its restoration. The building is going to be used for the reception of foreign ambassadors, and in the days off - to conduct tours. But the restoration work was completed just in October 2004 and the plans could not be realized. The newly elected President it is also not settled, although very much wanted. Mystery, and only.

Gorodetsky nowhere else repeated this interior: no stair baluster legs in the form of an eagle, not a ceiling, decorated with pineapples, or lounge in the image of the marine realm with a huge octopus and pearl shells. This octopus is still astounds scientists - even the seemingly fragile shells are made of concrete, which is subsequently coated with nacre. "The merit of Natalia Kosenko, head of the group of restorers, that she offered to restore the interior color scheme - says Vadim Ilchenko. - As a result, it became the way it was when Gorodetsky. And now the main staircase is decorated with the image of ghazals - drawings of the architect moved to the wall in the form of murals. "

Art historians, architects, real estate professionals still do not know what style to include the works of Vladislav Gorodetsky. They are eclectic in their most visible elements of Art Nouveau and Gothic.

Another interesting house, built by the architect, is located on the street. Oles Gonchar, 33. It can not fail to notice - the top looks a stone lion, and the entrance to the yard a beautiful iron gate shut. "This is a copy of the gate of one of the mansions in Paris - says Vadim Ilchenko. - No wonder they liked Gorodetsky, as France - the birthplace of Art Nouveau. "

After the start of the 1917 revolution in Iran Gorodetsky left to continue to do what he likes and then decorate the distant Persian country for its architectural creations. He never returned to Kiev, but the grateful residents named in his honor the street - this is the talented architect architecture made of a mysterious and unique.

Going through the passage towards Lipki, you're sure to see it: a man with a hat sat at a table, picked up his cup of coffee and forever frozen in bronze. Gorodetsky has left the people of Kiev is not only an amazing building, but a lot of mysteries. Which architectural style include the Church of St. Nicholas with pointed towers and angels, if from a distance it resembles a sand castle? Why smiling frog on the front of the concrete house with chimeras, and in the stone women on their heads instead of hair - flowers and chains? And for whatever reason, a strange, chopped in half a house, now the second century stands proudly on the hill Caves, a single guest does not admit to themselves for long? Bronze architect just smiles enigmatically - guess yourself ...

Legends and Myths:

Residents of Kiev and the guides have come up with a romantic and tragic story of this amazing house. They said Gorodetsky built this house in memory of his daughter, who drowned in the river (in another version - in the Mediterranean) or from an unhappy love affair, or because of turmoil in family life. That is, they say, distraught father, and erected this tomb. Although, in fact the daughter of Gorodetsky lived a long life, waiting for grandchildren.

The most scandalous myth says that the author of the project is not Gorodetsky, and engineer Nikolai Dobachevsky. But there is no evidence of this. All drawings are signed by Gorodetsky, who has announced himself as the original and the original architect, in his earlier works.

Next to the monument are these apartments for rent in Kiev:

One bedroom apartment for rent in Kiev center code 212 ~ 3 minutes walk

One-bedroom luxury flat for rent in Kiev center code 202 ~ 12 minute walk

One bedroom spacious apartment for rent in Kiev center code 203 ~ 15 minute walk

Here you can choose apartments in Kiev center http://rentapartment.kiev.ua