Secrets of Pechersk’ mansions

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Kyiv is rich in places of interest. When reading this article you will discover where Chocolate House and Gingerbread House are located, you will hear legends of the House of the Weeping Widow. We offer you to enjoy one of the oldest and richest districts of the capital of Ukraine. At the beginning of the last century, Pechersk was considered a prestigious part of the city. Aristocrats, bankers, merchants lived there.

Our route goes along the mansions created in the 19th – 20th centuries for famous people of those times.

It is in Pechersk district of Kyiv, almost two centuries ago, the building of the National Bank of Ukraine was built. At that time it was the office of the State Bank of Russia. A large four-story building was designed with luxury and pretentiousness lines typical for those times.

A few minutes walking from the majestic building of the bank, the mysterious House with Chimaeras is located.

This mansion was built by the distinguished figure in architecture – Władysław Horodecki. He was fond of hunting and wanted to go on safari in Africa. His dreams were brought to life when designing the house. Its walls are decorated with sculptures of elephants, gazelles, rhinos and other exotic animals. On the roof you can see fish, dragons and even sea monsters.

Of course, many stories about the House with Chimaeras and its creator are told, but there is another, more mysterious, building in Kyiv – House of the Weeping Widow, which holds occults within itself.

The mansion was built for a wealthy merchant Serhiy Arshavskyi. Its architecture is asymmetrical and the facade is decorated with the face of a beautiful woman. In a rainy day it becomes a sad face, with traces of tears. Historians still argue about who exactly was depicted on the facade of the house and why.

At the corner of Bankova Street and Instytutska Street, Liberman Mansion can be seen. For its unusual shape it is often referred to as a Gingerbread House – you might feel yourself as in a fairy tale. Not far from here there is another unusual creation – Chocolate House, a mansion of the rich timber merchant and philanthropist Semen Mogilevtsev.

The building was named this way for its appetizing colour and patterns, which from away resembles a huge chocolate cake. By the way, the house is open to visitors, a tour costs about 20 UAH.

Nikolai Kovalevsky Mansion is in stark contrast to the buildings mentioned above. It was built in the Romanesque style and resembles a medieval castle. Its architecture perfectly combines elements of Renaissance and the Arabic style.

Another unique building created in the Gothic style, which is not typical for Kyiv architecture, is Iskul-Hildenbrand House.

It is decorated with a variety of spires, arches and towers. Another family estate is located nearby the Gothic mansion of Hildenbrand. In Pechersk district, you can see Uvarova Mansion, which belonged to a countess of the aristocratic dynasty. High social status of the family is reflected in the luxurious decoration of the house. Today the building houses the Ukrainian Culture Fund.

These unusual mansions decorate historic centre of Kyiv. A walk in Pechersk district will give you lot of impressions and help to discover new pages in the history of the ancient city through the fate of its citizens.