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Forgotten Galicia

Forgotten Galicia

Remnants of the past found in Lviv, Galicia & the former Austrian Empire

Tag: folk architecture

The Wooden Greek Catholic Churches of the Galician Lemko Region

January 18, 2020

The Lemkos and Their Fate The Lemkos are an ethnic group who historically inhabited the mountain valleys and foothills of the Carpathians in a region (called Lemkovyna or Lemkivshchyna) that today stretches along the border between Poland and Slovakia covering some western territories in Ukraine. The area that today belongs […]

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November 28, 2018

Traces of Zakopane Style Architecture in Lviv

At the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Art Nouveau spread across Europe and the United States. In the Austrian Empire the new art movement was called the Secession Style. The transition from historicism to modernism—which took place during this period as part of the struggle against academic art—chronologically […]

October 22, 2018

A Protection Symbol for the Home: The Six-Petal Rosette оn the Crossbeams of Galicia

The Six-Petal Rosette The six-petal rosette (also known as a hexafoil), the flower-like symbol created by overlapping seven circles, as well as the expanded variants with 7 interlocking rosettes and 19 interlocking rosettes (the latter is called the “Flower of Life” in the New Age movement), is an ancient symbol […]

Forgotten Galicia

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Kraków Hotel (today the Court of Appeal of the Lv Kraków Hotel (today the Court of Appeal of the Lviv Region) was built in 1913. Based on the first-prize-winning design by Henryk Zaremba and Rudolf Matsura, the final project for the hotel was developed by architect Michał Łużecki. At the time of its construction, it was one of the largest and most modern hotels in the city, combining Secession style with elements of the Renaissance and Gothic.

The stairwell features stained-glass windows created by the S.G. Żeleński stained glass workshop in Kraków in the Secession style (Art Nouveau). Today, the stained-glass windows on the top two floors are boarded up from the outside to protect them from bomb blasts. The window on the second floor has the S.G. Żeleński inscription. 

Other historical inscriptions in the main vestibule and stairwell include the Bracia Mund company mark on the black and white tiles, which they supplied, and the Polish inscription "szatnia," which is still etched above the door to the former cloakroom.

#stainedglasswindows #sgżeleński #archidetails #archilovers #tileaddiction #staircase #lviv
A new observation deck has recently opened in one A new observation deck has recently opened in one of the towers of the Lviv Organ Hall (@lvivorgan), a concert venue housed in the former Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary Magdalene, which dates back to the 17th century

#lviv #lwów #oldchurches #organhall #cityview #architecturalheritage #ukraine
Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Bless Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pidtemne. The wooden church was built in 1900 on the site of an earlier, also wooden, church.
An abandoned Roman Catholic church in Pidtemne (Po An abandoned Roman Catholic church in Pidtemne (Podciemno), built in the 1930s in the functionalist style, a variant of modernism. Characteristic features of this style, visible here, include simple geometric forms, minimal ornamentation, and an asymmetrical composition. Other distinctive elements are the round porthole windows and sections of exposed red brick.

Most likely the church was never fully outfitted or consecrated. After the resettlement of the Polish parishioners to Poland in 1946, the chapel was closed and later repurposed as a village club. Today, it stands empty, though its overall condition remains relatively sound. In recent years, crosses have even been reinstalled on the chapel.
Historically, coat hangers (for drying, brushing, Historically, coat hangers (for drying, brushing, and airing them out) were often integrated into the ironwork of gallery banisters across Lviv’s courtyards. While most feature simple, curved designs, here is a unique example in which the coat hangers take on the shape of a menorah. As we can see here, nowadays these fixtures are sometimes used as plant hangers.
Additionally, this courtyard retains traces of an old coal lift, a feature originally included in the building’s plans.
#lookup #courtyards #lviv #lookup #courtyards #lviv
The striking stairwell in a late Secession buildin The striking stairwell in a late Secession building designed by architects Józef Sosnowski and Alfred Zachariewicz in 1910.
When architecture poses a threat Sadly, some of L When architecture poses a threat

Sadly, some of Lviv’s historic buildings have fallen into disrepair—crumbling facades, unstable balconies, and falling plaster all pose dangers to those passing by. Makeshift warning signs serve as reminders that even beautiful architecture can become hazardous when neglected.

Yet amid numerous hardships Ukraine faces, in particular the ongoing war, restoration efforts continue, and progress is being made to preserve and revive Lviv’s architectural heritage. The need to safeguard our historical buildings remains as urgent as ever.
In addition to the beautifully painted walls and c In addition to the beautifully painted walls and ceiling, the entrance hall in the Secession style building I posted about yesterday features elegant tiles and even an indoor boot scraper—a rare find indoors. At the very bottom of the first picture you can see a top view of this once-essential shoe cleaner.

#tilefloor #tileaddiction #tiledesign #antiquetiles #floortiles #archidetails #bootscraper #bootscrapers #lviv
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