Forgotten Galicia - Architecture Archives

Decorative Hangers in Lviv’s Courtyards

Areta — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 11:45:43 +0000

These intriguing metal fixtures are a common sight in many of Lviv’s courtyards. They are decorative hangers integrated into the ironwork of the galleries’ banisters. Historically, they served for drying, brushing, and airing out coats. Another theory suggests they may have been used for hanging plants or flowers. Similar hangers […]

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Architectural Celebration and Financial Security: How the Dnister Insurance Company Appeared in Lviv

Areta — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 12:05:00 +0000

From Lokalna Istoriya – text and photographs by Yuliya Korytska-Holub, original in Ukrainian The building of the Dnister Insurance Company, situated at the corner of Pidvalna and Ruska streets in Lviv, has been considered a gem of the city since its inception. Recent renovations have only heightened its elegance, though not without […]

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Memorial Cross on Bila Hora Honoring Leader of Literary Revival in Galicia Markiyan Shashkevych

Areta — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:20:36 +0000

On Bila Hora, in the village of Pidlyssia, Lviv region, stands a 25-meter-tall memorial cross dedicated to Markiyan Shashkevych, a renowned poet, writer, Greek Catholic priest, member of Ruska Triytsa (Ruthenian Triad), and co-author of the first Ukrainian-language almanac Rusalka Dnistrova. Shashkevych is often hailed as the “Builder (Budytel’) of […]

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‘Nie Zamykać’: A Reminder Not to Close the Door Behind You

Areta — Mon, 29 May 2023 15:55:06 +0000

Around Kraków, near the handles of old doors you can find signs asking you to “nie zamykać” (don’t close) the door. The reason is that the door had a special door closer – a mechanical device that automatically closed the door in a controlled manner. As such door closers were […]

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‘Obuwie Wycierać’: A Reminder to Keep Kraków’s Entryways Clean

Areta — Mon, 15 May 2023 07:21:35 +0000

In several of Kraków’s pre-WWII buildings, one can find inscriptions near the entrance asking those entering to “wipe your shoes” (“Uprasza się obuwie wycierać”). Maintaining a clean building would have been more difficult in those times as fewer streets were paved, making it muddier than today. There would have also […]

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Searching for Sunflowers in the Architecture of Lviv and Kraków

Areta — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 08:44:05 +0000

In the first couple months of the full-scale war (after being displaced from Lviv and living in Poland), searching for sunflowers in the architectural detail of Kraków became a way to soothe my soul, to find solidarity with Ukraine during those highly uncertain and volatile times. Each time I would […]

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Wartime Lviv in Photos: A Look at the Measures to Protect Citizens and Architectural Heritage

Areta — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 15:24:37 +0000

Today marks one year since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. One year since I packed a backpack and left for the Polish border, not knowing when or if I would ever return to my home in Lviv. So much can be said about the last year, the […]

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German-Era Bomb Shelter Signs in Kraków

Areta — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 06:58:00 +0000

One of the obsolete remnants of the past has again become relevant in Lviv is the WWII-era bomb shelter signs. Across the city traces of such signs from the times of the Nazi occupation can still be found. Soon after I arrived in Kraków (in late February 2022) I found […]

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Architectural Styles of Galician Railway Station Buildings (1856-1914)

Areta — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 15:34:17 +0000

A look at some of the different architectural styles used for passenger railway station buildings across Galicia, from the time of the first railway line (1856-1861) to World War I (1914). 1856-1861: The First Galician Railway | Gothic Revival Lviv’s very first railway station was constructed in 1861 for the […]

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Capturing Ternopil in its Historical Architectural Details

Areta — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 07:32:42 +0000

Architectural detail is found everywhere, from the defining shape of a doorknob and the waves created by a balustrade to the winding form of a staircase and the rounded culmination of a handrail. It is in these details that we can see the thoughtfulness, care, time, and skill that was […]

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