Ein Haus mit Türmchen: Eine fast mystische Geschichte5 Fotos

Sumskaya Street 3 – every inhabitant of Kharkiv has passed by this small house at least once in their life. This cozy two-story building, with its subdued reddish color and white trim, is nestled between two enormous gray structures: the former Northern Bank and the former “Amper” cinema.

\r\n

Local residents tell stories about a barbershop with a fanciful name, “Ivan da Maria”; about the neon-signs of the “Theatralny” restaurant attracting theatergoers after performances; about the photo studio “Youth”, whose portraits were considered the best in Kharkiv. Having a portrait taken there was considered a sign of prestige. However, these are just the superficial aspects of this building’s story.

\r\n

In fact, this building has a rather unusual history behind it. Its elegant turret, the decorative elements on its facade, and the refined style of its architecture reflect the influence of the French Renaissance. Its creator, the Dane Johann Emil Otto Ginz, was known in Kharkiv as Ivan Petrovich. After graduating from the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1865, he worked as an architect at the university and designed buildings in the Eclectic style – which combined elements from various architectural traditions. His work includes the 3rd Men’s Gymnasium on Gogol Street and the residential building on Moskalivka Street, which later became Professor Girschman’s first eye clinic.

\r\n

Ginz also built a mansion for Professor Girschman himself in Sorochinskaya Street and later designed a residence for Maximilian Helferich, the co-owner of the “Helferich-Sade” factory, at 70 Pushkinskaya Street. In 1875, he designed a house for the merchant P.I. Muravyev on Sumskaya Street. This type of building – with shops on the ground floor and residential spaces above – was common among Kharkiv merchants at that time. For Muravyev, however, Ginz created a particularly elaborate design: the basement was used for storage, the first floor served as a shop, and the second floor housed the family living area.

\r\n

Unfortunately, Ginz never saw this house in its final form. He fell seriously ill in the late 1890s and died of heart failure in 1902. By that time, only the photo studio had been completed; the second floor was still unfinished. It is unknown who was responsible for the subsequent renovations. In 1915, during the war with Germany, the owner of the building, K. Klecker, was exiled to a remote province; the house itself was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Kharkiv and Poltava governorates. Later, a serious fire destroyed much of the interior of the building.

\r\n

In 2007, the 150th anniversary of Alfred Fedetsky’s birth was celebrated. During the preparations for this event, the idea of installing a memorial plaque on the building at Sumskaya Street 3 was proposed, and in 2013 such a plaque was indeed installed.

\r\n
\n>(Materials used include the comprehensive research report prepared by M. and Y. Khoroshenko under the guidance of V.M. Lopatyk.)