#### Construction Boom 100 Years Ago5 photos

#### Construction Boom 100 Years Ago In the spring of 1913, the number of beggars on the streets of Kharkov noticeably decreased. This fact was noted by the local newspapers. But where had all the local beggars gone? They had left their usual spots and moved... to the construction sites. 100 years ago, Kharkov was experiencing a genuine construction boom. The construction frenzy in Kharkov began several years before World War I. Year after year, the number of buildings under construction increased: in 1908, the city authorities issued 417 construction permits; in 1909, this number rose to 498; in 1910, it was 609; in 1911, 738; and in 912, the number of permits reached 822. Each subsequent month set a new record. With each new building season, more and more people decided to engage in construction activities. Here are some additional figures: in the first three months of 1912, the city authorities approved the construction of 159 buildings; in the same period of 1913, this number increased to 208. Kharkov’s skyscrapers As buildings became larger and taller, newspapers began to frequently mention the emergence of skyscrapers in the city. Although the tallest of them did not exceed six floors, it is important to remember that for the first time in 250 years, Kharkov – which had previously consisted mainly of one- and two-story buildings – began to develop into a modern urban landscape. Therefore, it is easy to understand why our predecessors were so amazed by these five- and six-story giants. Among the most impressive structures were the new building of the Merchant Bank, along with the “Asteria” hotel located on the Trade Square (now Rosa Luxembourg Square); this building was often referred to as the “Melody House” due to a famous shop located there. Another notable landmark was the medical society’s building at 14 Pushkin Street (now the I.I. Mechnikov Institute of Microbiology and Immunology). The Merchant Bank opened its doors on Christmas Eve 1912, and in March 1913, the “Asteria” hotel was inaugurated there. According to newspaper reports, the hotel was equipped with all the most modern conveniences: water supply, bathtubs, sewer system, telephones, and even two elevators. ### Residential Buildings Of course, the majority of buildings constructed in Kharkov were residential ones. Construction activities were intense throughout the city – from the outskirts, such as Moskaliovka, Ivanovka, and the areas around Chobotarskaya and Yaroslavskaya streets, to the center of the city, including areas along Sumskaya and Pushkin Street, extending all the way to the current Gorky Park. Even the newly established streets east of Pushkin Street, in the direction of Zhuravlёvskiy Slope, were developed at this time. The 1910s were a golden age for construction in Kharkov. Architects whose names became synonymous with the city’s architectural heritage included Beketov, Velichko, Korneenko, Zagoskin, Ginzburg, Zaune, Estrovic, Pokrovsky, Dikansky, Gorohov, and Rzepishevsky. The popularity of so-called “company houses” was closely linked to the name Alexander Ivanovich Rzepishevsky. Before this type of housing development emerged, residential buildings usually belonged to a specific owner who would sell or rent out the apartments within his property. Apartments were extremely expensive. Not everyone could afford to even rent a decent one, let alone own one. In Kharkov, the annual rent for a furnished apartment with basic amenities cost around 300–350 rubles, depending on its location. In terms of housing prices, Kharkov ranked third behind Petersburg and Moscow. In the early 20th century, the idea of building residential buildings using shared funds – that is, with the investors contributing their own money to build the houses and then living in the apartments they purchased – emerged. This concept was put into practice by Rzepishevsky in Kharkov. Rzepishevsky was not the originator of this idea. The first “company house” in Kharkov was built at the end of the summer of 1910. The initiative came from a man named Lubarsky, who convinced eight partners to support this project. This four-story building still stands today; it is located at number 4 on Chernyshevskaya Street. Unfortunately, the sign that read “First Company House” once hung on this building 100 years ago has been lost over time. A year later, several housing construction societies had already emerged in Kharkov. One of them built a five-story building at the corner of Pushkin Street and Skrypnitskaya Street (now Vorobiova Street). The society was led by P.V. Markin, V.N. Abramov, and the military engineer V.M. Vitaliev. The building contained 20 apartments, and according to the founders’ calculations, the apartment owners saved between 40.6% and 55.2% on housing costs compared to renting. owning their property meant significant savings for them. This building still exists today, although it has undergone considerable renovations during the Soviet period. In early 1913, another cooperative housing organization, the “Kharkov Society for Permanent Apartments,” was established under the leadership of architect Rzepishevsky. He had come to Kharkov from Petersburg specifically to work on the construction of the Merchant Bank building and stayed there afterward. The first residential building of the “company house” type that Rzepishevsky designed and built was located at 19 Rymarskaya Street. This building was significantly larger than previous ones; it contained 50 apartments, each with 2 to 8 rooms. The initial cost of construction was estimated at 656,949 rubles. Members of the society were required to pay 40% of the total cost upfront, while the remaining 60% was to be paid in installments. The owners were expected to earn a profit of around 15% on this investment. This was a considerable return, considering that at that time, an apartment with 6 rooms, equipped with hot and cold water, central heating, and modern conveniences, was available for purchase in this area for 1600 rubles per year. Source: vk.cc/1urHsi Philip Dikansky #1solica_history