[club1543502|The Golden Fish House or<br>The Second Kharkiv House with Chimeras] <br>(located to the right of the theater named after him.)3 photos

Shevchenko… The second building in Kharkov featuring such fantastical decorations is the so-called “House of the Golden Fish” (translation by Grabovsky, No. 4), which was constructed in the 1910s according to a design by the renowned Kharkiv engineer and architect A.M. Ginzburg, in collaboration with I. Zagoskin. Interestingly, A. Ginzburg employed an innovative technique at that time—using reinforced concrete structures that were stylistically adapted to resemble golden fish. The upper part of the facade, immediately below the roof, is decorated with numerous Star of David motifs. This building housed Ginzburg’s construction firm, named “Reinforced Concrete,” and on the first floor there was a shop that sold live fish. It is a four-story building in the Art Nouveau style, typical of buildings featuring such imaginative decorations—its facade is adorned with intricate sculptural reliefs depicting fish, tritons, and salamanders. The concrete supports holding up the wide eaves are also shaped like golden fish. Due to the prevalence of these fish-themed elements, the public has come to call this mansion “The House of the Golden Fish.” Clearly, this popular nickname is related to these distinctive architectural features. In the 1970s, a swimming pool with the simple name “Golden Fish” was located in the basement of the building. Passing by the windows on the street, one could see the green, murky water in what was originally designed as a tank for holding fish for sale. Today, in addition to residential apartments, the building also houses shops and offices. #kharkov #kharkovgo #1stolica_history