[club1543502|Main Street]. The Sumskaya Street appeared at the same time as the Kharkov Fortress, as a road leading to the city of Sumy.6 photos

The development of construction along this street began in the late 17th century and extended to what is now Theatre Square by the end of the 18th century, where at that time a dirt wall surrounded the city. Construction activity resumed in the early 19th century after the construction of a highway between Kharkov and Kursk. Clay houses with thatched roofs, previously located along the street, were gradually replaced by urban-style dwellings, and in 1836, it was decreed that only stone buildings could be constructed here. In 1839, the street was paved, and 37 oil lamps were installed for illumination. In 1869, a systematic house numbering system was introduced, starting from the direction towards the city center. By 1879, the first building numbered one was located on the site of the former Myronohitskaya Church, where now the Victory Square stands; the second building numbered one was adjacent to the Veterinary Institute, which is now the Palace of Children's and Youth Creativity. The eastern side of the street was odd-numbered, while the western side was even-numbered. In 1883, a horse-drawn railway line opened along the Sumskaya Street, connecting the southern part of the city with the former Veterinary Square (now Freedom Square). At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the northern part of the Nagorni district began to be developed, with the construction of mainly multi-story residential buildings and the creation of an urban park. In 1906, a tram line was extended from Pushkinskaya Street along the former Basseyna Street (now Petrovskogo Street) and Sumskaya Street to this area. After 1917, the carriage road and tram line were removed from Sumskaya Street, and in 1939, the first trolleybuses in Ukraine began to operate on this route. Initially, their depot was located at the former Myronohitskaya Square (now Victory Square). The significance of Sumskaya Street as the city's main avenue gradually emerged over time. Its location along the ridge that separates the floodplains of the Kharkov and Lopan rivers, as well as the presence of southern extensions of the forest massif, contributed to the creation of recreational green spaces in the early 19th century, such as the University Garden (now Shevchenko Park) and later the urban park and Lesopark (Sokolniki-Pomerki). The oldest surviving buildings on Sumskaya Street are the two-story residential structures at number 16, constructed in the 1840s when so-called model projects in the form of untidy classicalism were required. In 1842, a stone theater building was built on Theatre Square according to the design of architect A.A. Ton; it has since undergone numerous renovations. Next to the University Garden, the Institute for Noble Ladies and the Merchant Assembly Building were established in the 1840s, and later a new opera house was constructed on their sites. Opposite these buildings stood the former Cross-Raising Church, also known as the Women's Myronohits, which was demolished in the 1930s. In the second half of the 19th century, the Veterinary Institute and the medical faculty building of the university were constructed. At the corner of Theatre Square, the monumental State Bank building was erected according to the design of architect R.P. Golенищev; it was later extended by two additional floors according to the designs of architects A.N. Beketov and V.N. Petit in 1932. Simultaneously, the Building of the South Russian Mining Industrialists Council was constructed on the plots at numbers 18-20 according to the plans of architect B.G. Mikhailovsky and the brothers S.I. and I.I. Zagoskin. On the corner of Veterinary Street and Ivanova Street stood the building of the provincial zemstvo according to the design of architect A.B. Minkus; it was expanded in 1913 by architect V.V. Velichko and reconstructed in 1930 by architect Y.A. Steinberg for use by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. After the war, an administrative building was constructed on the site of this former building; the existing administrative complex today originated from this structure. At the corner of the former Hospital Alley and Danilevskogo Street, a school for the blind was built in 1889-1892 according to the design of architect I.I. Zagoskin, with the assistance of architect F.I. Shuster. A series of respectable residential buildings also emerged one after another along this street. Notable among them were building number 47, the residence of Professor Neznamov, which was later altered by additional constructions; the house of the newspaper publisher A.A. Iozefovich, where the Marriage Palace is now located (architect A.I. Gorokhov, 1913); and numerous other prestigious apartment buildings. The buildings owned by the insurance company “Salamandra” at numbers 17 and 44, designed by architects N.N. Berevkin and Y.S. Caunee respectively, were particularly impressive. Buildings constructed in the modern style by architects A.M. Ginzburg (numbers 6, 26, 80, etc.), M.G. Dikansky (numbers 96, 98), and others also deserve mention. A total of 36 buildings on Sumskaya Street have been listed as historical and architectural monuments. They reflect the various stages of our city's history from the 1840s to the present day, as well as the evolution of architectural styles over time. Traditionally, Sumskaya Street has been a popular spot for leisure and recreation for the locals. The theaters, cinemas, shops, cafes, restaurants, and especially the parks and squares located along it have attracted many people. In the 1930s, the establishment of the new Freedom Square as a public center further enhanced its importance. The monument to T.G. Shevchenko, erected in 1935, became a sacred site on this street. The new opera house complex also added to its appeal. However, the increasing traffic volume, which far exceeded the street's capacity, caused significant problems. Recent efforts to restrict traffic and restore the street's original character have shown some positive results, but transforming its initial section into a pedestrian zone is currently not feasible. Nevertheless, Sumskaya Street remains the beloved thoroughfare of the city's residents and continues to be a symbol of our city. **Alexander Liebfreid, Candidate of Architecture. Tatyana Tikhomirova, Local Historian. (“Sloboda” magazine, April 1993 issue).** #Kharkov #Kharkov #History_of_the_Capital