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Merchant Bank Building (Kharkiv)

Coordinates: 49°59′17″N 36°13′56″E / 49.98806°N 36.23222°E / 49.98806; 36.23222
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Merchant Bank Building
Будівля купецького банку та готелю «Асторія»
Map
49°59′17″N 36°13′56″E / 49.98806°N 36.23222°E / 49.98806; 36.23222
Location Ukraine, Kharkiv, Pavlivskyi Square, 10
DesignerNikolai Vasyliev, Oleksandr Rzhepishevskyi
BuilderOleksandr Rzhepishevskyi
Typebank, office and hotel
Materialreinforced concrete, brick
Height6 floors
Beginning date1910
Completion date1913
Restored date1950s
Heritage statusMonument of architecture [uk] and urban planning [uk] of local significance of Ukraine No. 7278-Ха

The Building of the Merchant Bank (Ukrainian: Будівля купецького банку, Ukrainian: Асторія "Astoria" or Ukrainian: Мелодія "Melody")[1] is a historical building in the city center of Kharkiv, located on Pavlivskyi Square, 10. It is a monument of architecture [uk] and urban planning [uk] of local significance No. 7278-Ха.[2]

History

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The idea of building a new building arose in the Kharkiv Merchant Society in 1909, when an architectural competition was held in St. Petersburg.[1] The project of Russian architect Leonid Sologub [ru] won it.[3] However, the Society chose the project of the young Ukrainian architect Oleksandr Rzhepishevskyi and the architect from St. Petersburg Nikolai Vasyliev as its winner.[1][4] Sculptures were made by sculptors V. V. Kozlov and L. A. Dietrich.[5] The building of the Merchant Bank was built in 1910–1913, it has six floors: the first three were occupied by the bank itself and office premises, the upper three were occupied by one of the most elite hotels in the city - "Astoria".[6] The name of the hotel arose at the beginning of the 20th century as a response to hotels of a fashionable style in New York, owned by the Astor brothers.[7]

The building is made in the Northern Modern style, decorated with large Atlases, bizarre mascarons and other stucco. The building has a monolithic reinforced concrete frame, which was erected by the Black Sea Insurance Society.[1] Inside, the bank and the hotel were stylishly decorated, two elevators worked.[8] To supervise the construction, architect Rzhepishevsky moved to Kharkiv, where he will create a number of buildings in the National Romantic style (Northern Modern), in particular cooperative houses No. 6 [uk] (known as the "House with Fountains [uk]") and No. 19 Rymarska Street [uk], where he himself will live.[9][10][1]

At the beginning of the Soviet-German war, the building was burned down, and later damaged by shelling.[11] After the Second World War, it was restored according to the project of architect Petro Shpara [uk].[5] In Soviet times, the building became known as "Melody" - after the name of a large music store, which was located on the first floor of the building from 1951 to 2011.[5]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Купецький банк та готель «Асторія» | Харківська мапа". khuamap.netlify.app. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  2. ^ Наказ Міністерства культури та інформаційної політики України від 14 січня 2021 року № 10 «Про занесення об'єктів культурної спадщини до Державного реєстру нерухомих пам'яток України»
  3. ^ "История одной «Мелодии»". Накипіло (in Ukrainian). 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  4. ^ "Тайны дома «Мелодия». Часть 1 — Харьков Манящий". moniacs.kh.ua. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  5. ^ a b c "Дом «Мелодия» — Харьков Манящий". moniacs.kh.ua. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  6. ^ "Бывший Купеческий банк и Гостиница «Астория»". Харьков - куда б сходить? (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
  7. ^ "Про назву Astor - Astor School" (in Ukrainian). 2018-04-23. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  8. ^ "Бывший Купеческий банк и Гостиница «Астория»". Харьков - куда б сходить? (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  9. ^ Цикало, К. А. "Компанійські будинки в Харкові (початку ХХ ст.)". p. 41. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  10. ^ "Дом с фонтанами — Харьков Манящий". moniacs.kh.ua. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  11. ^ "Площадь Розы Люксембург". Харьков: новое о знакомых местах (in Russian). 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2024-05-23.

Sources

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