There are many old two-story buildings from the second half of the 19th century on Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred Square, but one of them stands out for its specific year of construction on its façade. The date “1887” can be seen above the entrance to the long building at Geroev Nebesnoj Sotni Square, 32B, in the courtyard.
Although this house was added on by one floor during Soviet times, you can still see its original “dentate” cornice, very similar to the cornice of the neighboring building at number 32 (its façade faces the square).
Скорее всего, оба здания были построены одновременно и принадлежали к одному участку.
Researcher Oleksander Leibfreid believes the diocesan architect V. Nemkin designed the courtyard outbuilding (32B). Researchers of Kharkiv history have yet to determine who designed the main building (32) and who exactly built these massive, eclectic structures with thick walls, but some assumptions can already be made.
It is known that the adjacent abandoned historic building (currently number 30) belonged to Fire and Police Station No. 1. Its buildings remain, although they have been significantly altered. The one facing the square once had a watchtower, but it is now gone, and a Soviet-era tile has been added to the building.
In 1909, the fire station’s number was 31 on the square. The adjacent building (to the left), number 32, belonged to Elena Iovna, the widow of Collegiate Councilor Dudchenko, and was worth 3,720 rubles. The house number 33 belonged to merchant Kostyantun Shymansky, was worth 15,000 rubles, and faced Mikhailovsky Lane (now Shota Rustaveli Lane).
It’s logical to assume that we’re interested in house 33 due to its large size and significant value. In 1887, it belonged to Kostyantin Shymansky’s father, Georgy Frantsevich.
Kostyantyn Shymansky is known for organizing the first regular bus service in Kharkov (1910-1911) and as the owner of the Pilstrem plant on Kontorskaya (since 1913).
By the way, in the courtyard you can find a hatch from the 1920s (artel “Founder”, Lesovka, now the city of Ukrainsk, Donetsk region).
The complex’s buildings were damaged as a result of Russian airstrikes on Heroes of the Geroev Nebesnoj Sotni Square in 2022 and lost a significant portion of their glazing.
