In Kharkiv, there is a horseshoe-shaped building on Girshmana Street, the famous “Slovo” building shaped like the letter “C”, and there is also a building shaped like the letter “X”.

Or almost in the shape of an X.

It is located at Nimetskyi Entrance, 5 and is unremarkable from the street; it looks like a typical Constructivist building with hints of a fortress, which become more apparent when viewed from the courtyard.

Its X-shape is only visible in satellite images.

No information regarding the year of construction or the architect has been found so far. Most likely, this Constructivist building was constructed in the 1920s. On the other hand, the narrow windows suggest the late Art Nouveau period of the mid-1910s.

In 2019, a commemorative plaque was installed on the facade—the distinguished physician and cardiologist Lyubov Malaya lived in this house from 1971 to 2003.

The stairwells are formed at the junctions of the five sections, and sunlight streams right through them.