There’s a well-known saying about beauty in simplicity, but sometimes beauty lies precisely in complexity. The facade of this Neo-Renaissance building at the “Five Corners” intersection in Kharkiv—where Hirshmana, Chernyshevska, and Alchevskyh streets meet—is extremely intricate and brimming with details. But that is precisely what makes it beautiful.

This architectural landmark, located at Chernyshevska Street, 26 was built in 1899 for State Councilor Pyotr Karpov, based on a design by architect M. Dashkevich. It is particularly notable for the atlantes supporting the balcony. The house is best known for its last owner, Karpov’s daughter Sofia, who married Count Alexei Kapnist. In the 1920s, the writer Vasily Ellan-Blakytny lived in the house.

After World War II, the building’s facades were in extremely poor condition and were restored only recently by the Kharkiv branch of the “UkrNIIproektrestavratsiya” Institute (design by V. Novgorodov and V. Kortunov).

The building currently houses the Kharkiv City Department of Administrative Services and the Consumer Market.