On October 12, 2026, a Russian missile strike severely damaged an architectural landmark in Kharkiv: a residential building at Danylevs’koho Street, 19. It was built between 1948 and 1954 based on a design by architects Boris Klein and Dmitry Torubarov.
This large building consists of two sections: the main, which is 5–6 stories tall, and an 8-story “tower” at the intersection with Nauky Avenue. The central part of the main section is adorned with decorative elements typical of Soviet Classicism—pilasters imitating the Corinthian order, high-relief half-vases and medallions featuring ears of wheat, and a portico with an “additional” story.
Although between 2011 and 2015, the owner of this story added another floor and replaced the round service window with a large, full-sized one.
What makes this building design interesting is that its central section was originally intended to house the “Kharkiv” movie theater, featuring two auditoriums and a concession stand. Of course, it wasn’t a dedicated movie theater building, so the screens were small, and the auditoriums weren’t particularly comfortable, but that’s why tickets were cheap. The “Kharkiv” also screened anthologies of old films and repeat showings.
As Boris Mikhailov, a longtime resident of Kharkiv, recalled:
All the boys in the yard were playing with the leftover graphite electrodes from the arc lamps of the projectors
The movie theater operated for about 40 years, until the mid-1990s. It was this part of the building, where the theater was located (now the “Grant” bank), that suffered the most damage from a direct missile strike.
Equally well-known is the building that houses the “Danilevsky” grocery store, which has been in operation from the 1950s to the present day.
Interesting fact: In 1980, the house was added to the list of architectural monuments with an incorrect address, “10 Lenin Ave.” (now Nauki Ave.). So the building has been moving from list to list with the note “actually Danylevs’koho Street, 19.”
- Danylevs’koho Street, 19 - 13.10.2026
- Debunking the myth about one of the most famous Kharkiv photos - 12.10.2026
- The Architectural Evolution of the Kharkiv Theater - 26.09.2026