We have already mentioned how the former Land Bank was designed and built by architect Oleksiy Beketov for his father-in-law, the industrial and financial magnate Oleksiy Alchevsky, between 1896 and 1898.

It is now the Kharkiv State College of Motor Transport (address: Constitution Square, 28).

The building has retained its remarkable interiors, and the details of the façade are also beautiful (many scholars suggest that they were designed by Beketov’s student, Vasyl Krychevsky).

An interesting fact: for unknown reasons, the building was constructed without the two sculptures that had been included in Beketov’s design. They were restored during the building’s most recent renovation, carried out by the Kharkiv branch of the UkrNIIproektrestavratsiya Institute (architect V. Novgorodov, sketches by V. Spasov) after Ukraine gained independence.

The lions in front of the entrance were installed in 2003 at the initiative of V. Vodolazhsky, director of the Automotive Technical College, to mark the 350th anniversary of Kharkiv.

In order to study the experience of building Europe’s leading banks, Beketov had previously traveled throughout Austria-Hungary, France, and Italy.

Despite its Neo-Renaissance appearance, the bank was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including fireproof metal ceilings.

During World War II, the building sustained severe damage and was restored under the direction of architects Oleksander Leibfreid and G. Sikarulidze between 1948 and 1953. The shape of the pediment was slightly altered, and the caryatids on it were also replaced.

The building was damaged during Russian missile strikes on Kharkiv in March 2022 (some of the windows were shattered).