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Articles
In Lvov, on Kopernika Str. you can see a magnificent 3 story building with a high terrace that impresses with its monumental style. There is nothing unnecessary in the architecture of this building; nevertheless it looks elegant and impressive. That is a Palace of Pototsky, noble family from Poland; they are uncrowned kings of Podolia. We can see some resemblance with the French castles, built in classical style (for example with castle Maison Laffitte or chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte). The Pototsky Palace in Lvov isn’t the only property of this magnates on the territory of Ukraine (you can visit the Palace of Pototsy in Tulichyn, in Chervonograd, in Odessa). The construction of this palace began in 1880, after the family Pototsky had sold their house on the Galitskaya square and bought the estate on the Wide Street in 1822. The old palace (small household) was destroyed in 1860-1861 and the construction of the new one took 30 years. The palace was built following the sketches of a French architect Louis de Verny and English architect Julian Tsybulskiy in baroque style.
Before 1979 there was a big park on this spot, where in 1980 a tunnel for underground tram was built. At the same time one more insignificant building was added to the Palace where the Museum of ancient Ukrainian book is placed now. In the plan the building is H-shaped 3stored. The facades of the Palace are decorated with sculptural ornament on the windows, balustrades and moldings. The main entrance is decorated with a molding and is arch-shaped. The interiors of the ground floor mostly remind the style of Louis XVI. The halls (the Red, the Mirror, the Blue, the Cabinet) are decorated with artificial marble, gilding, moldings, mirrors. The marble fireplaces are decorated with gilt bronze. The walls are laid over with silk and moldings, the ceilings also have gilt moldings. The palace has 3100sq.meters. the Pototsky Palace is very official even today, it seems like it is always waiting for important guests. It almost hasn’t changed since the day it was built. The human hand wasn’t able to destroy this beauty! Only once, in 1919 (1920 according to other sources) the military plane fell on the roof of the Palace during the parade in Lvov. There was a fire. The upper floors of the building were in flame. It took years to restore the building. In 1945, when the reconstruction works were done, there was created the institute of Geochemistry and Geology in Lvov. Since 1970th up till 2000th the registry office was using the Palace. And only in 2000th the Pototsky Palace was given to the Lvov Gallery of Art. Tourists can visit it on the second floor of the Palace. There is also a Museum of Ukrainian Book that is opened in the building of Lvov House of Arts.
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