Architectural monument, built in 1884–1886. For more than 130 years, the building has helped save the city and its citizens from fires.
Fires have long been one of the greatest disasters that could befall cities. In the XIX century, urban buildings were mainly wooden on the territory of modern Ukraine. Therefore, the fire in one place could quickly spread to neighboring homes and lead to mass tragedies. Fire stations were designed with watchtowers (called ‘kalancha’ in Ukrainian) to counteract large-scale fires in all Ukrainian lands in the XIX century. The building had 3–4 floors so that the guards could detect fires and give a signal to firefighters in time. This kind of fire department was common in many cities in Europe, the United States and Russia of that time.
This is how Kharkiv fire department №4 with the watchtower worked. It was also called the fire station ‘on Zaikivka’ according to the district name it was located in. The building was constructed according to the project of the architect Hryhorii Stryzhevskyi between 1884 and 1886 in Kvitkynska Street.
The latter got the name after the Kvitka family, an ancient Ukrainian lineage of Cossack officers, who gave money to locals to rebuild houses affected by the fire. Until recently, the building served its strategic purpose. It housed a fire department, a district branch of The State Emergency Service of Ukraine, and a research and experimental laboratory.
On March 28, 2022, the building helping save the city and its residents from fires for more than 130 years, came under fire from the Russian artillery, damaging the facades, windows, and roof of the architectural monument of Kharkiv.
The cultural monument, which preserved the history of fire and rescue city service and its life, may now become a memory.
Kharkiv National University named after Vasyl Karazin, founded in 1804, is one of the oldest institutions of higher education not only in Ukraine, but also in Eastern Europe.
National Literary Memorial Museum of the Ukrainian Philosopher and Poet (18th-century building).
The central square of Kharkiv. It ranks sixth in Europe. Here are the most important administrative institutions of the city.
190-years-old architectural monument in the classical style, built in 1832, which used to be the manor of Kharkiv officials and became an excellent illustration of Kharkiv’s life in the 19th century.
Built thanks to the cooperation of students, professors, and institute personnel of the Kharkiv Polytechnic between 1985 and 1991, the sports complex became the site for practising over 30 different kinds of sport, as well as an Olympic training base and the only sports facility in Ukraine to receive the State Award in architecture.
An ancient building, erected in one of the historical neighbourhoods of Kharkiv in the early 20th century. Several generations of Ukrainians have studied at this school for more than a hundred years.
A building of the beginning of the ХХ century in eclecticism style, which housed a female gymnasium from the time of construction and until the 1920s.
Church in the largest residential area of Kharkiv – Saltivka. The architecture of the building, built in 2013 for the Independence Day of Ukraine, resonates with Ukrainian Baroque traditions.
One of the largest Fine Arts museums of Ukraine. The museum’s collection is one of the oldest and most valuable artistic properties of Ukraine.
One of the oldest musical theaters and the first permanent opera house of Ukraine. Its history dates back to the end of the 18th century.
The main center of ensuring the accuracy of measurements in Ukraine with more than a century of history.
Former House of Judicial Institutions was constructed in the best Neo-Renaissance traditions. The building has the features of Italian palazzos and the exterior of the house stands out due to its sophisticated design.
An extraordinary building of the early 20th century in the architectural ensemble of the Constitution Square in Kharkiv built in the Art Nouveau and Neoclassicism styles.
In 1940, 3809 captive Polish officers and 500 Polish civilians were shot here by order of the Soviet government.
The oldest square in the city. From XVIII to early XX centuries, this place became the centre of the city culture.
This house became a home for Ukrainian writers and artists in 1928. The Soviet government built it for the Ukrainian intellectuals, but soon this place turned out to be a trap.
Holocaust Memorial Complex (menorah monument of 2002).
The cathedral is the oldest Orthodox church in Kharkiv and has great historical and art value.
A brick church constructed on the site of a wooden temple. The first mention of this building dates back to 1691.