|
The Central Square was completed in the early 20th
century. A monument "Pieta" was erected in the square
1827. Its construction was financed by Lazar
Mychailovych, a Chernivtsi citizen. The theme, from
Michelange¬lo's artwork, represented the sorrowful
Virgin with her dead Son on her lap and angels on both
sides paying homage. Made of sandstone, the monument was
standing until 1924 when Romanian authorities replaced
it with the monu¬ment "Reunion". After World War II
there was constructed a monument to Vladimir Lenin,
which was dismantled in October, 1991.
One of the oldest buildings in the square is the former
Hotel Paris, now a shop at the corner of Holovna and
Ruska Streets. Farther on, building No. D10 at the
corner of Ruska Street and Central Square used to be the
mansion of Anton Kohanovsky, a long term Chernivtsi
mayor. At the turn of the 20th century the building
hosted Pardini's bookshop. Between Kobylanska Street and
Holovna Street the former Hotel Belle View ("Nice View")
still attracts attention. The present Chernivtsi
Institute of Trade and Economics was Hotel Under Blacl
Eagle more than one hundred years ago.
Another building in Art Nouveau style is the former
Direc¬torate of Bukovinian Saving Bank, now the Art
Museum. The building was erect¬ed at the location of the
old one-storey Hotel Russia. It is one of the best
examples of Art Nouveau style in Chernivtsi. A
well-known explorer of the city, L. Vandiuk, maintains
that the quality of the architecture shows the influence
of modern European tradition. The designer of the
project was Vien¬nese architect Hubert Gessner, a
talented disciple of Otto Wagner. All is there: the
strict symmetry of the façade, size, and free decor. The
central risalita ends in a ceramic polychrome panel. The
parapet edges are accentuated by sculptures. The
combination of monumental art and architecture, the
application of ceramics, sculpture, decorative wrought
iron and stained-glass win¬dows -- all these are
characteristic of Art Nouveau style, as is the
harmonious combination of exterior and interior.
The interior of the building is particularly emphasized
by the presence of a wonderful, plafond made by Mykola
Ivasiuk (1865-1937), a famous Bukovinena and Ukrainian
artist His historic pictures "Bohdan Khmelnytsky Enters
Kyiv", "By the Well", "Bukovinian Mother" and others are
world know Many famous artists finished the Art school
founded by him (18984908). Among them is K. Dzerjyk
(1888-1965). It is very symbolic the Art Museum of
ChemMsi is situated in the building to which M Ivasiuk
put his hand Its funds contains nearly ten thousand
exhibits some of which are really unique. In May 1999, a
monument to Tarns Shevchenko (architects D. Derkach, G.
Plegutsa; (Sculptors D. Lemskyi, M. Lysakivskyi) was
erected in Central Square.
|
The Central Square
