User:Marta Kondryn/Dnister (hotel, Ivano-Frankivsk)

"Dnister" - a hotel and historical monument of national importance in the center of Ivano-Frankivsk. Located near the historic part of the city, at the corner of Sichovykh Striltsiv Street, 12 and Taras Shevchenko Street, 1.

The building of the Hotel Austria was designed by architect Frederik Janusz and opened on May 1, 1914. At that time it was one of the best hotels in the city. The house consisted of a hotel, restaurant, cinema, shop and apartments. The division of the building into two parts - hotel and residential - was the creative style of the architect, but the building itself was a whole construction. According to the architectural and plastic solution, the house belonged to the rationalist trend of late modernism.

Here is how the entrepreneur Rostyslav Shpuk describes the architectural appeal of the building: "In its "pre-war" facade there is a military chic of strict axelbanity, this is a house-general: vertical stripes of pilasters in the color of restrained inconspicuous blood are similar to the stripes of the highest ceremonial form. But the most interesting is the "connection of Chicago with Vienna" with its rapid upward and "Chicago windows" - prismatic trapezoidal bay windows, all faces of which are glazed for greater light transmission. And suddenly, along with this disturbing organization on the façade, there are cobalt-colored majolica glazed medallions that bring the viewer back to Viennese musical frivolity."

The names changed according to the time, at first the building was called "Austria", from 1919 to 1939 ("after Poland") the hotel had another name - "Warsaw", after 1944 - "Spartak", and from 1960 - "Dnister". During the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, the hotel received a new name - "Odessa".

In this building on January 3, 1919, during a meeting of the Ukrainian National Council of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, the historic Universal on Unification with the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was approved. The President of the Council Yevhen Petrushevych, the Head of the State Secretariat Sydir Holubovych lived here, as well as Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Symon Petliura, Volodymyr Vynnychenko, and Yevhen Chykalenko.

The building of the hotel
The land for construction together with the old two-storey building was purchased in early 1912 by the Greek Catholic Church. Architect Frederik Janusz was commissioned to design a large and profitable apartment building. The building was built in the fall of 1913. The first tenant of it, which was named "Austria", was P. Biel from Lviv. A hotel, a restaurant, a shop and a cinema were opened here - the third in the city. All these institutions were, like the whole building, called "Austria".

After the Polish occupation of Galicia, the building, together with all the institutions, was renamed into "Warsaw". The house remained the property of the Greek-catholic church. It was bought for 5 million zlotys by a rich Ukrainian, doctor B. Ovcharsky from Lviv. In 1935 he sold the house to a religious institution under the church ("Society of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary").

The hotel building is located at two addresses:

The northern part of the building, one of the facades overlooks the Sichovykh Striltsiv Street, where the hotel is located. During the times of Western Ukrainian People's Republic, the president, Dr. Yevhen Petrushevych, lived here. In February-March 1919, the first leaders of the Ukrainian People's Republic stayed in the hotel: Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Symon Petliura, Volodymyr Vynnychenko.
 * Sichovykh Striltsiv Street, 12

The southern part of the house, the facades overlook the Shevchenko street, where the Central People's House is now located.
 * Shevchenko Street, 1


 * In this part of the building in the former cinema hall, the first meeting of the Ukrainian National Council of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (Stanislaviv was the temporary capital of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic) took place on January 2, 1919, and the historic Act of Unification with the Ukrainian People's Republic was approved on January 3, 1919.

Also some famous historical figures, who worked here: Lev Bachynsky - Vice President of the National Council of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (previously: Commissioner of Stanislaviv County), Kost Levytsky - Head of the State Secretariat of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, Dmytro Vitovsky - State Secretary of Military Affairs of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic.

In 1940, the building housed the newly created Philharmonic, the State Academic Hutsul Song and Dance Ensemble, prominent actors and artists Yaroslav Barnych, Dmytro Kotko, Mykhailo Grynyshyn, Mykhailo Magdiy, Volodymyr Pashchenko.

Since 1993, part of the building where the hotel is located was initially leased, and since 2004 has been owned by the Boyko-Levshakova family.

Interesting Facts

 * On the site of the hotel building, at the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century, there was an old two-storey hotel "Central".[[File:Кінна_піхота_йде_вулицею_Шевченка_1_в_місті_Івано-Франківську,_поблизу_будівлі_готелю.jpg|thumb|Cavalry riding on the streets of Ivano-Frankivsk next to the hotel building, Shevchenko street 1]]
 * On January 3, 1919, the Act of Unification between the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) and the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR) was signed here.
 * In 1920 there was also a publishing house "Bystrytsa", which published in the series "Children's Readers", "Library for Ukrainian Youth", illustrated fairy tales, stories, a short history of Ukraine and more.
 * The living chain began at the door of this house. On January 21, 1990, almost three million people joined hands, uniting Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Kyiv on the 71st anniversary of the Union of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Western Ukrainian People's Republic.
 * One of the first buildings in the city, which is built in a frame-monolithic way.
 * The house had the status of a monument of urban planning and architecture of local significance (protection number 354-IF).

Destruction of the Historical Building — The Story of One Crime
In 2015, the owners of the building the Boyko-Levshakova family signed a protection agreement for the cultural heritage site Hotel Dnister with the Sector for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. It was signed by its head of the Sector Davydyuk Andriy Zinoviyovych.

With the start of repair work, which began in 2016, a scandal broke out in the city related to the violation of restoration work, which significantly changed the appearance of the building (painting, carpentry, roof), structural roofing elements and additional floors.

In April 2017, the owner of the hotel, Nadiya Levshakova, received an Act of inspection of the technical condition of the building with the conclusions of an expert to begin repairs. The expert's opinion (represented by expert Bosyk L.V.) recommends: "urgent overhaul with the condition of the inter-storey from the 3rd to the 5th floor and the 6th attic floor, clock tower, partitions and roof." And also "in the further operation of the building to comply with the requirements of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 409 of 05.05.1997." These requirements applied to "industrial and warehouse buildings and structures for various purposes", the rules of which do not apply to "buildings (structures), the inspection of which is regulated by the then DBN on buildings (structures), the operation of which is regulated by sectoral authorities." In the case of the hotel "Dnister" - the operation is regulated by DSTU-N B B.3.2.-4: 2016 and the Sector for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

At the end of 2017, the owners of the building were fined by the State Construction Inspectorate for carrying out work without proper documents.

In the spring of 2021, a scandal erupted again over the glazing of the covered gallery under the building. According to published photos, the space between the columns was limited by glass windows. In this regard, the residents of the house together with the citizens several times organized rallies in defense of public space. Many famous people came to the defense of residents and public space: Julian Chaplinsky, Irena Karpa, Irma Vitovska, Karl Volokh, Yuriy Andrukhovych and many more.

On April 13, 2021 Nadiya Levshakova, published a statement in which she promised to dismantle the double-glazed windows on the colonnade and release access to the space below the column.

As of today, the passage under the hotel has not yet been cleared of double-glazed windows.

The Boyko-Levshakova family instead of restoration of the building, reconstructed (rebuilt) the architectural monument.

Reconstruction and restoration are completely different things: reconstruction is the reconstruction of an object, and restoration is its preservation in its original form in order to preserve its authenticity and integrity, including interior space, construction and decor, according to the original plan.

What crime was committed by the Boyko-Levshakova family?

1) Part of the building became higher by three floors;

2) The roofing material was changed;

3) The color of the facade and the configuration of the windows were changed;

4) The territory of the colonnade, which is a public space, is glazed;

5) Changed the functional purpose of the building;

6) The functioning of the communications infrastructure of the building, in particular drainage and gas supply, was disrupted;

7) The roof for the residential part of the house was destroyed.

Now the building resembles a general, to whom a new leg was sewn, higher, whiter than the previous one, sprinkled with gold and decorated with flowers. But it is clear that the house will no longer be able to exist as a single organism.

The Boyko-Levshakova family did not bear any responsibility for their crime. Instead, the volunteers are accused of slander and inability to restore the building.

They regularly delete information on this Wikipedia page and disseminate other false information.

NGO «Kamyanytsya Austria»
In 2020, proactive citizens and residents of the building, located in the second half of the hotel "Dnister", in order to protect and preserve this historical monument created a public organization "Kamyanytsya Austria". The mission of the organization is to protect the building of the Dnister Hotel, preserve this historical monument, actively develop it for future generations and return this historical building into ownership of the city and community.

With the help of the organization, proactive citizens and members of the NGO not only want to protect the house, but also to inspire other citizens around the world to preserve architectural monuments.

The organization works in the following areas:


 * Return of this unique building to city and community ownership;
 * Educational and educational activities;
 * Work with government and government agencies;
 * Actions to attract public attention to the destruction of the hotel "Dniester";
 * Work with international organizations;
 * Restoration and preservation of the residential part of the house.

Media about the NGO

 * Активісти вимагатимуть повернення готелю Дністер у власність громади міста Івано Франківська
 * В Івано-Франківську протестують проти перебудови історичного готелю Дністер
 * Історичний готель «Дністер» у Франківську: хто і навіщо нищить легендарну споруду?
 * До Дня Соборності у Франківську люди утворили "живий ланцюг" від готелю “Дністер” до “Києва"
 * Кількасот франківців сформували символічний ланцюг єдності від "Дністра" до "Києва"
 * Муніципали зрізають огорожу на стоянці біля готелю "Дністер" – представники власників спробували перешкоджати
 * Привернути увагу до колонади. У Франківську влаштували прибирання біля готелю "Дністер"
 * Франківці створили живий ланцюг єдності заради порятунку готелю «Дністер» (ФОТО)
 * Чистий четвер для готельєра

Photos

 * Будівля готелю "Дністер" у 1964 році
 * Вигляд будівлі зі сторони вул. Січових Стрільців, 12
 * Вигляд готелю "Дністер" зі сторони вулиці Шевченка 1, м Івано-Франківськ
 * Вигляд готелю "Дністер", коли він за часів Польської окупації називався готель "Варшава"
 * Готель «Дністер», вул. Січових Стрільців, 12
 * Меморіальна дошка на честь схвалення Акту Злуки (1919), вул. Шевченка, 1
 * Містянки йдуть біля готелю "Дністер" зі сторони вулиці Шевченка 1, місто Івано-Франківськ, 1980-тий рік
 * Містянки фотографуються біля готелю "Дністер" зі сторони вулиці Шевченка 1, місто Івано-Франківськ, 1970 рік
 * Місцева жителька йде біля готелю "Дністер" зі сторони вулиці Шевченка 1, місто Івано-Франківськ

Sources and Links

 * Головатий М. І. Будівничі старого Станиславова (1662—1939 роки) // Краєзнавчий збірник на пошану Богдана Гавриліва. — Івано-Франківськ : Тіповіт, 2003. — С. 113—114.
 * Головатий М. І. 200 вулиць Івано-Франківська. — Івано-Франківськ : Лілея-НВ, 2010. — С. 345, 423.
 * Головатий М. І. Франко Станиславів // Відомі міські споруди. — Івано-Франківськ : Лілея-НВ, 2009. — С. 212.
 * Історична хроніка Івано-Франківська (1662—1997) // ivfrankivsk.if.ua.
 * Офіційна сторінка громадської організації «Кам'яниця Австрія».
 * Перехрест О. Є питання: що не так з новим виглядом готелю «Дністер»?
 * Українець О. Путівник архітектурою для рагулів // Kurs.if.ua. — 2019. — 5 грудня. — (Культура).
 * Федоришин Н. Готель «Дністер»: поза законом та здоровим глуздом.