Quick Guide to Ukrainian Architecture: Palaces

Ukrainian palaces never fail to impress, with their stylistic combinations and unique architectural solutions. Take a look at how ancient Byzantine and classical styles have been preserved,  pleasing the eye and serving modern needs.

The Palace of Count Tolstoy, or the House of Scientists, constructed in Odesa’s center in the 1830s, managed to keep almost all of its interiors in their original form. The building style is Russian classicism, subsequently finished with Baroque and Renaissance decorations.

The Tolstoy Palace was renovated three times to suit the likes and capabilities of its three owners. Captain Horvath was the original owner. Count M.D. Tolstoy bought it in the 1840s, and his son, Count M.M. Tolstoy took over in the second part of the century.

The ensemble of the Metropolitan Residence spreads over 12 hectares in the northwestern part of Chernivtsi. It took almost 20 years to build. No wonder that the residence is on the UNESCO list of global heritage sites, as its huge, majestic grandeur captivates at first glimpse.

The residence is an eclectic mix of architectural styles, including Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, and Moorish. A blend of Bukovinian patterns with the pomp of Chinese silk, Venetian mirrors, and colored marble, is typical of the complex's interior decorating.

The Potocki Palace is a magnificent baroque-classicism style building hidden behind an open-worked iron fence on one of the streets radiating from Lviv's main avenue. It is regarded as one of Lviv's most intriguing and attractive architectural landmarks.

The Potocki Dynasty extends back more than eight centuries and includes prominent political officials, military leaders, and art patrons. Among Potocki's various properties, the Palace in Lviv became the main house for ceremonial receptions and balls.

The national historical and cultural reserve, Kachanivka is a manor in the village of Kachanivka in the Ichnyan District of the Chernihiv Region, on the banks of the Smosh River, and was founded in the 1770s.

The manor house in Kachanivka is considered one of the oldest architectural monuments in Ukraine, which has been comprehensively preserved from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.