Kyiv, now lost: a glimpse of the city's first skyscraper and the story behind its destruction (photos).

Today, Kyiv boasts numerous high-rise buildings that reach impressive heights. However, few are aware that back in 1912, the city saw the emergence of its first skyscraper, which astonished residents with its scale and was clearly ahead of its time.

This grand structure, designed by Lev Ginzburg, stood at 67.5 meters tall and became a true sensation. "Telegraf" shares the story of Kyiv's first skyscraper, which was ruthlessly destroyed and has not survived to this day.

The History of Ginzburg's Skyscraper

Ginzburg's skyscraper was a 12-story building constructed in Kyiv in the early 20th century. It is remembered as "the first skyscraper in Ukraine." The skyscraper was located on Instytutska Street.

This plot was purchased in 1889 by Kyiv merchant of the first guild Lev Ginzburg. In 1910, he decided to build a residential building on this site, initiating a true construction revolution in the city. Interestingly, Ginzburg had his own construction company, which he chose to employ for the creation of this massive skyscraper. He spared no expense or effort in realizing his vision.

The project was executed by Odessa architects Minkus and Troupiansky, using 12 million bricks and over 1.5 million rubles. The enormous building occupied an entire block on Instytutska Street.

By 1912, construction was completed, and Kyiv welcomed its first skyscraper. Standing at 67.5 meters tall, the building became a sensation, captivating residents with its size. The skyscraper featured 94 apartments with the first "Otis" elevators in Kyiv, luxurious facade decorations, and terraces offering views of the city.

Including the tower, the skyscraper had 12 floors and one basement level. Some apartments had as many as 11 rooms, totaling around 500 rooms overall.

At that time, the skyscraper was one of the tallest residential buildings in the world, surpassed only by a few skyscrapers in the USA, Germany, Canada, and Argentina. It became a symbol of Kyiv's ambitions as a modern European city, open to new technologies and architectural solutions.

Interestingly, due to the tower and spire on the skyscraper, some pilgrims mistook the building for a temple. Such architecture was quite unusual for ordinary buildings at that time.

What Happened to Ginzburg's Skyscraper

During Soviet times, the skyscraper was nationalized. It was converted into a residential building—hotel rooms were repurposed into communal apartments. By 1928, Ginzburg's skyscraper was the tallest in the Soviet Union.

Lev Ginzburg himself lost all his property and, deprived of his former wealth, died in poverty in 1926.

The tragic end for the skyscraper came on September 24, 1941, when, by order of Soviet special services, the building sustained significant damage during explosions in central Kyiv.

Before the German occupation, the Soviet NKVD had mined many buildings in Kyiv, and Ginzburg's skyscraper was one of the first to be destroyed.

Subsequently, in the early 1950s, its remnants were dismantled, and the history of this structure remains in the memory of Kyivans as one of the symbols of the era of progress and innovation.

From 1954 to 1961, another building was constructed in its place—the "Moscow" hotel, which was renamed "Ukraine" in 2001.

Today, the "Ukraine" hotel continues to stand where Kyiv's first skyscraper once was.

It is worth mentioning that Kyiv has a unique structure—the House of the Weeping Widow, built in 1907-1908 in the early modern style. The house has one unique feature—the facade is adorned with a mascaron depicting a woman's head that "cries" during rain.

Local residents claim that if one approaches the mansion closely and stands silently beside it for a few minutes, they might hear a mystical whisper.

Previously, "Telegraf" reported on the atmospheric abandoned hotel from the last century and what this ghost hotel looks like. Unfortunately, the building has long been vacant and no longer accommodates guests, but it continues to spark the imagination of contemporaries.