The House With Chimeras, Kiev

The House with Chimeras is probably one of the most spectacular architectural sights in Kiev. Sitting on top of a hill, on unstable ground, the house was meant to shock, intrigue and please the eye in a manner previously unseen in the city. Known as “Gaudi of Kiev”, architect Gorodetsky took on this challenging project as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to create something “out of the box”. In 1902 he delivered a plan that defied all the architectonic beliefs of the century.

Made of concrete, the building is clad with numerous wall decorations and statues, both inside and outside. The dolphins, sirens, frogs, elephants, rhinos and snakes, seen on the exterior, were created by Emilio Sala. Although the building's façade shows only three floors, from the back it reveals all the six. The interior carries a big-game animal theme, with the halls, staircases and parts of the rooms decorated with animal and vegetal motifs.

This impressive building served as a residence for the upper class families until 1921, when the Bolsheviks repossessed it. Since then and until 2002, the house had accommodated a regional health clinic. As of 2005 the building has been the seat of the Ukrainian president and the venue for formal events. It is rarely open to the public, but is easy to be admired from the outside pedestrian area.