Card Polytechnical Institute. The building of the Museum of Ethnography. Lvov, 1984

This Soviet dual-view postcard from 1984 features two iconic architectural landmarks of Lviv: the main building of the Lviv Polytechnic Institute and the Museum of Ethnography and Art Crafts.

What is shown on the postcard

The left panel of the postcard displays the main facade of the Polytechnic Institute’s central building, featuring a monumental portico with columns and an attic sculpture. Two women in summer clothing walk along the path in front of the entrance, framed by manicured lawns and shrubbery. The right panel shows a street perspective featuring the corner building of the Museum of Ethnography topped with a dome. A tall blue spruce stands in the foreground, while passenger cars, a yellow delivery van, and pedestrians are visible on the street.

Historical note

The main building of Lviv Polytechnic was constructed between 1873 and 1877 under the design of architect Julian Zachariewicz in the Neo-Renaissance style. The Museum of Ethnography building, originally the Galician Savings Bank, was built between 1889 and 1891 by the same architect. The dome is crowned with the unique seated sculpture ‘Thrift’ (often called the Lviv Statue of Liberty), created by sculptor Leonardo Marconi.

Present day

Both structures have retained their historical appearance and original functions. The main building continues to serve as the administrative and educational hub of the Lviv Polytechnic National University. The former savings bank building still houses the Museum of Ethnography and Art Crafts of the Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Location (map)

Address: 12 Stepana Bandery St (Lviv Polytechnic) and 15 Svobody Ave (Museum of Ethnography), Lviv, Ukraine

Coordinates: 49.835086, 24.014301
(Google Maps)

Coordinate source: Coordinates point to the main building of the Lviv Polytechnic Institute..

Questions and answers

• Which buildings are featured on the postcard? The postcard depicts two landmarks in Lviv: the main building of the Lviv Polytechnic Institute (left) and the Museum of Ethnography and Art Crafts (right).
• Who designed these buildings? Both buildings were designed by the prominent Lviv architect Julian Zachariewicz in the late 19th century.
• What sculpture crowns the dome of the museum? The dome is crowned by Leonardo Marconi’s sculptural group ‘Thrift’, commonly referred to as the Lviv Statue of Liberty.

See also

• Lviv postcards
• 1984 postcards

The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Lviv from 1984.