Friedrich Gustavovich Mikhelson (1840-1908) millionaire, was a member of the city duma, merchant of the 1st guild, a member of the Kyiv city duma. He was one of the ten richest citizens of Kyiv at the beginning of the 20th century. He owned brick and glass factories, a number of vast estates in the center of Kyiv (which practically formed a city within the city), as well as public baths, for which he became best known at that time. In the houses that he owned (on the streets of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Vladimirskaya, Pushkinskaya, Mikhail Kotsyubynsky and others), in addition to many residential apartments, there was also a city telegraph, a hotel, many educational institutions, government offices, shops, baths and much more.
Here is just an incomplete list of houses that belonged to Mikhelson:
– st. Fundukleevskaya, 10 (B. Khmelnitsky St.),
– estate No. 23/27 on the corner of Vladimirskaya and Sofiyskaya streets (opposite Sofia Kievskaya),
– st. Timofeevskaya, 12 (Mikhail Kotsyubinsky St.),
– st. Pushkinskaya, 40,
– baths on the corner of Novo-Elizavetinskaya (Pushkinskaya) and Shulyavskaya (Karavaevskaya),
– Mikhelson estate – st. Pushkinskaya, 35-37,
– apartment building – st. Vladimirskaya, 47.
Of greatest interest is the complex of apartment buildings on Pushkinskaya Street 35-37 (Mikhelson himself lived on Pushkinskaya 40), which were built from 1884 to 1890. Work began in 1884 according to the design of the architect Viktor Sychugov, who at that time had already successfully implemented many projects in Kyiv and Russia. The houses of the complex were built of brick, Neo-Renaissance style. Subsequently, the architect Nikolai Dobachevsky, who by that time had become famous thanks to his participation in the construction of the Panama Canal, became the head of the construction; a little later he designed “baron’s castle” (Podgorsky’s house) in Kyiv. Upon completion of the work, Mikhelson’s complex of houses consisted of 2 three-story buildings combined along the facade and 2 outbuildings of the same number of storeys combined behind them.
After the 1919 revolution, all of Mikhelson’s real estate, as well as all others, was nationalized by the Soviet government. In 1934-1935, the houses of the complex were built on one floor to increase the living space. Repair and restoration of buildings was carried out only once during their entire existence – after the devastating consequences for Kyiv of the Great Patriotic War. As of 2018, the owner of the Mikhelson house complex on Pushkinskaya is Dom na Pushkinskaya LLC, and the developer is the NEST company. The NEST company specializes in restoring architectural monuments, filling them with new meaning and functionality. Unfortunately, due to protracted bureaucratic procedures, the start date for the restoration of buildings is constantly being postponed, and at this time the architectural monument is being destroyed literally before our eyes…
Where is the complex of houses of Friedrich Michelson?
Pushkinskaya street, 35-37