The Presidential Office Building () is an architectural monument of

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, the capital of

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. The building is the main office of the

Office of the President of Ukraine The Office of the President of Ukraine (, ), formerly the ''Administration of the President of Ukraine'' ( ), is a standing advisory body set up by the President of Ukraine pursuant to clause 28, Article 106 of the Constitution of Ukraine. The ...

and of the

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, ( NSDCU; , ''RNBOU'') or RNBO, is the coordinating state body of the executive power under the President of Ukraine on issues of national security and defense. It is a state agency tasked wi ...

. It is located at 11 Bankova vulytsia and was initially a reconstruction of the Kyiv Military District headquarters that was built sometime in the 1870s to Oleksandr Shile's design. The building is considered the peak of an architectural artistic work and was built after all government institutions of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

were transferred to Kyiv from

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

History

The building was built in 1936-39 by the design of the Kharkiv architect Serhiy Grigoriev for the headquarters of the Kyiv Special Military District. The author of the design was able organically unite elements of a classical style and

Ukrainian Baroque Ukrainian Baroque (), also known as Cossack Baroque () or Mazepa Baroque, is an style (visual arts), artistic style that was widespread in Ukraine in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was the result of a combination of local traditions and Europea ...

. First that may strike visitors it is the unbelievable thickness of building's walls. Specialists explain that it was due to restrictions to build administrative buildings in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

of the 1930s, which forced to dodge it by building a new structure on the already existing foundation. The new design made a great use of the symmetric campuses of the previous Shile's design of the 1870s. The new building was considered a reconstruction with some new elements. Its wings were extended, while in the center was formed a special composition — massive risalit with an inserted colonnade of the great

Corinthian order The Corinthian order (, ''Korinthiakós rythmós''; ) is the last developed and most ornate of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Ancient Roman architecture, Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric or ...

. The governing monumentality of the building is underlined by a heavy

entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...

along with a glazed

stylobate In classical Greek architecture, a stylobate () is the top step of the crepidoma, the stepped platform upon which colonnades of temple columns are placed (it is the floor of the temple). The platform was built on a leveling course that fl ...

of a polished grey tint

labradorite Labradorite (( Ca, Na)( Al, Si)4 O8) is a calcium-enriched feldspar mineral first identified in Labrador, Canada, which can display an iridescent effect ( schiller). Labradorite is an intermediate to calcic member of the plagioclase series. It ...

("under coat"). The front entrance of the building is flanked by four rock spheres. The architect planned the design to such extent considering all the details that the big building regardless of being located on a narrow street not only did not squashed its surroundings, but also is well observed from all points: from the Instytutska and Lutheranska vulytsi, from the neighboring Franko Square and the remotely located Mykhailiv Square. In its courtyard are located a dining hall, a laundry room, cleaners, a printing house etc.

References

External links

*
Information about the building at the presidential website, including photos and a slide show

''Our 20. Year 1991''
"Inter" {{Presidency of Ukraine Government buildings in Ukraine Buildings and structures in Kyiv Pecherskyi District Government buildings completed in 1939 Neoclassical architecture in Kyiv