Zaporizhzhia

Oleksandrivsk Girl’s High School building

Buildings

Description

  • The building of the former women's gymnasium has a distinctive style solution, neo-Renaissance. The two-storey building was built during 1902-1903. The contractors were the Minaev brothers, owners of the brick-and-tile plants. The public building of the Old Alexander House is a valuable monument of architecture and history.

In the public building of the Old Alexander House, it is a typologically valuable monument of educational purpose, with distinctive stylistic features, and a memorial of history related to the revolutionary events of the early 1920s.

In terms of style, the building is a prime example of the architecture of late historicism (eclecticism), during which time the most used features of "brick" style. The composition of the main facade of the two-storey building, which has a T-shape, repeats the classic forms of administrative and educational institutions of the XIX century: central-axial, with a wide projection of risolite, accentuated by an attic parapet and a wide arched portal of the main entrance with the outlined parapet of the stairs of the building. The lateral rhizolites, franked by wide corner posts, give it balance. Arched window openings create a clear vertical rhythm, and the harshness of the composition significantly softens the richness of decorative details, which combine elements of neo-Renaissance and neo-Russian style, made, like the plane of the facade, made of high-quality rough ceramic brick. The decoration of the side facades is similar to the main one.
The building of the women's gymnasium has been preserved to this day almost in its original form, while only the spherical roof over the central entrance was destroyed.

In the public building of the Old Alexander House, it is a typologically valuable monument of educational purpose, with distinctive stylistic features, and a memorial of history related to the revolutionary events of the early 1920s.

In terms of style, the building is a prime example of the architecture of late historicism (eclecticism), during which time the most used features of "brick" style. The composition of the main facade of the two-storey building, which has a T-shape, repeats the classic forms of administrative and educational institutions of the XIX century: central-axial, with a wide projection of risolite, accentuated by an attic parapet and a wide arched portal of the main entrance with the outlined parapet of the stairs of the building. The lateral rhizolites, franked by wide corner posts, give it balance. Arched window openings create a clear vertical rhythm, and the harshness of the composition significantly softens the richness of decorative details, which combine elements of neo-Renaissance and neo-Russian style, made, like the plane of the facade, made of high-quality rough ceramic brick. The decoration of the side facades is similar to the main one.
The building of the women's gymnasium has been preserved to this day almost in its original form, while only the spherical roof over the central entrance was destroyed.

How to get there?

By public transport to the stop «Maidan University» Nearby: Oleksandrivsk Railway Station of Catherine Railway, Power Station, Hospital Hospice Hospital GB Bera, Zaporizhzhya Regional Museum

And also nearby

HISTORY

  • The building was built during 1902-1903. The contractors were the Minaev brothers, the owners of the brick-and-tile plants.

The chief architect of the city, Fadey Pekutovsky, was responsible for the construction, as well as the authorship of the project.

In order to become a high school student, the students passed exams in Russian, mathematics and the Law of God. Not all were so rigidly selected, statistics show: for example, in 1904, out of 125 applicants, only 48 girls were admitted.
The women's gymnasium was only 17 years old. From 1920, the headquarters of the 30th Rifle Division, which arrived from the Urals to the Southern Front to fight the Wrangel, was housed in the women's gymnasium. From October 1920 to April 1921, the division was part of the 4th Army, participated in the liberation of the region from the Wrangel, in the Perekop-Chongar operation, in the capture of the Crimea, in the battles with the Makhno Rebel Army.
In May 1921, it housed the 1058th evacuation hospital, it was during these times that the entire gymnasium garden was cut down. In 1926 the house was transferred to Zaporizhzhya Pedagogical College.
In the 1950s and 1970s, a comprehensive school No. 65 was housed here, and only in 1979 did the Zaporozhye Pedagogical Institute return this building. First there was the faculty of physical education, then - the historical one. Since 1987, the Biology Faculty of Zaporizhzhya National University has been housed here,

The chief architect of the city, Fadey Pekutovsky, was responsible for the construction, as well as the authorship of the project.

In order to become a high school student, the students passed exams in Russian, mathematics and the Law of God. Not all were so rigidly selected, statistics show: for example, in 1904, out of 125 applicants, only 48 girls were admitted.
The women's gymnasium was only 17 years old. From 1920, the headquarters of the 30th Rifle Division, which arrived from the Urals to the Southern Front to fight the Wrangel, was housed in the women's gymnasium. From October 1920 to April 1921, the division was part of the 4th Army, participated in the liberation of the region from the Wrangel, in the Perekop-Chongar operation, in the capture of the Crimea, in the battles with the Makhno Rebel Army.
In May 1921, it housed the 1058th evacuation hospital, it was during these times that the entire gymnasium garden was cut down. In 1926 the house was transferred to Zaporizhzhya Pedagogical College.
In the 1950s and 1970s, a comprehensive school No. 65 was housed here, and only in 1979 did the Zaporozhye Pedagogical Institute return this building. First there was the faculty of physical education, then - the historical one. Since 1987, the Biology Faculty of Zaporizhzhya National University has been housed here,

INTERESTING FACTS

  • During World War II, according to witnesses' recollections, the headquarters of the German group of the Army of the South, Manstein Erich von Levinski, were housed in the building of the modern Third Training Corps. The latter mentioned that in 1943 Adolf Hitler himself came here.
  • Earlier to the left of the building was a cemetery, on which, among others, were buried the well-known figure of Alexander education, the archeologist, ethnographer Yakov Novitsky and the Cossack of Platnirovsky kuren, the last koshiv of the Zaporozhye Zadunay Sich Osip Gladky. His grave is still in the campus of the university.
  • During World War II, according to witnesses' recollections, the headquarters of the German group of the Army of the South, Manstein Erich von Levinski, were housed in the building of the modern Third Training Corps. The latter mentioned that in 1943 Adolf Hitler himself came here.
  • Earlier to the left of the building was a cemetery, on which, among others, were buried the well-known figure of Alexander education, the archeologist, ethnographer Yakov Novitsky and the Cossack of Platnirovsky kuren, the last koshiv of the Zaporozhye Zadunay Sich Osip Gladky. His grave is still in the campus of the university.