Vul. Samchuka, 14 – Lviv Polytechnic National University's sports building

The idea to create a battle painting depicting The Battle of Racławice belonged to the Polish artist Jan Styka (CDIAL 75/1/1:1). In 1893 the artist announced his plans to the public, inducing that such a panorama would become an embellishment of the upcoming General Regional Exhibition (Powszecha Wystawa Krajowa) that was to open in the next 1894 year in Stryiskyi park. This idea was supported, and a special Committee of the Racławice Panorama Construction was formed (CDIAL 75/1/1:1-5). Therefore, a special building was needed, and a Lviv-based architect Ludwik Baldwin-Ramult designed a project (CDIAL /75/1/1:1-2). The construction was finished on July 1, 1893.

To paint the panorama, Jan Styka also invited a battle painter Wojciech Kossak for cooperation. On March 10, 1893 the Panorama Committee signed an agreement with both of the artists (CDIAL 75/1/1:1-5). Battle painter Zygmunt Rozwadowski, landscape painter Ludwik Boller and other masters were involved in the creation of the Racławice Panorama as well (Мельник, 2008, 115). On May 1, 1894 the work was completed and approved by the artistic committee which included Józef Brandl, count Wojciech Dzieduszycki, Ludwik Kubała, Władysław Łoziński, and Julian Zachariewicz (CDIAL 75/1/2:3).

The panorama had a circular outline, was 115 m long, and 15 m high. It depicted the culmination scene of the 1794 Battle of Racławice between Polish and Russian troops.

The Panorama Committee took care of the panorama till 1912 when it got into financial trouble. The Committee even considered the sale of the painting, at first to Warsaw, later to the USA. But, the Lviv's magistrate made a decision to buy it, and bought it together with its building for 75,000 krones. The contract was dated January 26, 1912 (CDIAL 75/1/2:2).

The panorama was repaired and restored many times during 1894-1912 before it was transferred to the city ownership. Most substantial repairs were made in 1908, and they costed 7,500 krones. All in all, over 18 years 15,697.13 krones were spent on for its restoration (CDIAL 75/1/4:2).

The panorama remained in the city’s possession till World War II. Military actions caused partial destructions to it. In 1944 during the bombardment of Lviv by the Soviet aviation a bomb hit the building, destroying its roof and the upper story (Путівник, 2003, 242). The canvas was also damaged considerably. It was restored, and dismantled later. It was kept in chests placed in the Bernardine monastery until 1946 when it was moved to Wroclaw, Poland. It is exhibited till today in a specially built pavilion (Путівник, 2003, 242; Lwów. Ilustrowany przewodnik, 2001, 185).

The building remained in the destroyed condition up till the end of 1960s when it was handed over to Lviv Polytechnic Institute for being adapted into a sports building.

Today, the Department of Physical Culture of Lviv Polytechnic National University is located in the building. Students successfully participate in World and European Championships, national championships. The leading sportsmen of the university are international-grade masters of sports Halyna Dobrieva, Anna Pechenko, Taras Seniuk, track and field athlete Dmytro Demyaniuk, karateka Natalia Mutyna, oarsman Vitaliy Verhelyuk, rugby player Markiyan Hrabovskyi. Picked teams in badminton, volleyball (women), basketball, handball, aerobics, boxing, table tennis have reached a high level. Experienced specialists deal with their training: Arnold Prokhorov, Anatoliy Zaverykin, Viktor Koriahin, Ivan Kozak, Borys Yasynskyi, Borys Okup.