Vul. Hrekova, 1 – former sports building

ID: 2165

The sports facility occupies a corner of the building site. The main entrance – currently not in use – faces General Hrekov Street, with the southern façade overlooking Veterans’ Street. The building is comprised of two separate sections which were constructed at different times. The original, single-story premises was designed by Juliusz Hochberger, and went up between 1889 and 1891. The more recent, west-facing, two-story addition to the original structure was completed in 1960. The building contains two sections devoted to athletic training: the large hall, principally used for handball and indoor soccer; and the small hall, designated for weight training. The newer building houses administration offices.

History

Juliusz Hochberger drew up the design for a modern, multi-purpose sports facility which would be constructed between 1889-1891 (Lviv Oblast State Archive – 2/1166/339). The building was designed primarily to house a riding school. In the 1950s, it served as the home for the “PrykVO” (SKA) athletic club. In 1960, a new addition was constructed, enlarging the facility (see, facility administrative files). Beginning in 1962, the building served as the “home” arena for the SKA handball team of the USSR Premier Handball League. Prominent players from those teams include Oleksandr Kozhukhov, Volodymyr Shanin, Anatoly Potapov, Ihor Helesh, Valery Savko, and Yarema Zubrytskyi. For a period during the 1990s, the “Kolos” indoor soccer squad, managed by Hryhoriy Brunets, played its Ukrainian League matches here. Standouts from that club include Roman Korin, Yuri Kudynov, Serhiy Koltsun, Andriy Savran, Genadiy Chuhunok, Ihor Pikh, and Yaroslav Mostovyi.

Gymnastics, volleyball, fencing, and karate training and competitions also take place on the grounds. Annually, the hall plays host to the “Bagira” international artistic gymnastics championships. The eminent Ukrainian karate school “Union”, headed by international karate master and trainer of the Ukrainian national team Anton Nikulin, trains at the facility. In 2012, the school was honorably represented at the Karate World Championships in Paris by Stanislav and Jaroslav Horun and Oleg Fylypovych.

Weightlifters from the club have also achieved notable success. 1969 World Weight Lifting Champion Vladyslav Kryshchyshyn trained here, as did world record-holders Adam Hnativ, Volodymyr Voytsekhovskyi, and Oleksandr Ponomarenko. Boxing tournaments were also held at the hall, with fights featuring the likes of Myron Mukha, Anatoly Nykytenko, Petro Vasyliuk, Yuri Tkhorovskyi, Leonid Shaposhnykov, Rostyslav Zaulychnyi, and Andriy Kotelnyk enjoying wide popularity.

Architecture

This multi-purpose gym is comprised of two separate sections constructed in different years. The older, larger, one-story, rectangular construction is set on an east-west axis at the rear of a large courtyard. The main – eastern – façade holds the original main entrance (currently not in use) and faces General Hrekov Street. The southern façade overlooks Veterans’ Street. South-facing clerestory windows provide natural light to the large hall, (95 x 45 m) used primarily for team sports. The building’s northern façade borders the neighboring residential area. Here a side entrance admits to the smaller, elongated hall (60 x 30 m) where weight-training facilities are housed.

Bleachers line the northern and southern interior walls of the large hall, and the building is topped by a gabled roof. Originally, the building was to serve as a riding school, and the exterior walls are decorated in an Italian Renaissance motif (Linda, 2008, 278). A more recently constructed, two-story administrative center adjoins the original structure from the west.

Personalities

Juliusz Hochberger. Architect responsible for the design of the original riding school.

Volodymyr Shanin. Prominent handball player from the SKA squad, ca. 1964-1980.

Anatoly Potapov. Prominent handball player from the SKA squad, ca. 1970-1984.

Hryhoriy Brunets. Manager of the “Kolos” indoor-football team.

Anton Nikulin. Karateka, international karate master, trainer of Ukrainian national karate team.

Vladyslav Kryshchyshyn. Weightlifter, 1969 World Champion.

Leonid Shaposhnykov. Boxer, 1973 European Champion.

Sources

Kordiak, Julian. Champions Live in Lviv: Article Abstracts. Lviv: Kamenyar Publishing, 1980. 23. Print.

Linda, Svitlana. “Architectural Historicism (1840s-1890s).” Architecture of Lviv: Times and Styles. Lviv: Center of Europe Publishing, 2008. 277-278. Print.

Lviv Oblast State Archive – Volume 2, Register 4, Case 5405, page 339. Print.

Sports Facility Administrative Files. Print.

Architektura Lwowa XIX w. (Krakow: Antyka, 1999). 82. Print.