The Lieberman mansion at 2 Bankova Street is a striking example of the development of the former aristocratic Lypky district in the very center of Kyiv.
The history of the mansion began in 1878, when General Fedir Trepov came to Kyiv. He invited one of the best architects, Vladimir Nikolaev, to build the house. When Trepov died a few years later, the estate passed into the possession of one of his sons, who settled with his family in the semi-basement and rented out the upper floor. Later, after receiving the high position of governor general, Trepov Jr. put the house up for sale. The owner of the luxurious mansion was Simha Liberman, the son of a prominent sugar entrepreneur and merchant.
At the time, the new owner of the building was one of the ten richest people in Kyiv. Later, after receiving the honorary title of merchant of the first guild, Simcha Liberman decided to rebuild the building in accordance with his new status and the needs of his family. It was then that many changes were made that have survived to this day. The left wing was added to the building, and the main staircase and facades were renovated. After the mansion was decorated with marble and granite, it looked like a real palace. According to the project, the house was divided into two parts - one housed business premises, and the other was used for living, including children's rooms, a bedroom, a living room, and an office. Owning three sugar factories, Lieberman had the opportunity to decorate the interiors in a truly royal manner. Magnificent ceilings and stucco moldings, a staircase with the owner's initials in Latin letters, and much more have survived to this day. The design of each room was based not only on practicality, but also on the requirements of all household members. Even then, there was steam heating. At a time when many people had the opportunity to bathe in hot water only on holidays, the Liebermans took a bath at any time. Another feature of the house is its richly decorated tiled stoves. Simcha Lieberman was a religious man, so Jewish symbols and signs on the stucco walls, ceilings, and stoves became an integral part of the interior. The materials used to create this interior included gilding, non-ferrous metals, and precious stones. The house also had its own prayer room.
The biggest mystery of the estate to this day is the sliding ceiling on the second floor. This room was used for ritual purposes during the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in the fall. According to the rite, Jews were supposed to live in a tent for a week and admire the starry sky. According to the current owners of the building, the sliding roof was discovered by accident when it collapsed during a meeting. Today, the ceiling is made tight and does not slide.
In 1917, Simcha Liberman died and the house became the property of the deceased's three children, but in the same year the estate was occupied by the counterintelligence of the Kyiv Military District headquarters. In the 1930s, the Okhmatdyt children's clinic was located here.
Since 1953, the estate has been the headquarters of the Writers' Union of Ukraine. It was in this house that a cohort of famous Ukrainian writers, including Ivan Drach, Lina Kostenko, Ivan Svitlychnyi, and many others, began their public activities.
On January 1, 2025, the building was damaged by the fall of debris from a Russian UAV.
