UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Jun. 16 — On Jun. 14, a Russian drone hit a building of the Kharkiv Art Museum. The attack also damaged the nearest 19th-century building across from the museum — it was the house of Lidiia Holoperova, said Ivan Ponomarenko, a local historian, to Gwara Media.

According to the historian, Pavlo Holoperov, a local nobleman, bought the territory in central Kharkiv for his daughter Lidiia, and the house was built in 1888-1890. The house had 18 rooms and was decorated with stucco moldings, parquet flooring, and Dutch stoves. Some of the stucco moldings have survived to this day.

The local dental clinic operated in the building until the end of the 2000s.

The building has been abandoned for over 15 years. Following Russian missile attacks in March 2022, its original windows and doors were damaged. This made gaining access to the building easier — both its facade and interior space has become a ground for street and graffiti artists, said Ponomarenko.

He also noted that the building is not on Kharkiv’s list of architectural landmarks:

“Since it does not have protected status, it’s fair to say that, without the support of city officials or responsible investors, this historic piece in the city center is destined to disappear.”

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