On archival photos you can see not only how Shulyavka and Poznyaky looked like 100 years ago, but also learn what was going on in one of the oldest streets Mezhyhirska for centuries.
This was reported on the Facebook-page "Spraga: it is interesting in Kyiv".
This street was first mentioned in the XVIII century, in documents dated 1753 and 1754.
Its name came from the name of Mezhygirsky Cossack monastery (Cossack Lavra). It was the place where the Cossacks discussed important issues in the presence of the archimandrite.
The history of the monastery's establishment is quite interesting. It was built back in the times of Volodymyr the Great. Then in XV century, struggling to avoid internecine conflicts in Kyiv and frequent enemy attacks, a few monks returned to this territory. They dug caves on one of the hills and built a small wooden church, named after St. Nicholas.
Over time, new novices and monks joined the monastery, and Mezhigirsky filled with people. At the beginning of the XVI century the monastery became well settled and organized. Bohdan Khmelnitsky, visiting Mezhyhirsky, allocated funds, and became its benefactor.
After a Great fire of Podil in 1811, Mezhyhirska Street was reconstructed and renamed to Konstantynivska Street, but more than half a century later, in 1869, the previous name was returned. And the parralel street got the name Konstantynivska Street, because it was closer to the church of Constantine and Helen.
In old Kyiv guidebooks, which were published at the beginning of the last century, the street was divided into two parts. The one that went from Kontraktova Square to the Lower and Upper Vals (Shafts) was considered more civilized and tidy. With elegant large houses, sewage systems and better paving stones. However, the northern part of Mezhyhirska (beyond the Val) looked quite different. It was a place where poor people and families of workers with low social status lived.
After the Bolsheviks came to power, Mezhyhirska Street, like many other places in the capital, lost its name. Thus, during 1919-1944 it was named after the Jewish writer Yitzhak Leib Peretz (1851-1915).
In the following years, Mezhyhirska Street was a rather poor street, with wooden toilets in the courtyards and barracks. It also housed numerous food stalls with a small assortment of goods and keg beer.
Earlier we published archival photos from the first celebration of Kyiv Day and wrote about how Andriyivsky Descent became "Kyiv's Montmartre".