Mysterious and spooky at the same time, the Hesselbein House, better known among Kyivans as the "Cradle of the Spirit," has been attracting mysticism lovers for over a hundred years because of its unusual look and stories related to the construction of the house and the lives of its inhabitants.
The unusual house, located at 15 Gorodetsky Street, was built by architect Eduard Bradtman by order of the Prussian baron Wilhelm Hesselbein on the territory of the former Mering estate, the "Club of Native Kyivan" reported on Facebook.
The profitable house in the early Art Nouveau style was poetically named "The Cradle of the Spirit" because it hides many secrets.
The facade of the building is decorated with the head of Kronos (Saturn), and the ancient Greek legend about the birth of Zeus is encrypted in the marvelous stucco.
According to myth, Cronus devoured his young offspring so that they would not claim his limitless power. So after the birth of Cronus' youngest son Zeus, the Titanid Rhea hid the baby from his father. The figure of Rhea decorates the front entrance of the "Cradle of the Spirits". The heads of Korybantes, demons of the plant forces of the Earth, who according to legend beat drums to drown out the cries of little Zeus, also decorate the house.
In addition to the ancient characters, there are many flowers and plant ornaments on the facade of the building.
Historians say that the construction date, listed on the facade (1886-1948) is wrong, because in 1886 the manor was not yet under construction and was part of Mering estate. There is an assumption that the house was built somewhere between 1901 and 1903.
Another mystery that still surprises local historians is the fact that the building survived the fire on Khreshchatyk in 1941.
Despite the fact that modern signboards and plastic windows have significantly worsened the exterior of the building, the "Cradle of the Spirit" is still remains one of the most beautiful places in the capital.
Earlier we published archival photos and interesting facts about Mezhyhirska Street, one of the oldest streets in Kyiv.