House with Cats, Art Nouveau residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The House with Cats is a four-story residential building with a green and white facade in Art Nouveau style, featuring numerous decorative cat sculptures, owl figures, and mascarons along its walls and windows. The ground floor is occupied by commercial spaces while the upper floors remain residential units.
Engineer-architect Vladimir Bessmertny designed the building in 1909 for Colonel Fyodor Yagimovsky, incorporating both Art Nouveau and Gothic architectural elements. The combination of these styles was unusual at the time and reflected the modern taste of the wealthy family.
The building is recognized as a Ukrainian cultural heritage site with symbolic decorations where cats serve as protectors and owls represent knowledge. These animal motifs shape its appearance and show how decorative elements held deeper meaning for residents.
The building is located at 23 Hoholivska Street in Kyiv and is easily accessible from the street for viewing the facade. Visitors can best observe the animal sculptures and decorative details in daylight.
The building displays two green-eyed cats on its central facade beside a large arched window, while a chimera crowns its peak. These asymmetrical elements make it a notable example of how decorative figures were playfully used in the urban landscape.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
