Julian Zakharevich’s bookcase: between design and implementation

The main building of Lviv Polytechnic National University is a monument of national importance. The library bookcase, designed by Julian Zakharevich, serves as an authentic interior element of the period library, created during the same period as the main building. This unique work of art represents a remarkable example of carpentry, architectural, and sculptural craftsmanship. The relevance of this study lies in emphasising the necessity of recognising and documenting the bookcase as a large-scale monument of cultural and artistic craftsmanship.

The article investigates the historical context of the bookcase’s design and construction, the search for archival sources, and the current state of preservation. The principal archival discovery is an article by Julian Zakharevich published in the journal Dźwignia (March 1880), which describes the process of constructing the bookcase and includes its original design drawings. A comparative analysis of these drawings, archival photographs, and the existing bookcase revealed both correspondences and discrepancies. The bookcase’s complex frame-based construction was confirmed, though the side section is absent in the drawings, and the decorative elements are rendered schematically. The most notable difference concerns the mascarons: while the drawings depict lion heads, the executed design features alternating portrait mascarons of Julian Zakharevich and Leonard Marconi.

The bookcase, over 20 metres long and double-tiered with mezzanines and staircases, exemplifies the integration of architectural and artistic expression. Its elaborate Neo-Renaissance ornamentation – capitals, grape clusters, and mascarons reflects both aesthetic refinement and technical mastery. The work stands as evidence of the high level of woodworking skill in Western Ukraine during the second half of the nineteenth century. It embodies the cultural respect accorded to books and knowledge.