Rivne – This edifice was the town’s trademark back in the 18th-19th centuries, and even in early 20th century However, the citizens of Rivne were only able to see Lubomirski Palace as a model exhibited at the Rivne Museum of Local History.
“The exhibit is mainly represented by unique photographs of this ancient palace, taken in late 19th and early 20th centuries. It also includes drawings and documents both from archives and the citizens’ private collections,” says Viktor Luts, director of the arts department of the museum and the mastermind behind the exhibit.
“This exhibit is the first successful attempt to gather all the available materials concerning the now nonexistent Lubomirski Palace. Besides the general depictions of the palace, one can see here some unique pictures showing the dramatic pages of its history, in particular the ruinous fire of 1927, which effectively defined its further fate.”
The unique exhibits include a copy of the Rivne master plan of 1797, showing all the elements of the residence, park pavilions, and other buildings on its premises in detail. Petro Rychkov, doctor of architecture, stumbled across this curious document at the Russian State Historical Archive of Saint Petersburg.
Also displayed are the drawings made by contemporaries struck by the beauty of the palace, in particular, by Napoleon Orda; a graphic reconstruction of the palace by the architect Olha Mykhailynyn; and the model of the edifice by the physicist Yevhen Malynovsky, alongside with rare editions from the 18th and 19th centuries of the Lubomirski private palace library, bearing the autographs of their owners.
The visitors could also read impressions and descriptions of the palace by famous writers, such as Panteleimon Kulish of Ukraine and Volodymyr Korolenko of Russia. By the way, it is in the cellars of this very castle that Korolenko’s story Children of the Underground (“Bad company”) unfolds.
We would like to remind our readers that the famous Lubomirski Palace, comparable to the Sophiivka complex in Uman in terms of grandeur and beauty, was built in early 18th c., when Rivne belonged to the Lubomirski princely dynasty. Roughly once in thirty years, the palace was reconstructed, as its owners would closely follow the latest architectural trends. This is how Yaroslav Polishchuk describes the palace in his book Rivne: Traveling Through the Centuries:
“The palace was built on the largest of the islands, the Castle Isle, surrounded by the River Ustia. This part of the town was nicknamed Venice. The palace was surrounded by an artfully laid park with alleys lined by sculptures in classic style. A long bridge crossed the canal and the moat from the central gate.
“The original style was late baroque, with innumerable exterior and interior decorations, magnificent and harmonious proportions. Later, it was altered: the Polish architect Torszer modernized it in rococo; the French, Brouguillon, made it look more eclectic; finally, the last reconstruction changed its style to Empire. Thus, the palace survived almost into the mid-20th century, decaying and turning into a ruin.
“In times of its splendor, the contemporaries were unanimous in that there was a striking contrast between the fine beauty of the palace and the misery of town huts...”
In the early 1930s, the Polish authorities tried to restore the building so it might accommodate offices of the local government. However, while they were collecting the money, times changed, and the town fell into the hands of the Soviets.
The palace’s further fate is controversial. Some local historians maintain that in the early 1960s it was pulled down and used for construction materials (the old brick was famous for its high quality). Yet others will say that even before the Nazi occupation of Rivne the palace was blown up to start a new construction on its site.
Recently, the local public opinion has been spreading the idea of returning the Liubomyrsky Palace to this town, painfully lacking in historical and architectural monuments. Some local legislators and City Hall officers are in favor of this idea. The art critic Luts, the architect Rychkov, and the local historian and collector Vadym Ponomarenko believe that, it cannot take the form of an actual building, otherwise it will not be the Liubomyrsky Palace or a historical monument. However, it is necessary to remember that historical monuments should be handled with great care. The example of such attitude can be found in Lutsk, Rivne’s neighbor. For instance, on Khmelnytsky Street the facades of the old buildings were restored to a decent condition, rather than disfigured beyond recognition as elsewhere. Complex measures can help create a special aura for each individual street, which makes it especially appealing and is reminiscent of a city’s ancient history.
