Chernivtsi City Hall is one of the most important and most beautiful buildings in the city. From its skyward-looking tower, which rises above the central square of the city for more than a century and a half, a panoramic view of the city and the Prut River valley opens up. From this tower, firefighters have watched over the city’s tranquility for decades, and the building itself has been the site of many momentous decisions for the city.
The Chernivtsi Town Hall was erected in 1843-1847 according to the project of the German engineer Adolf Martin. However, in order for the spacious Rynok Square, as Central Square used to be called nowadays, to be decorated with this beautiful and imposing building, the engineer Martin had to make a lot of efforts. For 18 years, he convinced the authorities that one of the most important buildings in the city should be built exactly where it can be seen now, and not on a high cliff above the Prut River on the outskirts of the city.
Thanks to the efforts of the engineer, after the appearance of the Town Hall in the middle of the XIX century, the square acquired a completed, harmonious, truly European look. In the course of time, the Central Square gained the status of one of the best architectural ensembles in the city, in which the beautiful structure in the style of late classicism played a major role.
Initially it was planned that the building would be two-storied, but during the construction it was decided to erect three floors. As a result, the building turned out to be really representative, thoughtful and luxurious. One of the peculiarities of the town hall is that the building is decorated with not one, but two clocks. The tower clocks were installed immediately during the construction of the building, and the clock above the front entrance was donated by the mayor A. Kohanovsky, one of the most famous and respected politicians in the history of Chernivtsi, he headed Bukovina from 1866 to 1892.
The architectural element that gives the Town Hall its originality is a 50-meter tower with a clock and a viewing platform,
which can be reached by a twisted staircase inside the building. For a long time the tower served as a place from which firefighters monitored the order in the city: if there was a fire somewhere, they hung a red flag over the tower, and at night they lit the lights on the side where the disaster occurred, and the citizens of Chernivtsi knew where to run to help those in trouble. Until the beginning of the last century, the spire of the tower was crowned with a gilded sculpture of a double-headed eagle — the symbol of Austria-Hungary, but the events that took place at that time led to the loss of this landmark: the original sculpture was taken to Russia, and its wooden copy — to Prague.
The former residence of metropolitans, the Town Hall are the main architectural sights of Chernivtsi along with other important and magnificent old buildings. Every guest of the city, coming to visit the Town Hall, this building is an integral part of the history of the city, the main element in the architectural ensemble of the Central Square. The tradition created in 2004 also attracts tourists: every day at 12 o’clock a trumpeter dressed in Bukovina folk costume comes to the balcony of the Town Hall and plays «Marichka» to all four corners of the world.
The Town Hall building will certainly be interesting to see for any visitor of the city, many residents even call it the heart of Chernivtsi, and it is impossible to know the city without touching its heart.