One of the most beautiful buildings in the city is rightfully considered to be the famous Shah Palace. Interesting stories and rumors are connected with it, and the architectural appearance of this attraction of Odessa stands out against the background of other mansions and palace buildings due to the style chosen by the author uncharacteristic for the urban development of that time.
The Shah Palace was built in 1852 by Polish architect Felix Gonsioronovsky on the place where it was planned to build a military hospital. The picturesque place above a high cliff was an inspiration for many architects dreaming to build here another masterpiece that would decorate Odessa, but the construction of the hospital was planned here since 1794. For some reason, the construction under the direction of F.P. Devolan was so delayed that in the middle of the XIX century the half-built building was dismantled. That’s when the dream of one of Odessa architects, who used this prestigious place in the best possible way, came true.
The sea facade of Odessa, Gogol Street and Boulevard of Arts was decorated with a magnificent palace, reminiscent of the era of the English knights. F. Gonsioronovsky was a fan of neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance, and perfectly embodied his architectural tastes in this project.
The two-story castle was built of coquina and faced with Inkerman stone. In plan the building looks like a letter «G», formed by two buildings — northern and eastern, facing Gogol Street and fenced from it by a high metal grating. The northern building is oriented towards the sea.
As it is supposed to be a castle, this building is maximally shielded from the outside world, and powerful walls with elegantly imitated fortress buttresses, lancet windows and arches, toothed octagonal towers, giving the impression of impregnability, stylistically complete this unique architectural composition, inspired by the early English Gothic and French Middle Ages. There is no second such building in Odessa. The architect, having built this palace, brought something completely new and inimitable, unique for these regions, to the image of the city.
Until 1910 the castle belonged to the family of Polish noblemen Brzozowski, for whom it was built. The Brzozowski’s were a mysterious and very closed family, they lived their own life, they were arrogant and cold people. Then the castle became the property of another Polish aristocrat — Count Joseph Schenbeck. But the Count practically did not live here and leased the castle to the former Shah Mohammed Ali, who fled after the coup in Iran, deposed from the throne and exiled from his native country.
With the move to the Shah’s castle, the most interesting period in his history begins. The Shah, despite his origins and connections, was a man of cheerfulness and fun. According to rumors, for the amusement of the inhabitants of the city, he even sometimes threw from the balcony, which was on the first floor (overlooking Gogol Street), guilty wives from his harem. And when the Shah went to the city, he bestowed gifts on everyone he met. The Shah gained the love and respect of the Odessans, who have since come to call the castle no other than the Shah’s Castle. The Shah left Odessa in 1920, and since then the House of Folk Art was established here.
For almost two centuries of history, the appearance of the Shah’s Palace has remained almost unchanged, but almost all the original interiors have been lost, except for the grand staircase and the lobby. Tile stoves and marble fireplaces, parquet floors and other beautiful details of the interior decoration have passed into the past, but the appearance of the castle is still as romantic, mysterious and beautiful.
Today in the building of the Shah Palace on Gogol Street, 2, is located the office of one of the leading banks in Ukraine, but for those who spend a vacation in Odessa and want to see this famous landmark, it is possible to visit it with an excursion.