Old Kyiv in the pictures of Franz Mezer: unique photos taken more than 100 years ago

The famous photographer Franz Mezer went down in history as the man who took incredible pictures of old Kyiv. Thanks to his work, we can see the city as it was more than 100 years ago.

The old photo of the master was published in the community "TyKyiv" on the social network Facebook. The album with his works is still kept at the Vernadsky National Scientific Library.

"His photographs show the capital of the last century, and hundreds of thousands of negatives reflect the lives of two generations of Kyivans. Photographer Franz Meser came to Kyiv from Volyn, became interested in photography, and became one of the most successful artists of his time," the statement reads.

The photographer's studio on Khreshchatyk actually produced over 100,000 negatives and more than half a million prints. His earnings were so high that Franz Mezer built his own hotel in the city center. His friends and clients included Lesшa Ukrainka, Lev Shestov, Ukrainian intellectuals, and even members of royal families. However, his favorite work was not a portrait.

"The artist adored taking pictures of Kyiv. In his studio, he presented albums with photographs of the city made by himself. Fortunately, we can see them as well," the community added.

Franciszek Kazimierz Mezer is a Kyiv-based artist and photographer. He taught drawing at the Kyiv Institute of Noble Girls. He had the official status of a photographer at St. Volodymyr's University in Kyiv. He went down in history as a master of high-quality photographs of old Kyiv.

As a reminder, there are many ways to look into the history of Kyiv and see its beauty. In particular, through the paintings of Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Khvostenko-Khvostov, in which he preserved the city's landscapes of the 1950s.

The capital's river Lybid was mentioned in the chronicles of Kyivan Rus in 968. In the 1950s, its channel was not yet hidden by concrete slabs, and a road bridge was built in Vydubychi to allow cars to cross it.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Darnytsia railway station in Kyiv was built in the late 19th century, turning the area into a famous vacation spot and summer cottage. The building itself looked like a fairy-tale house thanks to its interior and the surrounding forest.

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