Wooden Constructivism Under the Shovel: One Historic House Destroyed in Grodno, Another Targeted
Grodno is losing unique examples of interwar wooden architecture. In a short period, the city lost a historic building on Asipenka Street, for which local historians had fought for several years, and began dismantling the well-known green house at the intersection of Mickiewicz and Metropolitan Filaret streets. Both objects face a similar fate: "copies" are promised to be erected in their place, which are unlikely to preserve the authentic spirit of the originals.
The End of the "Teachers' Colony"
House No. 3 on Asipenka Street, a building from the 1930s, was part of a unique ensemble of the so-called "Teachers' Colony" — a complex of residential buildings constructed in the style of wooden constructivism for teachers of the neighboring school.
Until 2015, the house remained residential and was in perfectly satisfactory condition, including an ideal basement floor. However, utility services declared it unsuitable, and in March 2019, demolition began: workers managed to remove the roof. At that time, Grodno historian Mieczysław Supron managed to perform a miracle: he gained an audience with the then chairman of the city executive committee, Mieczysław Hoj, and literally 10 minutes before its final destruction, stopped the machinery.
The authorities promised to put the house up for auction to give it a chance for salvation. But without a roof, the building stood for several years under rain and snow, gradually losing its resources. Finally, at the end of 2022, the plot was put up for auction with a new condition: not for preserving the original, but for designing and constructing a new house with the requirement to "restore the facades in the style of wooden architecture" using wood and preserving proportions.
And so, on March 26, 2026, Mieczysław Supron announced on his Facebook page: the house was finally demolished. The story of its salvation ended with the physical destruction of an architectural monument.
Hotel Instead of Authenticity on Mickiewicz Street
Almost simultaneously, work began on another significant object — the wooden green house at the intersection of Mickiewicz and Metropolitan Filaret streets. This prominent building stood empty for a long time until it was purchased by a private company.
As reported by the Newgrodno.by portal, it was initially planned to preserve the house and harmoniously integrate it into the volume of the new building. However, the investor recently declared the building dilapidated, and it will now be completely dismantled. A three-story hotel with 21 rooms and a restaurant on the ground floor will appear on the site of the historic structure.
The developer promises that the new edifice will be built "in the same style." However, the Urban Hrodna Telegram channel notes that the published projects significantly differ from the original: the volume of the future building will significantly increase, and it is no longer possible to speak of an exact restoration of the historical appearance.
The practice of replacing authentic buildings with modern "copies" with increased areas gradually erases the historical fabric of Grodno, most of which is either not protected or only formally recognized as valuable.
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