Description of the attraction
Manor Balabukh - this is the name of several buildings built at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries by the whole dynasty of Kiev confectioners Balabukh. This family has long been known for its monopoly on the production of candied fruits (popularly known as “Kiev dry jam”), which visitors bought as an original souvenir. The founder of the monopoly was the entrepreneur Semyon Balabukha, but he has nothing to do with the estate itself.
The history of the estate began with the fact that a descendant of the founder of the dynasty Semyon Balabukha - Nikolay Balabukha acquired a plot in Podil. On the territory of the site there was a large garden and two non-residential buildings, in which production workshops were equipped. Later, new buildings were added to the estate, surprisingly combining the features of the original and unique style of the Ukrainian baroque, which was half-forgotten by that time, and the then newfangled classicism. These buildings were also used for both housing and business. So, the first floor of a two-story building, which overlooked Aleksandrovskaya Street, was set aside for a store in which the factory's products were sold. It is also noteworthy that this house was erected in 1839 by the famous architect L. Stanzani. when Nikolai Balabukha died, his business passed to his eldest son Arkady Balabukha, who inherited not only the factory and shop, but the estate itself, thus continuing the family traditions.
The younger brother of Arkady Balabukha, Alexander Balabukha, a former official, was also involved in the creation and distribution of dry and syrup jam. His estate was located at the intersection of Spasskaya and Mezhygorskaya streets. Here, in addition to the two-story corner house in which the store was located, there were four more buildings in the courtyard, where braziers and ovens stood.
