The building of the former steam mill at Poshtova Ploshcha is a unique monument of Kyiv’s industrial architecture, whose history began in the 1850s. The enterprise reached its peak in the late 19th century under the management of the well-known philanthropist and “sugar king” Lazar Brodsky, becoming one of the largest flour producers in the Russian Empire.
The building acquired its present appearance after a major reconstruction in 1907, carried out according to the design of the prominent Kyiv architect Volodymyr Bezsmertnyi. He designed the elevator building in the characteristic brick style of the time, with elements of modernized Gothic and Romanticism, allowing the massive industrial structure to harmoniously fit into the landscape of the Dnipro hills.
Despite destructive fires and the turbulent events of the 20th century, part of the complex has survived to the present day. Today, within the walls of the former mill is located the book repository of the Yaroslav the Wise National Library of Ukraine. Instead of grain, millions of volumes of valuable publications are stored here, and the building itself remains an important landmark of historic Podil and a witness to the economic flourishing of old Kyiv.