The House of the Kyiv Voyt (Jan Bykovskyi House) is one of the few civil buildings from the 18th — early 19th century that survived the devastating fire in Podil in 1811. This building is a unique monument of architecture and history that embodies the era of Magdeburg rights, when Kyiv enjoyed privileges of self-governance, and the position of the voyt — the head of the magistrate — was the highest in the city.
Originally built in the 1790s as a residence for a wealthy urban family, the building was later reconstructed according to a design by Kyiv’s first chief architect Andrii Melenskyi. Its architectural appearance combines features of restrained classicism with traditions of Ukrainian construction: massive brick walls, a high basement level, and authentic vaulted ceilings in the interior spaces.
For decades, the house was a center of life for the wealthy Podil elite. Today, a museum exhibition is housed within the building, forming part of the Ancient Kyiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve. Visitors can explore reconstructed interiors of urban life, rare furniture, old maps, and archaeological finds that illustrate the history of magistrate governance and the everyday life of Kyiv residents in past centuries.