The House of Mykola Golovan, also known as the ”House of Thousand Faces”, is an architectural monument and the home of the Lutsk sculptor Mykola Golovan. The house is also nicknamed as the “House of Chimeras”, or “House of Golovan”. Golovan built his house with the architect Rostislav Metelnitsky. It is situated on the banks of the river Styr, in Lutsk, Ukraine. The building is a three-story house and it is decorated with various sculptures created by Golovan and his son.
Often nicknamed ”Lutsk Gaudi”, Golovan was engaged in artistic activities for most of his life and was working for the benefit of his hometown. The sculptor, as a sign of gratitude, asked the local authorities for land for his own home and received the current spot, which was a swamp in the 1980s. After that, he built his own house on his own.
There are many different sculptures with different styles throughout the yard and even within the house. Apart from sculptures, there are colorful bottles as well that are used as decorative pieces.
The unique eclectic house presents Gothic and Baroque qualities albeit being a modern building. The complex includes about 500 sculptures depicting mythical creatures, people, animals, and religious subjects. Some of these sculptures were ordered by clients but not paid so they were included in the design of the house as well. There is a bas-relief made of green sandstone on the pediment of the house depicting the members of Golovan’s family.
The backyard is dedicated to the family memories. Golovan’s son, who was also a sculptor, died at the age of 32 so Golovan bought back all of his son’s works from private owners and added them to the decoration of the house in his memory.
The house is an important cultural place in the area.
