Contracts House

The Contracts House (Ukrainian: Контрактовий будинок) is a trade building in the Podil neighborhood of Kiev (Kyiv), the capital of Ukraine. The Contracts House received its name because the city's contracts were signed there. It is located on the Kontraktova Square, once one of the Podil's main trading centers. The building is considered as one of the important Classical architecture constructions of the city.
History
After a large fire destroyed part of the Podil in 1811, the first Contracts House in the neighborhood burnt down. A new replacement building was constructed in 1815-1817 in the Classical style according to a plan made by English architect V. Geste, supervised by architect Andrey Melensky.
The Contracts House was envisioned as part of an ensemble, which would include the post office, the magistrate's quarters, and the building itself. However, only the Contracts House was constructed. The front and western façades of the building...