Valkovicha 4

We continue our walk and now stand opposite an interesting building at number 4.

It was built in the style known as industrial Art Nouveau and constructed from local yellow brick made from Grodno clay. Construction was completed in 1917, during the First World War, when these lands were under the control of the German Empire.

The building was used by the German army and military industry. At one point it housed a factory producing artificial coffee — ersatz coffee — which was included in soldiers’ rations.

Later the building changed its function. Marmalade was produced here, and after political power shifted from Poland to Soviet rule, the building became a confectionery factory producing sweets with unusual names such as “Radium.”

The factory eventually closed in 1958.

Architecturally, the building is an example of brick eclecticism, typical of industrial construction at the beginning of the 20th century.

If you look up to the second and third floors, you will notice the original balconies that have survived for more than a century. These elements remind us of the craftsmanship of that era. The decorative metalwork was produced by a workshop in Białystok, which specialized in metal casting and architectural details.