The elegant house on the street of Ancient, which is near the Holy Cross Church, has its own interesting story. He is also interested and attracts Zhytomyr and guests of the city
Built in the second half of the nineteenth century, the building was part of the private estate of the burgher Dontsis.

The Donitsis’ family traded grocery goods at the store near, in the so-called trading line, which has survived to this day and is reminiscent of past times.
Cases were quite successful, and since Zhytomyr citizens had demand for such a service as a loan, Yitzhak Dontsis earned a part of his profits usury. He behaved honestly, honestly and respectfully in the city and in all those who urgently needed money.
The established order of the measured life of Dontsis destroyed the consequences of the 1917 coup. Over time, some of them were in Austria and Israel, but there are descendants in Zhytomyr. According to the archival certificate, in 1922 Dontsis’s property was nationalized (read – selected), and the house “lived” in the life of the Soviet era: for almost 30 years the estate was used as a communal dwelling.
Such a “crowded suburb” is clearly depicted by talented humorists in the bestseller “Twelve Chairs” and “Golden Calf”.
Perhaps the residents were not very careful about their homes, perhaps for other reasons, but eventually both the wagon and the second house were disassembled, as if they had become unfit.
In 1950, the inhabitants were given a different accommodation, and here they set up a shop for the production of carbonated sweet water and sausage. The shop worked successfully, until the end of the 1960’s on the street Grushevskyi (then Kotovskyi) did not start the grocery store.
The house was re-converted to residential. So he existed until 1988, until he became an emergency.
In 1992, the place was occupied by people who intended to create a church here. However, the court found their actions unlawful and by their decision handed over the building to the city communal administration, which, after the inspection, considered it unpromising. Subsequently they sold the construction organization “Zhytomyr monolith”. With the experience and possibilities, the entrepreneurs of the object masterfully repaired, restored the facade. Today, a beautiful house adorns the old part of the city, attracting tourists, recreating the nostalgic atmosphere of the old Zhytomyr.
Serhii Sobchuk
Member of the National Union of Local History of Ukraine
Anna Sobchuk, co-author

Translated by Aliona Matushevich