Residential buildings in Eastern Galicia at the end of the 19th to the first third of the 20th century (profitable multi-apartment houses, mansions, and villas) are significant objects of Ukraine’s national cultural heritage. They represent a synthesis of leading technical and aesthetic achievements of their time, reflecting the worldview, self-identification of architects, builders, and patrons. Residential buildings demonstrate the nuances of everyday culture, as patrons, like architects, served as carriers of the era’s culture. In profitable buildings, entry spaces are located between the entrance door (gate) and the door to private accommodations, including the vestibule, corridor, and staircase, sometimes with additional auxiliary spaces. Entry spaces are an inseparable, essential part of the building, as they serve as a common communication zone, acting as a buffer between the public and private realms, and also reflect the owner’s status and taste. Consequently, architects and decorative artists faced the task of finding the best compositional and artistic solutions for the decoration of vestibules and staircases, based on the principles of harmonious unity of function and beauty. A special role in shaping the interiors of these structures and their artistic expressiveness was assigned to decorative art. To adorn the entry spaces of residential buildings architects employed decorative woodwork, artistic metalwork, stained glass, artistic ceramics, decorative paintings, sculptural forms, decorative stone, and other elements. The relevance of the research topic is determined by the necessity to analyze the stylistic and artistic features of the decoration of entry spaces in residential buildings in Eastern Galicia from the late 19th to the first third of the 20th century. This analysis serves the purpose of supplementing our knowledge of visual and decorative arts within the interiors of residential structures and promoting the idea of their professional restoration. Furthermore, the study of residential architecture in cities such as Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Truskavets, Stryi, Sambir, Drohobych, Kolomyia, and others will contribute to forming a more complete picture of the decorative ornamentation of entry spaces, which was significantly influenced by regional and socio-economic factors. The aim of this work is to identify the artistic features of entry spaces in residential architecture in Eastern Galicia from the late 19th to the first third of the 20th century. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the fact that it, for the first time, treats the comprehensive artistic decoration of entry spaces in the structure of residential buildings in Eastern Galicia from the late 19th to the first third of the 20th century as a distinct subject of scientific study. The research explores the creation of residential buildings in Eastern Galicia during that time period through preserved objects and archival materials. The results of this work reveal opportunities for further research into entry doors (gates), grand staircases, ceramic Metlakh tiles, terrazzo floor coverings, stained glass, decorative paintings, ornamental plasterwork, and various forms of decorative art used in the decoration of entry spaces in residential buildings. The research can be conducted based on specific types of ornamental motifs and for a more detailed analysis of existing typological groups. Based on typological, stylistic, and architectural-planning characteristics, residential objects in Eastern Galicia have been classified for the first time. This research identifies the names of individual architects, engineers, decorative art craftsmen, compiles a list of enterprises, workshops, and firms, and investigates and structures approximately a thousand objects of residential architecture. An essential component of the research’s source base was the photographic materials conducted by the author in cities and towns across Eastern Galicia between 2014 and 2023. Having analyzed the stylistic and aesthetic aspects of entry spaces, it can be asserted that the builders acted as organizers and directors of the overall program of these spaces. Thus, the decoration of entry spaces was in harmony with the architectural style of the structure, accommodating the preferences of the patrons and the individual artistic style of the architect. The decoration of residential buildings was designed and executed on three fundamental levels: the facade, entry space, and interior. Architects also sought to comprehensively address the decoration of entry spaces: the ceiling, walls, and floor. As a result, artistic themes often continued from the building’s facades into the entry spaces and residential interiors.The research has analyzed the main ornamental schemes that are characteristic of virtually all elements of the decor in the entrance spaces.
