Warsaw, full of historic buildings and precious monuments, also hides forgotten architectural pearls in its corners. One of them is the Śleszyński Palace. It is a small but elegant residence at 25 Ujazdowskie Avenue. Although the 19th-century building was entered in the register of historical monuments and is under legal protection, today it stands empty, deteriorating in the shadow of one of Warsaw’s most beautiful streets.
The creation of the Śleszyński Palace – a sapper’s captain’s dream
The palace was built in 1826, commissioned by Stanisław Śleszyński, captain of a sappers’ battalion, and his wife Gertruda Emilia, née Jakubowska. It was designed by the famous Italian architect Antonio Corazzi, who also designed many other representative buildings in Warsaw. The Śleszyński Palace is a small classicist residence built on a rectangular plan, covered with a hipped roof. The two-storey façade with a monumental portico and topped with a pediment added elegance to the building, making it one of the more charming architectural landmarks in the landscape of Ujazdowskie Avenue. An outbuilding was also built next to the main residence, which was partly demolished before 1939 and the rest of the building was destroyed during World War II.
The Śleszyński Palace in the 1920s Source: Towarzystwo Opieki Nad Zabytkami Przeszłość
The fate of the Śleszyński Palace in Warsaw
The Śleszyński family owned the palace until 1852. Interestingly, Stanisław Śleszyński himself was also the initiator of the creation of the nearby Swiss Valley, known for its picturesque walking areas. In the mid-19th century, the palace served various functions – in 1840 it housed the British consulate. The following decades brought changes of owners – the building belonged to the Lesser, Potocki and Kirchmajer families, among others. Despite numerous transformations, the building has not lost its representative character.
24 Ujazdowskie Avenue – destruction and reconstruction of the residence
During World War II, the palace was burnt down, as were many other buildings in the area. Between 1947 and 1948, the building was rebuilt according to the design of Helena and Szymon Syrkus. Thanks to their work, the palace regained its former form, although it no longer played the same role as before the war. In 1965, the building was entered in the register of historical monuments to ensure its protection, but the further fate of the property continued to be turbulent.
The front of the building in 1919 and today. Source: Towarzystwo Opieki Nad Zabytkami Pastłości i WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Embassy of Yugoslavia, Serbia, re-privatisation and oblivion
After reconstruction, the palace was combined with a neighbouring property at 23 Ujazdowskie Avenue (the so-called Gawronski Villa) to form a complex for the Yugoslav embassy. After the collapse of that country, the building housed the Serbian embassy, which eventually left the building in 2010, moving to Rolna Street. Meanwhile, the Gawronski family began efforts to reclaim the property. In 2000, the starost of the Warsaw district established the right of perpetual usufruct of the land in favour of their representative, Luciana Gawronska. This decision, however, entailed the obligation to reimburse the costs of rebuilding the palace after its wartime destruction. Today, despite the legal settlement, the building stands abandoned and deteriorates. Exhibitions and other cultural events are occasionally held there, but a building with such history and in such a location deserves comprehensive renovation and proper management.
Source: warszawa1939.pl, polskiezabytki.pl
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Monument | Palace | History | Warsaw | Interesting facts
The palace and outbuildings in 1938 and 2024. Source: National Archives in Warsaw and Google Maps
The building in the late 1970s and today. Source: Encounters with Monuments and WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski