Romny Psychiatric Hospital: Architectural Landmark and History of the Medical Institution
Romny Psychiatric Hospital is a remarkable architectural landmark from the early 19th century. It was constructed between 1822 and 1825 according to the designs of architects M. Ambrosimov and A. Kartashevsky in the city of Romny, located on European Boulevard, building No. 29.
The history of this former charitable institution is intertwined with prominent historical figures. The construction began in 1803 at the initiative of the first Governor-General of Poltava Province, Prince Oleksiy Borisovich Kurakin, who also prepared the regulations for the management of charitable institutions. Under the orders of the new Governor-General, Prince Mykola Repnin, a brick factory was established near the village of Lozove, partially funded by state resources and private donations.
The construction work was supervised directly by V. G. Poletyka (1765-1845), a state councillor, writer, and public figure. Vasil Hryhorovych Poletyka was a well-known collector of documentary materials related to the history of Ukraine in the 16th and 17th centuries and came from a Ukrainian Cossack noble family. He personally financed the brick factory for the production of bricks for the construction and utilized his own labor force for the process. It’s interesting to note that Prince Repnin initially planned to audit the financial investments but later canceled any inspections, recognizing that such people should not be subject to control.
The construction of Romny Psychiatric Hospital was completed in 1825. After the completion of construction, a ten-bed hospital was established within the institution. On December 1, 1825, Emperor Alexander I passed away at the age of 48, and the new hospital with shelter was dedicated to his memory, naming it Alexander Hospital.
Romny Psychiatric Hospital consisted of three main parts: the “Main Hospital” with 45 beds for military personnel and officials, the “Alexander Hospital” with 10 beds for free treatment, and the “Charitable Institution” for patients with various diagnoses such as “mania,” “concussion,” “insanity,” “idiocy,” and “epilepsy.” On the second floor of the main building, there was a domestic church dedicated to Mary Magdalene, which had a small separate bell tower on wooden columns. A library operated adjacent to the church. In total, Romny Psychiatric Hospital comprised thirteen buildings.
In the mid-19th century, Romny Psychiatric Hospital was considered one of the best medical institutions in Ukraine at the time. In 1846, historian M. I. Arandarenko wrote in his book “Notes about Poltava Province”:
“Romny Psychiatric Hospital does not lag behind those shelters and workshops that are designated for receiving patients among other major cities. What we can agree on is that it truly meets the standards of student health and the iron price of food.”
In 1908, the charitable institution was reorganized into the Romny branch of the Poltava Provincial Psychiatric Hospital, which existed until 1923. From 1923 to 1930, the building was used for administrative purposes and was then transferred to the Ukrainian Central Children’s Neurological-Psychiatric Hospital. Shortly before World War II, the institution gained the status of a republican psycho-neurological hospital and functioned as an evacuation hospital in the early days of the war.
Only in 1946 did the hospital return to its original premises. Since 1956, it has operated as the First Regional Psychiatric Hospital.
Romny Psychiatric Hospital is not just an architectural gem but also a testament to the history of medical care and treatment in Ukraine throughout various historical periods. Its long and diverse history highlights the crucial role this institution played in providing medical assistance to different categories of patients and its contribution to the development of medicine and psychiatry in Ukraine.
