Attractions of Solone

The complex of buildings of the Berhman brothers' manor in the urban-type village of Solone is a rare example of a German-Mennonite manor, built in the second half of the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style of eclecticism.

In 1862, part of the lands of Solone (then Enhelhardivka) was purchased by the Mennonite family of Abram and Suzanne Berhman from West Prussia. Between the mid-1870s and the early 1890s, their sons Herman and Abram built two manor houses on either side of the man-made pond that bisects the village.

Only the farm buildings on Usenka Street remained from the southern estate of Herman Bergman. Instead, the main one-story brick house with Neo-Gothic elements in architecture has been preserved on the territory of the northern estate of Abram Berhman's younger brother. The main height accents of the facade are risalites, which end with complex neo-Gothic triangular pediments with arrow-shaped attic window openings. The decoration of the gables is characterized by skillfully made brick decor. A high faceted bay window tower faces the pond, which ends with a complex octagonal tent covered with tiles in the form of carp scales. Elements of the original decor have been partially preserved in the interior of the house.

During the Moscow-Bolshevik invasion, the property of the estate was looted, and the owners were shot. During Soviet times, the Berhmans' house housed the authorities, later the Palace of Pioneers and the library.

Since 1992, part of the premises has been occupied by the Museum of the History of Solone, founded in 1976. The museum's collections include 2,000 exhibits. In particular, the exposition tells about the history of the Berhman family and their contribution to the development of the region's economy.

The Berhman House is an architectural monument of local importance. The building needs restoration.