The building where Karas Gallery situated was built by unknown architector in 1857 year on the Andriyivskyy Descent. Andriyivskyy Descent is a part of historical and architecture reservation “Ancient Kyiv”.
This street from the middle of 1980-th becomes as location for vernissages, festivals, celebrations of anniversaries and other celebrations.
According to the diary of ukrainian composer Alexander Koshetz, who lived in this building later, first owner of this building was merchant Sirko (Sirkov), the prototype of one of the person of the comedy “Chasing the two hares” by Mykhailo Starytsky. “Coming to Vozdvyzhenska street, I used to stop on the corner near hammered by nails wicket, and know that famous Proniya Prokopivna had sitting there and awaiting for Holokhvastov."
From the end of XIX century building was belonged to negotiant of second guild Ivan Shatrov. Shatrov was an owner of iconographic studio, had a jewelry business, and a lot of public positions. In that building were worked iconographic artist Dmytro Andrianov and manufacturer of musician instruments Andiy Kuzovlev. From that times on the ceiling of the building unique fretworks in the style of Ukrainian secession with motives of Ukrainian fancywork are remained. On the beginning of XX century rooms in the building rented by iconographic artist P.Shtonda. Also “Union of artists of religious fine art” had gathered in this building.
Until the 1986 year building was used as a living space. 5 families were lived on the area of 180 square meters. For boosting process of moving into the new dwellings tenants of building pour the hot water on the loft for damage the ceiling, with purpose to imitate breakdown rate of this house.
As a result Ministry Council of Ukrainian Soviet Social Republic had made a descision to derive from the list of living buildings and pass to artists Valeriy Karas and Marietta Levkhanyan as a creative laboratory. From that time this building became as a location of intercommunication of creative personalities, meeting place of culture activists and critics.
In the 1995 year Marietta Levkhanyan, Valeriy Karas and their son Evgen Karas had organized art gallery on the base of art laboratory. Initially name of the gallery was “Art Synthesys”. In 1996 year name of the gallery was changed to “Atelier Karas”, and in 2008 year to the “Karas Gallery”.
From the moment of establishing in 1995 year, “Karas Gallery” plays considerable role in the processes of organization of contemporary art movement and environment in Ukraine. From the beginning of activity, Karas Gallery pursuing a policy of incorporation of different conceptual art-movement and group under one roof. During the 1998 year 51 personal project had took a part in the Gallery (3 personal project at the same time for two weeks long). All this expositions had combined in one big art project “Retrospective”. In the 1999 year Gallery had organized fundamental project “XX Artists Of Ukraine (The End Of The Century)” and had published big art catalogue of this project.
History of the gallery are closely associated with estabilishing of art and policy process in Ukraine. Gallery had organized such large-scale project as: “Ukrainina landscape”, “View to the Crimea”, “Let’s live peaceful, guys!”, “Before the execution”, “Queer Time”, “Figures on the white”, “Evolution of the kiss”, “Teaching nasty things”, “Big Brother”, “UPorno”.
For the time of activity Karas Gallery gather one of the most systematic collection of conterporary art of Ukrainian artists – more than 500 pieces of art of more than 100 artists. The most famous pieces of art were made by: Oleksiy Apollonov, Oleksandr Babak, Vasyl Bazhay, Petro Bevza, Andriy Bludov, Volodymyr Bovkun, Vladimir Budnikov, Vita Buyvid, Matviy Vaysberg, Artem Volokitin, Danylo Galkin, Marko Geyko, Oleksander Gnilitskiy, Andrey Druganov, Oleksander Dubovik, Illia Isupov, Alexander Zhyvotkov, Pavel Makov, Volodymyr Kozhuhar, Mykola Kryvenko, Anatoliy Kryvolap, Igor Podolchak, Vlada Ralko, Vinni Reunov, Alexander Sagaydakovskiy, Sergiy Panich, Alexey Sai, Oleksander Sukholit, Youriy Solomko, Tiberiy Silvashy, Marina Skugareva, Oleg Tistol, Lesya Khomenko, Vasyl Tsagolov, Sergiy Chaika, Oksana Chepelyk, Vladyslav Shereshevskiy, Volodymyr Yakovets, Igor Yanovich and others.