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The House That Managed to Influence the History of the Empire (The Basov House)

pl. Ostrovskogo, 5, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191023

The income house of the Russian architect Nikolai Petrovich Basin rises on Ostrovsky Square, in the historic center of Saint Petersburg. The architectural ensemble of the square is considered one of the highest achievements of urban planning art and was formed with the participation of Karl Ivanovich Rossi. Basin's income house stands out vividly against the backdrop of classical buildings and, according to some critics, brazenly and absurdly disrupts the surrounding established ensemble.
Neorussian Style in Architecture
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
photo
Jermaine

The income house of the Russian architect Nikolay Petrovich Basin rises on Ostrovsky Square, in the historic center of Saint Petersburg. The architectural ensemble of the square is considered one of the highest achievements of urban planning art and was formed with the participation of Karl Ivanovich Rossi. Basin’s income house stands out vividly against the backdrop of classical buildings and, according to some critics, brazenly and absurdly disrupts the surrounding formed ensemble.

As an example of such a review:

Against the backdrop of the theater stand beautiful wings with Theatrical Street between them, and they should have been bent up to Tolmazov Lane and ended there — that is probably what the author intended, but in reality, something completely different happened. At the corner of Tolmazov Lane, architect N. P. Basin built himself a house in the cocky Russian style of that time, something like a confectionery pie, next to it a house for the Credit Society, and the next ordinary income house of Golubev, adjoining at an angle to Rossi’s monumental creation. On the other side, at the corner, stood the old wooden circus, which housed Fedotov’s buffo theater until the 1880s, and was then demolished... the square was violated, spoiled to the end. (Punin, Architecture of Petersburg in the mid and second half of the 19th century).

The picturesque silhouette and richness of decoration make the house stand out in the surrounding development. At the same time, its entire majestic and astonishing appearance simply ignores the ensemble of the Alexandrinsky Theater and the overall view of the square. Basin’s house seems to strive to break out of the general row and loudly declare itself through bright decorations on the facades — bas-relief images of roosters, as if taken from the walls of Russian terem palaces, and other decorative elements. The overt “Russian-ness” in the decoration is also hinted at by various details: kokoshniks, column-like pillars, stucco reminiscent of wood carving or traditional embroidery on tablecloths in a noble country house.

The corner location allows for a perspective where two facades are visible at once, the presence of which creates a kind of 3D effect, making it more voluminous. This effect is further enhanced by bay windows, which, of course, do not have a rounded but a rough multifaceted shape. All this forms around the building an image of an unusual complex shape, while in reality Basin’s House has the shape of a regular parallelogram.

Architect Basin, when creating the project of his own income house, was not afraid of stylistic inconsistency with the buildings already present on the square. According to some researchers, Basin involved Nikolay Nikonov — a well-known architect in Saint Petersburg and an expert in the Russian style — in the project. The facade decoration is attributed to him. Construction, which began in 1878, was completed a year later. One of the art critics — Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov — spoke very enthusiastically about the newly built building, noting that the facade elements create an “extraordinarily artistic whole.” Stasov described Basin’s house in his major review article “Twenty-five Years of Russian Art” as follows: “The picturesque overall composition, large masses, and most beautiful is the middle part crowned with very distinctive low domes, a row of triple windows with the middle one protruding higher, in the manner of Byzantine and ancient Russian architecture, carved cornices everywhere, Russian columns with bulbous and pillar shapes scattered over both facades — all this together is new and original, all this forms an extraordinarily artistic whole, convex, full of shadows, light, and color, worthy to compete in originality with old Italian and French palaces of the 16th century.”

It is noteworthy that Vladimir Stasov was the son of the famous architect Vasily Stasov, who most likely would not have shared such an enthusiastic opinion about a building so clearly disrupting the unity of the architectural ensemble.

An interesting Petersburg legend arose on the occasion of the appearance of this house in the city, connected with the name of Emperor Alexander III. Allegedly, upon seeing Basin’s masterpiece after its completion, the tsar decided to continue the revival of national traditions, grew a beard, and subsequently dressed the army in wide trousers and high boots. Whether this event really served as the reason for the tsar’s decree, we do not dare to judge, but the story itself deserves attention at least because it once again emphasizes the emperor’s love for his homeland and his desire to preserve national color, not to please the aristocracy, which sought to Europeanize the country.

Before the 1917 revolution, architect Basin was the sole owner of the income house. It was inhabited by representatives of the wealthy public: merchants, aristocrats, generals, and high-ranking officials. Under Soviet rule, the building was nationalized.

Sources:

https://www.citywalls.ru/house1563.html

https://www.visit-petersburg.ru/ru/showplace/197859/

https://peterburg.guide/zdanija/dohodnyj-dom-basina/

photo
Jermaine

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Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The Art Nouveau building on the corner of Sadovaya Street and Bankovsky Lane draws attention with its unusual architectural appearance, reminiscent of the grand European trading houses of the early 20th century. In fact, it housed the office of Eduard Novitsky's rubber and metal stamping factory.
photo
Jermaine

Income House of Sh. Z. Ioffe

Zagorodny Prospekt, 11, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191002

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
A tall tower with five dormer windows dominates the Five Corners, serving as a landmark in the urban space. The facade of the building facing Rubinstein Street is symmetrical. The first and second floors were built to house retail spaces, so their exterior decoration is the most modest: large windows are divided by granite piers, and it is evident that slabs of gray granite decorate the brickwork of the building. The third, fourth, and fifth floors seem like a separate structure. The Venetian windows on the third floor have semicircular transoms that open inward. Caryatids standing on the sides of the window openings support the false balconies of the windows on the next floor. On the fourth floor, the pediments are in the form of triangular gables resting on brackets; in the recesses of the pediments, there is something resembling an image of a bird. In the pediments above the bay windows are Hermes' caducei entwined with snakes — the symbol of the god of trade, travel, and deception. The cornices of the third floor and the roof of the building are supported by massive modillions. Everything is massive, solid, and at the same time — light and airy.
photo
Jermaine

Income House of the Agricultural Partnership "Landowner"

7th Krasnoarmeyskaya St., 32, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190005

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The income house of the agricultural partnership "Pomeshchik" is a historic building in the style of Northern Modern with elements of Neo-Gothic, located in Saint Petersburg at 7th Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, 28-30 / Izmailovsky Prospect, 16. It is one of the first examples of sectional houses in Petersburg. The building was constructed in 1911–1912 for the company "Pomeshchik," which was engaged in the sale of milk and dairy products. The project’s author is architect Yakov Bluvshtein. The building’s expressive appearance and the turret with a dome decorating the corner make it an architectural dominant of the avenue.
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Jermaine

Russian Bastille - the legendary "Crosses". History, secrets, and legends

Arsenalnaya Embankment, 7, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 195009

Petersburg: Stories, Legends, and Myths
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The legendary Petersburg "Kresty" were built at the end of the 19th century. This is a cross-shaped prison, and many had to endure it — former and future ministers, marshals, writers, scientists, bandits. The history of the country was shaped by the fates of the "residents" of this place. Now the old "Kresty" stand empty, but the stories remain.
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Jermaine

Yelagin Palace

1st Elagin Bridge, 1, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197183

Petersburg: Stories, Legends, and Myths
Petersburg: Great Names
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Imperial Parks: Yelagin Island
Petersburg: Palaces and Their Fates
What brush, what chisel, Will depict the Yelagin Palace… Attributed to A.S. Pushkin
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Jermaine

Annenkirche

Saint Petersburg, Kirochnaya 8 lit V, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191028

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The Church of Saint Anne was located in an open area, facing two streets at once, and Felten created two almost equally significant end facades for it. The northern facade, facing Furshatskaya Street, is designed as a semicircular rotunda with Ionic columns, topped with a small dome on a hexagonal drum. The southern facade, facing Kirochnaya Street, features a pilastered portico and is also richly decorated. Ionic columns also adorn the interior of the church — they support the spacious choir lofts and divide the main prayer hall into three naves. The new church could accommodate about one and a half thousand people.
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Jermaine

The Winter Palace's backup house - Sklyayev's house

Palace Embankment, 30, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
In the 1710s, the house on the plot now occupied by the Winter Palace's service building was two stories high, had a tall porch, and a sloping roof. This house belonged to a close associate of Peter I, bombardier of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and shipwright Feodosy Sklyaev. Sklyaev had no heirs, so after his death in 1728, the house was transferred to the treasury. Notably, Sklyaev's house was located to the right of Peter's Winter Palace.
photo
Jermaine

Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (House of Scientists)

Palace Embankment, 26, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

In the Footsteps of Soviet Films
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Palaces and Their Fates
Among the entire "scatter" of mansions on the Palace Embankment, once belonging to members of the imperial family, there is a special diamond with an exquisite architectural cut – the Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, brother of Emperor Alexander III and uncle of the last Emperor Nicholas II. During the construction of the palace, the Grand Duke held the position of president of the Academy of Arts, and in 1884 he became the commander-in-chief of the guard and the Petersburg military district. It was he who gave the order to shoot the peaceful demonstration on January 9, 1905, after which he was removed from office. The Diogenes Club from the famous film was located here.
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Jermaine

Lidval. Building of the Azov-Don Bank

Bolshaya Morskaya St., 3-5, 6th floor, office 3, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Fyodor Ivanovich Lidval
This remarkable building is located in the very center of the city, next to the Arch of the General Staff. In fact, it is two houses that were built at different, though close, times, which is also reflected in their address - Bolshaya Morskaya St., 3-5. This building was constructed for the Azov-Don Commercial Bank.
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Jermaine

German Reformed Church — Palace of Culture of Communications Workers

Bolshaya Morskaya St., 58, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190000

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Neo-Gothic
Russia: Lost Monuments
Petersburg: Lost Architectural Monuments
The Palace of Culture of Communications Workers, the Communications Palace of Culture, is a former palace of culture located in the center of Saint Petersburg at 58 Bolshaya Morskaya Street. It was rebuilt from a German Reformed Church dating from 1862–1865, created under the direction of architects Harald Bosse and David Grimm.
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Jermaine

Grand Hotel Europe

Nevsky Ave., 36, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Stories of Nevsky Prospect
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Fyodor Ivanovich Lidval
It is no coincidence that Saint Petersburg is called the cultural capital of the country; here, many magnificent buildings, palaces, and estates have been preserved, whose walls remember the feats of their owners and all the twists and turns of history. One such building is the Grand Hotel Europe, the oldest hotel in Saint Petersburg, located in the very heart of the city, at the corner of Nevsky Prospect and Mikhailovskaya Street.
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Jermaine

"The Ring House" on the Fontanka

Fontanka River Embankment, 92, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191180

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Few residents of St. Petersburg know that right in the very center of the city on the Neva River there is a ring-shaped house. It is two hundred years old, and for a 19th-century city dweller, a round residential building was practically a visitor from the future, as such architecture caused great astonishment at the time. Many architects call this unique building a true masterpiece that must be preserved. In fact, the reason why the owners decided to build a perfectly round house deep within the street is prosaic and directly related to another building. It all began at the end of the 18th century when an unknown architect built a semicircular house on the Fontanka River for a local merchant.
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Jermaine

Marble Palace - Konstantinovsky Palace

Millionnaya St., 5/1, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Antonio Rinaldi
Petersburg: Palaces and Their Fates
Great Architects: Andrey Nikiforovich Voronikhin
It is called the Marble Palace because its decor features thirty-two types of marble from quarries in Karelia, Italy, the Urals, and Altai. The palace was a gift from Catherine II to her favorite, Grigory Orlov. He did not remain in debt and gave her a Persian diamond, the value of which was equal to that of the gifted palace. The diamond was named "Orlov" and was set into the imperial scepter. Since the late 20th century, the palace has housed the Russian Museum.
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Jermaine

House of Urban Institutions (City House)

Sadovaya St., 55-57, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190068

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The House of City Institutions (also known as the "City House") is an architectural monument and administrative building located in the center of Saint Petersburg at Sadovaya Street, 55–57, and Voznesensky Prospect, 40–42. The building has a double number because it was constructed on the land of two separate plots. The architect was Alexander Lvovich Lishnevsky, and the stucco decoration was executed in the workshops of Zhilkin and Egorov. It was built between 1904 and 1906 to house several city institutions. Throughout its existence, neither the volumetric-spatial structure nor the original facade decoration has undergone any significant changes. The building is designed in a mixed style, with certain facade elements attributed to Art Nouveau, pseudo-Gothic, and other stylistic directions. Currently, the building houses offices of various organizations and city institutions, including the State Multifunctional Center for the Provision of Public Services.
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Jermaine

Horse Guards Manege - Central Exhibition Hall

Isaakievskaya Square, 1, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190000

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Giacomo Quarenghi
A monumental building in the neoclassical style, constructed in Saint Petersburg between 1804 and 1807 based on a design by Giacomo Quarenghi for winter and summer training, as well as ceremonial horse rides of the Life Guards Horse Regiment. It occupies part of the Konnogvardeysky Boulevard, with its facade facing Isaakievskaya Square. During the Soviet era, it was converted into an NKVD garage, and since 1977 it has been used as an exhibition hall.
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Jermaine

S. Yu. Witte Mansion - Andrey Petrov Children's Music School

Kamennoostrovsky Ave, 5, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197046

Petersburg: Great Names
Russia: Political Terrorism and Assassinations
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Stories of Kamennoostrovsky Prospect
On Kamennoostrovsky Prospect, next to the Lidval house, stands a modest white and blue mansion. This mansion is associated with Sergey Yulyevich Witte – one of the most significant figures in Russian history.
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Jermaine

Income House of M. M. Gorbov

10 Mira St., Building A, Office 25, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197101

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Stories of Kamennoostrovsky Prospect
But the main work of Vasily Shaub was the Gorbov income house, built in 1903, and it was not Art Nouveau, but eclecticism: the building, with its modest forms and a turret on the corner, resembled the first houses of the Peter the Great era. The building fit very well into the ensemble of the octagonal Austrian Square, and in 1907 it received an honorary prize at the competition for the most beautiful facades, organized by the City Duma.
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Jermaine

The House of the Emir of Bukhara

Kamennoostrovsky Ave., 44B, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197101

Petersburg: Stories, Legends, and Myths
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Stories of Kamennoostrovsky Prospect
A revenue house in Saint Petersburg, built in 1913–1914 by order of the Emir of Bukhara, Said Abdulahad Khan, for his son Said Alim Khan. The emir invited architect Stepan Krichinsky to design it, who had previously participated in the construction of the Cathedral Mosque. For the house project, the emir awarded the architect the Order of Noble Bukhara.
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Jermaine

Income House of T. N. Putilova or the House with Owls

Bolshoy Prospekt P.S., 44, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197198

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The Income House of Tatyana Nikolaevna Putilova, or the "House with Owls," is a building on Bolshoy Prospekt of the Petrograd Side in Saint Petersburg, designed in the style of Northern Modern. It was built in 1906–1907 commissioned by the merchant widow Tatyana Nikolaevna Putilova. It is one of the main works of the architect Pretro. In 1912, it was awarded a silver medal at the city competition for the best facades.
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Jermaine

Building of the A. F. Devriens Publishing House

4th Line V.O., 13, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
A historic building in Saint Petersburg. Located at 4th Line of Vasilievsky Island, house 13. Built by architect G. D. Grimm in the early 20th century.
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Jermaine

Income House of I. V. von Besser - Commercial and Hotel Complex "Vladimirsky Passage"

Vladimirsky Ave., 19, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191002

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The income house of Ivan Viktorovich von Besser, today the shopping complex "Vladimirsky Passage," occupies a unique place in the architectural history of Saint Petersburg. Its true authorship remains a mystery, and the style—the northern modern style—is unique and significantly different from other buildings of this style in the city. In essence, it is a one-of-a-kind building in Petersburg.
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Jermaine

Income House of E. P. Mikhailova on Vvedenskaya

Vvedenskaya St., 7, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197198

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
A large five-story residential building, constructed in the early 1900s by civil engineer Vladimir Nikolaevich Smirnov. The facade of the building is clad in natural stone (red gneiss granite and gray granite). At the height of the second to fourth floors, the facade is decorated with seven pilasters. At the top, the pilasters are crowned with waist-high half-sculptures of atlantes.
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Jermaine

Income House of A. M. Vasilyev

Gatchinskaya St., 11, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197136

Petersburg: Masterpieces of Art Nouveau
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The four-story income house No. 11, owned by the brothers Vasily, Andrey, and Pavel Andreevich Vasilyev, began construction in 1901 based on the design by civil engineer Vasily Vasilievich Korvin-Krukovsky. The project was revised and the construction completed by architect Vasily Vasilievich Shaub in 1902.
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Jermaine

The Manege of the First Cadet Corps

Universitetskaya Embankment, 11, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034

Petersburg: A Walk on Vasilievsky Island
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The Manege of the First Cadet Corps is an architectural monument built in the Baroque style. It is one of the city's adornments with its magnificent architectural appearance and interesting history.
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Jermaine

Glass House or Corn House

Budapest Street, 103/49, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 192283

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The "Glass House," the "Corn House," and other popular nicknames have long been associated with the residential building at the corner of Bolshaya Porokhovskaya Street and Energetikov Avenue — a dormitory for employees of the Central Design Bureau of Machine Building. The reason for this is the unusual shape of the building along with the distinctive facade design: a cylindrical tower with triangular bay windows. This feature made the building look very much like an ear of corn and the well-known Soviet glass, which has many facets.
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Jermaine

Water Tower of the Okhta Paper-Spinning Manufactory

Piskaryovsky Ave, 3, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 195027

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The red brick water tower is the only building of the former Okhta Paper Spinning Manufactory that has survived to this day. It is a vivid reminder of one of the oldest and most respected industrial enterprises in what is now the Krasnogvardeysky District. Currently, the tower, recognized as a monument of regional significance, has been freed from its original utilitarian functions. It is surrounded by modern residential complexes and, according to some experts, harmoniously fits into this architectural ensemble. However, for now, it plays a purely decorative role in it.
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Jermaine

Income House and Merchant Ivanov’s Mansion or the “House with a Peacock”

Bolshaya Porokhovskaya St., 18, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 195176

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Estates of the City and Surroundings (Leningrad Region)
House No. 18 on Bolshaya Porokhovskaya Street seems to try to hide itself, standing slightly set back, concealing its narrow main facade behind tall, sprawling trees. But the elegant balcony railings and the intricate metal crest (with the initials "PI" and the year of construction – "1901") above the tented roof cap invariably draw the eye.
photo
Jermaine

Hotel "Angleterre" (from the French Angleterre – England)

Malaya Morskaya St., 24, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190000

Petersburg: Stories, Legends, and Myths
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The history of the "Angleterre" spans more than a century and a half. Located in the very heart of Saint Petersburg, the hotel has been and remains a witness and participant in the historical events not only of the city but also of the country.
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Jermaine

Church "Ark"

Fanerny Lane, 11, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196643

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The church of the community of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith in the settlement of Pontonny (part of the Kolpinsky district of Saint Petersburg). Architects Igor Pavlovich Shmelyov and Bentsion Borisovich Fabritsky. A rare monument of Soviet postmodernism.
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Jermaine

House of V.S. Kanshin

Kuznechny Lane, 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197720

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The eclectic building was erected in 1870 according to the design of architect Gustav Barch for Vasily Kanshin — one of the wealthiest people in Petersburg, who owned gold mines in Priamurye and was a liquor tax farmer, that is, an authorized state tax collector. After 1917, communal apartments were established in the house.
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Jermaine

Income House of the Insurance Society "Salamandra"

Gorokhovaya St., 4, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The "Salamandra" Society, which was engaged in insuring property against fires, owned two neighboring houses on Gorokhovaya Street. In building No. 4 there was a multi-apartment income house, which the organization rebuilt for its own use in 1907–1909 according to a project by architects Nikolay Verevkin and Marian Peretyatkovich. Today, behind the door crowned with a bas-relief of a salamander, is the Consulate General of Romania in Saint Petersburg, and getting inside is not easy.
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Jermaine

The mansion of Boguslav Heydenreich on Tchaikovsky Street

32 Tchaikovsky Street, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191123

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
A beautiful example of Neo-Renaissance style in Saint Petersburg can confidently be called the Heidenreich family mansion on present-day Tchaikovsky Street. The facade immediately draws attention, despite the neighboring luxurious mansions of the Kelkh and Kochubey families.
photo
Jermaine

Income House Rühl - House of G. G. Block

Nevsky Ave., 65, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191025

Petersburg: Stories of Nevsky Prospect
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
In 1833-1834, on this site, a three-story house with four courtyard wings and two courtyards of complex configuration was built according to the design of architect Ya.Ya. Freiberg for Avdotya Sergeyevna Ryul, the wife of Privy Councillor Ivan Fedorovich Ryul. In 1902-1904, at the request of the banker and Turkish subject Heinrich Heinrichovich Block, the building was rebuilt in the eclectic style according to the design of architect Leonid Leonidovich Fufaevsky. The house became six stories tall, with some of the walls of the old building partially used in the construction.
photo
Jermaine

Church of the Holy Trinity "Kulich and Paskha" (Trinity Church)

Obukhovskoy Oborony Avenue, 235, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 192012

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Parish Orthodox church in the Nevsky district of Saint Petersburg. It belongs to the Nevsky deanery of the Saint Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Built in the style of Russian classicism in 1785–1790 according to the design of architect Nikolai Lvov, the bell tower of the Trinity Church was conceived by Lvov in the shape of a pyramid, symbolizing victory over death. When creating the project, the architect was inspired by the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome.
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Jermaine

Building of the Bank I. V. Junker and Co.

Nevsky Ave., 12, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Stories of Nevsky Prospect
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
In 1910–1911, this building on Nevsky Prospect was rebuilt according to the project of architect V.I. Van den Gucht for the St. Petersburg branch of the Moscow banking house "Junker & Co." The facade of the building is decorated with columns and statues, thereby attracting clients to the banking house. During the Soviet era, an Atelier of the highest fashion rank was located at No. 12 Nevsky Prospect. It gave rise to the unofficial, folkloric name of this building, often used by the people – "Death to Husbands."
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Jermaine

House of the Republic Shkid

Staro-Petergofsky Ave., 19, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190020

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Today, in the house where the "Republic of ShKID" once thrived, there is a branch of the FOSP sewing association.
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Jermaine

The House of Princess A. P. Golitsyna

Shpalernaya St., 37, lit. A, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191123

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
At the beginning of the 18th century, this house belonged to Princess-Abbess Nastassya Petrovna Golitsyna of the Most Jestful and Most Drunken Cathedral. But this was discovered only recently. The distinctive architecture was quite accurately depicted in the famous "Zubov" panorama, showing the Moscow part of the city. Repeatedly rebuilt, the house had been completely forgotten, but comparison with Petrine architecture and archaeological excavations confirmed the obvious fact that this was indeed the Golitsyn mansion. The disturbed chimney revealed the characteristic Petrine brick.
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Jermaine

The House of Peter I or the Original Palace

Petrovskaya Embankment, 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197046

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The first building in Saint Petersburg, the residence of Tsar Peter I from 1703 to 1708. This small wooden house, with an area of 60 m², was built by soldier-carpenters near Trinity Square in just three days — from May 13 (May 24) 1703 to May 15 (May 26) 1703[1]. On May 16 (May 27), a celebration was held here to mark the annexation of the lands and the founding of the new city. According to another version, a Swedish house was used, relocated from the town of Nien, upstream along the Neva River. The furniture was also quickly sourced locally and is typical of the interior of a Swedish burgher’s home.
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Jermaine

Summer Palace of Peter I

Building A, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Domenico Trezzini
Imperial Parks of Petersburg: The Summer Garden
Petersburg: Palaces and Their Fates
For the construction of his summer residence, Peter I chose a well-established and advantageously located estate on the cape between the Neva and the Nameless Channel (now the Fontanka River), where the property of Swedish Major E. B. von Konow (Konau) was situated – a small house with a farmyard and a garden. In August 1710, by Peter’s order, construction of a stone building began on the site of the former house, following the design of architect Domenico Trezzini. In 1713–1714, work was carried out on the interior and exterior decoration of the building, in which architect and sculptor Andreas Schlüter may have participated.
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Jermaine

Adamini House - The Jester's Shelter

Mars Field, 9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Anna Akhmatova’s Petersburg
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The southernmost building of the block on the western border of the Field of Mars and the very first on the odd-numbered side of the Moika River Embankment. Named after its founder, merchant Antonov, the building is sometimes called the Antonov House, while its widely recognized name, the Adamini House, comes from the name of its architect, Domenico Adamini.
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Jermaine

Nikolskiy Market (Nikolskiye Rows)

Sadovaya St., 62, Building A, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190068

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
A commercial building in Saint Petersburg, built in 1789, architect unknown.
photo
Jermaine

Round market - cloudberries for Pushkin

Moika River Embankment, 3, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Giacomo Quarenghi
The Round Market is an architectural structure from the 18th century. It was built according to the design of Giacomo Quarenghi in 1790. The structure is considered one of the oldest in Saint Petersburg. Its urban and architectural value is directly related to the development of the embankment and canal in St. Petersburg. The building has a triangular shape with rounded ends, which gives it its name. The building is located between Krugovoy Avenue, Aptekarsky Lane, and the Moika River.
photo
Jermaine

Apraksin Dvor or Aprashka

Apraksin Dvor, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191023

Petersburg: Unusual Monuments and Places
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The territory of the modern Apraksin Dvor was formed from two parts, named after their owners — the merchant Ivan Shchukin and Fyodor Apraksin. In the mid-18th century, the merchant Ivan Shchukin purchased a plot by the Fontanka River from Count G. P. Chernyshev and opened trading rows for agricultural products there. This market was called "Shchukin Dvor." In 1744, Fyodor Apraksin was granted a large plot of land between the Fontanka and Sadovaya Street by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna for his diligent service. In 1754, his son Matvey decided to establish a market on the plot — he began building wooden stalls and renting them out. In 1802, Matvey Apraksin received permission to build a "tolkuchiy torg" — a place for free trade. By agreement with the city authorities, police were always on duty there. By the beginning of the 19th century, the market had already become known as "Apraksin Dvor," colloquially called "Aprashka."
photo
Jermaine

Radio House

Malaya Sadovaya St., 2, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191023

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
An architectural monument of the early 20th century in the center of St. Petersburg, built for the Noble Assembly. In 1918, the nationalized building housed the Palace of Proletarian Culture, and since 1933, it was home to the editorial office of Leningrad Radio. In December 2019, after musicAeterna relocated to St. Petersburg, the Radio House became the creative residence of the orchestra and choir. At the initiative of Teodor Currentzis, an interdisciplinary cultural and educational center, the Radio House, was established here.
photo
Jermaine

The Church of Simeon and Anna is one of the oldest churches in Saint Petersburg.

Mokhovaya St., 48, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191028

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
When in the 1980s the old house standing in front of the church was demolished, a small forebridge square was formed (originally planned, by the way, back in the 18th century), and the Simeon Church with its tall (47 m) bell tower began to look very impressive from the other side of the Fontanka River. The architectural significance of the church noticeably increased.
photo
Jermaine

Anglican Church of Jesus Christ (on English Embankment)

English Embankment, 56, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190121

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Giacomo Quarenghi
The building was constructed in the 1730s of the 18th century. The Anglican Church of Jesus Christ was established in 1723 by members of the English community in a house rented for this purpose from the Sheremetevs. In 1753, the building was acquired by the British consul. In 1814-1815, the building was rebuilt according to the design of architect J. Quarenghi in the neoclassical style.
photo
Jermaine

People's House of Emperor Nicholas II (Opera Hall - "Velikan" Cinema - Music Hall - Shalyapin Musical Theater)

Alexandrovsky Park, 4, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197198

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
In the past, the theater building was the famous People's House of Emperor Nicholas II. In the 1880s, the construction of People's Houses began in St. Petersburg – cultural and entertainment, educational clubs for the middle intelligentsia, minor officials, students, soldiers, and workers. By the beginning of the 20th century, about twenty People's Houses were operating in the city. The largest People's House was built between 1900 and 1912 on Kronverksky Prospekt in Alexandrovsky Park on the Petrograd side. On December 12, 1900, the solemn consecration of the People's House building took place, named the "Establishment for the People's Entertainment of Emperor Nicholas II." The history of the People's House creation is unusual. After the closure of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair in 1896, one of its most beautiful pavilions, made using modern technology in the style of "industrial eclecticism" from metal elements, was dismantled. This pavilion, featured on the very first Russian postcards, was purchased and brought to the capital for the construction of the People's House. The construction of the People's House was entrusted to architect G.I. Lyutsedarsky.
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Jermaine

Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God of the Vyshny Volochyok Kazan Convent of the Tver Diocese

Maly pr. P.S., 69, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197136

Neorussian Style in Architecture
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Lost Architectural Monuments
Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God of the Vyshnevolotsky Kazan Convent of the Tver Diocese. The metochion was closed on June 6, 1923, converted into a student dormitory, and later rebuilt into a residential building by architect F.A. Lykhin.
photo
Jermaine

The Palace of Dmitry Cantemir (Gromov House)

Millionnaya St., 9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Palaces and Their Fates
Great Architects: Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli
A historic building in the center of Saint Petersburg, at the corner of Millionnaya Street and Mramorny Lane.
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Jermaine

Naryshkin-Shuvalov Palace (Fabergé Museum)

Fontanka River Embankment, 25, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191023

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Petersburg: Palaces and Their Fates
A 19th-century architectural monument in Saint Petersburg. It is located at the corner of the Fontanka River Embankment, house 21, and Italian Street, house 39. The building is typical of the era of architectural eclecticism (a combination of elements of late classicism and neo-Renaissance). On November 19, 2013, the Fabergé Museum opened in it.
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Jermaine

Mariinsky Palace

Isaakievskaya Square, 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190107

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Andrey Ivanovich Stakenschneider
Petersburg: Palaces and Their Fates
The palace in Saint Petersburg on Isaakiyevskaya Square is named after the daughter of Emperor Nicholas I, Maria, to whom it was intended as a wedding gift on the occasion of her marriage to Duke Maximilian of Leuchtenberg. It was built between 1839 and 1844 according to the design of Andrei Stackenschneider and is considered the architect's finest work. In the 1880s, the palace was sold to the treasury and became the residence of the State Council; in the 1890s, it was renovated and partially rebuilt under the direction of architect Ludwig Peterson. In 1906, under the leadership of Leonty Benois, a separate wing was added for the Large Assembly Hall. Since the late 19th century, alongside the Winter and Tauride Palaces, the Mariinsky has been one of the three "political" palaces of Petersburg. After the February Revolution of 1917, it housed the Provisional Government, and after the October Revolution, it was handed over to the Supreme Council of the National Economy. From 1945, the Leningrad Soviet convened in the palace. During the August Coup of 1991, the Mariinsky became the center of resistance to the State Committee on the State of Emergency (GKChP) in Leningrad. In 1994, after the dissolution of the Leningrad Soviet, the palace was occupied by the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg.
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Jermaine

Smolny Cathedral (Resurrection Cathedral of All Educational Institutions, Smolny Cathedral, Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Word of All Educational Institutions, Resurrection of Christ Smolny Cathedral)

4 Kvarengi Lane, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191060

Petersburg: Stories, Legends, and Myths
Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli
Smolny Cathedral (Resurrection Cathedral of All Educational Institutions of Smolny, Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Word of All Educational Institutions, Resurrection of Christ Smolny Cathedral) is an Orthodox church in the Central District of Saint Petersburg. It is part of the architectural ensemble of the Smolny Monastery. Historically, the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral has been the church of educational institutions of Saint Petersburg, a church for students; therefore, the main focus of the clergy and laity of the church is the spiritual and moral education of youth. From 1990 to 2015, it served as a concert venue for classical music.
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Jermaine

Income House Vege

12 Kryukov Canal Embankment, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190068

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The Vege Income House is rightfully considered one of the darkest, yet incredibly beautiful buildings in the city on the Neva. Locals call it the "house with atlantes." Two majestic sculptures hold up the arches on their mighty shoulders, and in size, they are second only to the atlantes located at the Hermitage.
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Jermaine

K. K. Greff Mansion - Y. K. Dobbert Mansion

Bolshaya Pushkarskaya St., 9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197198

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Once, most of Petersburg was built with wooden houses. Gradually, they were replaced by stone buildings, and most of the "survivors" were dismantled for firewood during the Blockade. This makes the small mansion located on Bolshaya Pushkarskaya Street all the more interesting.
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Jermaine

The House of Countess A.G. Laval

English Embankment, 4, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 190000

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
Great Architects: Jean Thomas de Thomon
Great Architects: Andrey Nikiforovich Voronikhin
On the English Embankment, there are many magnificent mansions, but one of the most remarkable is the former mansion of Countess A. G. Laval. "Wealth, splendor! A tall house on the Neva's shore, a staircase carpeted, lions at the entrance…" — this is how the poet Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov described this house in his poem *Russian Women*.
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Jermaine

Church of St. John in Lomonosov

Kirochnaya St., 14, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 198411

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The Church of St. John in Lomonosov is a Lutheran church located in the former village of Martyshkino (now within the city limits of Lomonosov), serving as the parish center of Tyurö of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria.
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Jermaine

Great Saint Petersburg State Circus (Chinizelli Circus or Circus on the Fontanka)

Fontanka River Embankment, 3, lit. A, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191028

Petersburg: Unusual and Interesting Houses
The Great Saint Petersburg State Circus (also widely known by its historical name Chinizelli Circus and colloquially as the Circus on the Fontanka) is the circus of the city of Saint Petersburg, the first stone stationary circus in Russia, and one of the oldest circuses in Russia.
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Jermaine