Igumnov's house on Yakimanka. The mansion of the merchant Igumnov

The house of the merchant Igumnov on Yakimanka is striking in the quaintness and pretentiousness of his ornaments. Built in the 19th century, it almost unchanged reached our days. Today, the French ambassador always resides there, that's why he does not get into a high-ranking official's visit.

But Igumnov's house on Yakimanka is still accessible for visits, and everyone can discover its magnificent decoration and splendor. External charm can be appreciated if you walk around the area. The story of the creation will tell every brick building.

History of the mansion

The building, outwardly reminiscent of the ancient Russian tower, built on the instructions of Nikolai Igumnov. The house was thought of as the Moscow residence of the owner of the Yaroslavl Manufactory. Although Igumnov and had a lot of money, but the choice of the area for the new building fell on unprestigious, poor. The rich man justified his preference by the fact that he grew up in these parts. Even the caveats that the neighboring shabby houses would spoil the impression of a luxurious palace did not convince the entrepreneur to abandon the idea.

For the construction was invited Yaroslavl architect Nikolai Pozdeev, fellow Igumnov. Wishing to emphasize the master's power, his condition, the most popular and vivid style in the architecture of that time was chosen - the pseudo-Russian. By the way, the Terem Palace was built in the same spirit. Psevdorussky style was called because of imitation of old wooden houses.

Not sparing money for construction, Igumnov ordered a Dutch brick, tiles were ordered at the porcelain factory of Kuznetsov himself.

In the building, like a gypsy horse, everything beautiful was collected that existed in Russian architecture. From this excessive magnificence Pozdeev was branded as a provincial, absolutely devoid of architecture. Over the customer himself was no less amused. Having succumbed to criticism and having listened to mocking attacks in the direction of the owner, the architect could not stand and committed suicide. But not only criticism finished off the artist. The merchant's house Igumnov flew into a penny and surpassed the original estimate. The customer himself refused to overpay for what was not part of the primary project. This ruined Pozdeev. The only way out was death.

Legends of Igumnov's house

Igumnov's house is covered with many secrets and legends. The most mysterious and to this day is the legend of a dancer. According to her, a rich merchant built a house for his mistress - the amazing beauty of a girl who was madly in love. But not to him alone was the delight of the eyes and excited consciousness. Fond of the luxurious life, she managed to receive lovers. Having told about the betrayal, the enraged Igumnov did not kill the beautiful woman, but immured her body in the walls of the building. Since then, it is rumored that at night the ghost of a white restless girl wanders. But the current resident, the French ambassador, did not complain and Igumnov's house on Bolshaya Yakimanka does not intend to leave.

Another fiction claims that Igumnov's house nearly cost him his life. He ordered to lay out the floor of one of the rooms with gold coins, depicting the imperial profile upward. For such a rash disrespect to Nicholas almost exiled, and he had to flee. Probably a merchant would have been found, but the revolution saved his life.

Purpose of the house in different years

Everyone knows that now the house of Igumnov is occupied by the Ambassador of France. But it was not always so, but only from 1938. Initially, the purpose of the house is covered with secrets: whether it's a "dacha", or an apartment for a mistress. But the fact that it was built for the merchant's personal needs, for sure.

The revolution requisitioned the mansion and granted it to the club of the Goznak factory. A year after Lenin's death, in 1925, the building was transformed by new residents. They were the leading physicians who founded the Institute for the Study of the Brain. The researchers tried to penetrate into the mystery of Vladimir Ilyich's genius. Then the list of "outstanding brains" was supplemented by samples of the gray matter of many other great people.

The style of Igumnov's house

House Igumnova combined elements of many styles. Decorative elements: bell towers, columns, tents - unconnected before this time, intertwined in the architectural ensemble under the workshop of Pozdeev's hand. Although the structure turned out to be a bit heavy, but otherwise the pseudo-Russian style was not represented.

Contrary to the fact that the Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin was already built in this style, the society did not take a new resident - the Igumnov's house. Artistic critics of the time characterized the structure as a vinaigrette from Greek classicism, rococo, Renaissance and Gothic.

Now Igumnov's house in Moscow is an architectural monument and an example of high art.

Building Exterior

In the exterior of the building a large number of decorative elements, previously not combined in the construction, were used. Such imaginary dissonance was achieved by introducing wood carvings, figured masonry made of bricks, metal forging and even casting into the facade decoration.

Nevertheless, the Russian style is a cross-cutting motif in all elements, although the building, with the exception of the grand staircase and the hall to which it leads, is generally considered to be executed in European style.

Igumnov's house has preserved the facade decoration, although beginning in 1938, it underwent a certain "off-farming". Architects were the first to recognize the splendor of the building and sought to bring a drop of French charm to Russian heaviness.

Interior

The main style direction in the interior of the room is Empire, and each element displays the meaning of the word. Igumnov's house accommodated the breadth of the Russian soul and skillfully combined it with classicism. Ivan Pozdeev, brother of Nikolai Pozdeev, was engaged in finishing the house.

Each piece of furniture was decorated with gilded elements. The rooms of the rooms are lit by large windows that are inserted into the archways. The walls are painted ivory, along them are pilasters.

The bas-reliefs form frames, inside which elite silk was stretched or pictures were hung.

The brain of Igumnov's house

German neuroscientist Oscar Vogt became the head of the laboratory for the search for genius zones in the brain of the late Vladimir Lenin. In addition to Vogt, a few more specialists were settled in the house, who worked on this difficult task. After a while the laboratory developed into the Institute of the Brain.

As is known, truth is compared in comparison, therefore, apart from Lenin's outstanding alcoholic mind, others began to be brought to the Institute, among them Lunacharsky, Zetkin, Bely, Mayakovsky and many others.

It was planned to produce superhumans in the building under the former name "Igumnov's House", Moscow. On Yakimanka the world revolution in the field of medicine was ready to be made. But the effectiveness was zero, because the Institute turned into a museum, and then completely eliminated.

Funny coincidence

Near the modern French embassy in 1979, the building of the embassy office was built. A magnificent modern building. Angular, sharp, similar to a pyramid, painted in dark red color. Ultraviolet, it nevertheless very much resembles another ... The mausoleum in which the body of Lenin rests.

Some historians associate this mysterious coincidence with one half-legend. It is rumored that at the end of the 19th century a certain young man was so impressed by the greatness of Igumnov's house that he decided to become a famous architect. This young man allegedly was Alexei Shchusev - the author of the famous Mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow.