“Fairytale House” (apartment house of Z.A. Pertsova)

The Pertsov House received its historical name from the name of the engineer who conceived and carried out its creation. In 1905-1907, P. N. Pertsov, in collaboration with architects N. K. Zhukov and B. N. Schnaubert and according to the drawings and sketches of S. V. Malyutin, built a “fairy tale house” on the banks of the Moscow River.

The artist Malyutin tried to give the project the maximum shade of Russian antiquity, features of ancient Moscow. The architects built the building in the style of the new Russian Art Nouveau, very advanced at that time. Engineer P. N. Pertsov equipped the house with hidden electrical wiring, invisible water, waste and sewer pipes, and abandoned wooden floors. The mixture of Russian traditions and the latest technologies in housing construction created an amazing building that still remains a Moscow landmark.

The house, built for artists, where each apartment had living rooms and a workshop, itself became a real work of art. At first glance, the building appears to be a jumble of various complex shapes, unequal windows, pediments, balconies and turrets. But upon closer examination, one is struck by their harmony and organic interweaving, the natural compatibility of different styles.

The unity of architecture and applied arts, elements fine arts. The windows in Pertsov's house are made various shapes and asymmetrically located, richly decorated balconies, roof with Gothic towers. They contain ancient Russian and European medieval motifs, original majolica panels. The roof and facades are decorated mythical creatures, depicting the sun and plants, animals and fish.

Early 20th century most of The furniture was made according to the sketches of S.V. Malyutin, and the interior was richly decorated with wood carvings and paintings. Now only a few elements of decoration of the railings, main staircase and external doors remain from its former splendor. But to this day, the Pertsov House invariably attracts glances with its fabulousness, uniqueness and antiquity.

I came across a photo of the apartment building of Pertsov or Pertsova in the archives. It's pretty interesting house in the center of Moscow and by some it is considered one of the best in the city. Whether it is true or not is not for me to judge. But one summer, I got out of my distant Butovo to watch it specifically. It’s just a pity that it’s on the outside, because to get inside, you have to have a relationship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to which it has now been transferred to its jurisdiction. They used to say that the doors were open and you could go in.

Pertsov's apartment building in Moscow

At home rich story, which I will not retell in detail, everything has long been described on the Internet. The “Fairy Tale House” was built in 1907 for artists, which is why it is so colorful and unusual, in the Art Nouveau style. According to engineer Pertsov, these are residential apartments with workshops. Pertsov himself was sentenced to 5 years in prison in 1922 for storing the valuables of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which is located right next door, and when he came back a year later, he had already been evicted from his house. In 1908-1912 there was a cabaret here Bat, that is, Moscow bohemia hung out, and after that Trotsky also lived. In general, I say, a rich history.

The pipe is a stuck owl!

Pertseva's apartment building on the sign - she is the last owner

Unfortunately, you can no longer feel the spirit of that time; it seems like there is nothing left inside, everything interesting is outside. Here are a couple of interior photos from the Internet. In my opinion, it is too non-functional and clumsy.

Where is

The house is located at Soimonovsky Proezd, building 1/35, at the intersection of Soimonovsky Proezd and Prechistenskaya Embankment.

P.S. The photo shows not snow, but poplar fluff.

Address: Soimonovsky proezd, 1

How to get to the Pertsova apartment building: st. Kropotkinskaya metro station.

Pertsova's apartment building is also known as a fairy tale house. It is located on the corner of Soymonovsky Proezd and Prechistenskaya Embankment. The building is an example of neo-Russian modernism. The house was built in 1905-1907 by architects N.K. Zhukov and B.N. Schnaubert, engineer P.N. Pertsov based on sketches by the artist S.V. Milyutin, known as the author of the famous Russian nesting doll. Pertsova's house is located opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the main facade of the building overlooks the Moscow River.

The history of the appearance of Pertsova’s house in Moscow began with the fact that the famous engineer P.N. Pertsov, who was a passionate admirer of art, at the beginning of the 20th century decided to build an apartment building with residential apartments and workshops for artists located in the attic part of the house. He also wanted the building to be a work of art in itself, and its own appearance would express the originality of Russian culture.

Before starting to build the house, Pertsov held a closed competition, in which he invited artists A.M. Vasnetsov and S.V. Milyutin, architect A.I. Diederichs and architect-artist L.M. Brailovsky. The main condition was that the project combine the spirit of the legends of ancient Moscow and at the same time, answer modern trends. The first prize was calculated at 800 rubles, and the second - 500. Moreover, the customer reserved the right to use any of the projects he liked. The jury of the competition included such eminent masters as invited V.M. Vasnetsov, V.I. Surikov, V.D. Polenov, F.O. Shekhtel, I.A. Ivanov-Shits, S.U. Soloviev and S.V. Noakovsky. The first prize was received by A.M. Vasnetsov, and the second - Milyutin, but Vasnetsov’s project seemed too standard to Pertsov, and he opted for Milyutin’s version.

Construction of the house lasted 11 months. It was a building that fully met the requirements of Art Nouveau in terms of a combination of exquisite decor and the latest technology. There were no wooden floors in the building, the electrical wiring was hidden, and water and sewer lines did not spoil the view anywhere.

A fairy tale house is distinguished by its extraordinary variety and complexity of forms, but at the same time, it looks like an organic whole. In the design of the facades, the authors of the project used a variety of techniques inherent in Art Nouveau - this includes the asymmetrical arrangement of windows, balconies, tower-like roof projections and rich decor. In particular, ancient Russian motifs were used to decorate the tower balconies, which naturally and harmoniously combine with elements of northern modernism: balcony brackets in the form of dragons, colored majolica panels that combine images of the sun, bear, bull, fish, and snakes. On the ridge of the roof there is a lattice with lions - then it was gilded, and on the roof above the green tower there was a gilded rooster.

The pediments, as well as the partitions between the windows of the 4th floor, the railings of the balconies and the corners of the building are lined with majolica. Majolica, commissioned by Pertsov, was made by an artel of young artists of the Stroganov School, united in the Murava company. At that time they had no orders, and the artel was under threat of closure. Pertsov did not have to regret choosing the company; the task was completed on time. Also, all wishes regarding shades were met, and the quality of the majolica was excellent.

According to the original plan, the ceremonial interior spaces were decorated with paintings and wooden carvings. Carved decorations of external doors, staircase railings and apartment doors, as well as the decor of the main staircase, have survived to this day.

From 1908 to 1912, in the basement of Pertsova’s apartment building, the artistic cabaret “The Bat” operated, where one could see Moscow Art Theater celebrities in unexpected roles: V. I. Kachalov as a circus wrestler, O. L. Knipper-Chekhova as a Parisian chansonette, V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko conducted an amateur orchestra, K. S. Stanislavsky demonstrated “miracles of black and white magic,” and the institution’s charter read “Do not be offended.” Now the building belongs to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The apartment building at the corner of Soymonovsky proezd, 1 and Moskovskaya was built in the period from 1905 to 1907 by order of railway engineer Pyotr Nikolaevich Pertsov, who laid the Russian Empire thousands of kilometers railway tracks and was a very wealthy man.

Architects Nikolai Konstantinovich Zhukov and, in fact, Pertsov himself took part in the design and construction of the building, designed in the neo-Russian Art Nouveau style. The basis was taken from a sketch made by the artist Sergei Vasilyevich Malyutin.

Photo 1. Soimonovsky proezd, No. 1 in Moscow

The history of the construction of the “fairy tale house” began back in 1902, when Pertsov, in his words, visited Ivan Evmenievich Tsvetkov, who had recently built a gallery house for his collection of paintings by Russian painters.

The view from the windows of the house of the Moscow River flowing nearby amazed Pyotr Nikolaevich, which he told the owner about. He also said that he was jealous of Tsvetkov and the place he had chosen for construction. And then Ivan Evmenievich indicated that he would show another wonderful place in the neighborhood, but with the condition that Tsvetkov, if he bought the plot, would build a house on it and only in the Russian style.

A property with a nondescript three-story building, which at that time was owned by N.V. Ushakov, like many plots in this area, was bought for 70 thousand rubles and registered in the name of Pertsov’s wife, Zinaida, which is why today it is also called Pertsova’s apartment house.

Photo 2. Facade of Pertsova’s apartment building

At the beginning of 1906, Pyotr Nikolaevich announced a competition of projects, and it was closed. To participate in it, the owner invited artists Apollinary Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, Sergei Vasilyevich Malyutin, architect-artist Leonid Mikhailovich Brailovsky and architect Diederichs. The jury included such luminaries as Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, Vasily Ivanovich Surikov, Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov, Fyodor Osipovich Shekhtel, Illarion Aleksandrovich Ivanov-Shits, Sergei Ustinovich Solovyov and Stanislav Vladislavovich Noakovsky.

The first prize in the amount of 800 rubles went to Apollinariy Vasnetsov, and the second was awarded to Sergei Malyutin with 500 rubles. But according to the terms of the competition, the customer had the right to choose any project he liked from those that received prizes. Pyotr Nikolaevich Pertsov settled on a sketch of Malyutin’s work.

Architecture of Pertsova's apartment building

The current building is based on a three-story building with small window openings, above which a fourth level was built with large windows to create studios for artists to work there. There was also a balcony called “The Queen’s Conversation”, which was crowned with a gilded dome.

On the side of Prechistenskaya embankment, a four-story mansion was erected for the Pertsovs themselves to live in, and along Kursovoy Lane a flight building with a stylishly arranged main entrance was erected. The façade planes were richly decorated with majolica paintings made by the Murava company, which included young artists from the famous Stroganov School.

We approached the design of the engineering part with utmost care. Thus, in Pertsova’s apartment building there were no wooden floors, and water and sewer lines, as well as electrical wiring, were hidden in the walls and special niches, inaccessible to the eyes of the residents.

Ultimately, a house with a great variety of architectural forms looks quite organic. The design of the facades is made in the techniques inherent in the Art Nouveau style: asymmetrical arrangement of window openings, original balconies, rich decor of the facades, tower-shaped roof superstructures.

The roof ridge was originally decorated with a gilded lattice with lions, and above the green tower there was once a rooster, also covered with gold leaf. The main rooms were decorated with wooden carvings, as well as rich wall paintings.

Walking along the even side of Ligovsky Prospekt from the metro towards the Moskovsky station, you should definitely look into the courtyard of the house at number 44. This is the apartment building of engineer Alexander Nikolaevich Pertsov, built in the early 20th century, built in the Art Nouveau style.

The house consists of two symmetrical six-story buildings facing Ligovsky Prospekt. In the depths of the site there are several outbuildings, forming courtyards. The facades of the apartment building are decorated with floral ornaments. Main facade lavishly decorated with sculptures decorating four risalits on the sixth floor level. The two outer risalits depict figures of boys in chestnut leaves, the other two depict women’s heads among chestnut leaves.

The two corners of the building, facing each other and the passage to the courtyards, at the attic level are decorated with moldings of floral patterns with satyr heads. Two bay windows, window partitions and door portals are covered with compositions of plant elements. All sculptural works were completed in 1913 based on models by sculptor A. E. Gromov. The balconies are decorated with a variety of wrought iron grilles using plant motifs. The decorative and sculptural design of the building is a typical example of the Art Nouveau style.

The history of the construction of the current house begins in 1905, when, on a competitive basis, the Society of Civil Engineers, on behalf of Pertsov himself, was selected best project development of this site.

Construction of the building itself began only in 1910. Pertsov entrusted the development of the project to his friend S.P. Galenzovsky. The development of the site was based on a cruciform courtyard and a T-shaped courtyard continuing it. The facades of the building are covered with rusticated plaster (relief facing of walls with stones with a rough-hewn front surface), which is decorated with floral patterns. Construction of the house took place in 1911-1912. When it was created, the homeowner and architects targeted middle-class tenants. The landlord distributed the retail space in the complex in such a way that it offered a wide range of goods, and when changing tenants, he tried to maintain the profile of the store. The house was built in the American style, with 400 apartments different sizes, with 18 elevators, telephones, bathrooms common use. Initially, it housed a first-class hotel with 200 rooms and a luxurious restaurant, Select, thanks to which the house became widely famous. But the hotel did not bring high incomes - the guests were disturbed by the noise of dray cabs, delivering cargo from the Nikolaevsky station early in the morning. The hotel restaurant was too expensive for the poor residents of Ligovka. There was also a Mignon confectionery store in the house. In 1915, Ministry of Railways institutions were located here: control of the Nikolaev railway, Local control on those operated by the treasury railways and the Office of the representative of the head of work on the construction of the eastern part of the Amur Railway.

in 1993 it was located in the Pertsovsky House Drama Theater“Comedians”, founded in 1989 and working under the direction of director Mikhail Aleksandrovich Levshin. First performances on new stage took place on December 17, 18 and 19 at the “Housewarming in an Old House” holiday.