The mansion of Arseny Morozov. Morozov's House - description, history and interesting facts There are many signs in the decor of Arseny Morozov's mansion. For example, a knot of ropes is a symbol of longevity. But the owner was unable to fully enjoy life in the new house

The Morozov mansion at 21 Podsosensky Lane, which you see in the picture, was built in 1879. It is known that since the mid-18th century, the city estate on this site belonged to the manufacturers Plavilshchikov. It was from them that Elisey Savvich Morozov acquired the property in 1839. And already his son and heir Vikula Eliseevich, in the period from 1878 to 1879, built a new main house according to the design of one of the most famous architects of that time, Mikhail Chichagov.

The Morozov mansion in Podsosensky Lane. Appearance

The next heir, Alexey Vikulovich, having taken possession of the estate in 1895, decides to rebuild the house to his liking and invites the architect Fyodor (Franz) Shekhtel to redesign the interiors. Created by Shekhtel interior decoration Morozov mansion on Podsosensky Lane is one of the peaks of the architect’s creativity, demonstrating his original talent and highest level skill. Were involved in design work famous artist Mikhail Vrubel and young sculptor Sergei Konenkov.

We will begin our acquaintance with the Morozov mansion with its external design, the style of which can be defined as eclectic. The main attic of the building is decorated with a cartouche with the letter “M” (Morozovs)

In the attics, on the sides, the angels hold a staff, which is an attribute of the trade gods Hermes (in Ancient Greece) and Mercury (in Ancient Rome), which is quite understandable for the main house of the city estate of merchants and manufacturers, known throughout Europe as the “weaving kings” of Russia

The Morozov dynasty is very numerous, usually its representatives are distinguished by branches of the family: Zakharovich, Abramovich, Vikulovich and Timofeevich. Each branch had its own manufactory (enterprise) in different cities of Russia. So, Vikula Eliseevich, who built this mansion, owned the Orekhovo-Zuevskaya manufactory. It was with the funds of the Vikulovichs that the Morozov Children's Hospital was built in Moscow, which still serves its purpose.

But let's return to the Morozov mansion on Podsosensky Lane. Directly under the side attics, the date of construction of the mansion is immortalized in cartouches above the second floor windows.

At the corners of the façade the building is decorated with antique-style vases and garlands of abundance.

The main entrance is highlighted by a second-floor balcony and figures of mythological Atlanteans supporting it

These sculptures are more recent, made by Sergei Konenkov. At that time he was a completely beginning sculptor, a student, and when decorating this house they not only paid well, but also did not limit his imagination

The entrance gate to the estate is also made in the general style of the mansion.

Let's take a closer look at the menacing faces of the gods on both sides of the gate

Unlike most other mansions in Moscow, this estate changed hands little: the Morozovs owned it until the 1917 revolution. After nationalization, the mansion was replaced by many residents: anarchists, a kindergarten, a scientific institute, a publishing house, various public organizations. In the timelessness of the 90s, there was even a commercial store operating here, which treated the interiors rather unceremoniously. Nowadays, this is either some division of the Knowledge Society, or public fund military veterans. The entrance to the mansion is not through the front entrance with atlases, but through the side entrance, from the courtyard, where the entrance gate leads. As a result, we find ourselves on a two-flight marble staircase. It has coffered ceilings with molded cornices and grisaille paintings at the top of the walls. The paintings depict griffins. The top landing of the staircase, where the doors of the second floor rooms go, is designed in a similar way.

Photos of indoor spaces are rarely successful, so in what follows we will also use photographs taken from the website “Noble Estates. Podmoskovnye.ru" with the kind consent of their author. These pictures can be easily identified by the site logo in the corner. So, from the top of the stairs through the halls we move to the halls and living rooms of the mansion. But these halls themselves are a work of art: look how complex and whimsical the multi-tiered cornice of the ceiling is, what an elegant painting of the walls

It is believed that the hall is decorated with paintings in the style of Roman villas, so we admire the Pompeian style, so rare in Moscow

Here are the paintings on the top of the walls

Paintings of pilasters and the inner surface of the arch separating one part of the hall from the other:

The second part of the hall has such a ceiling with two rows of coffers

Paintings inside the caissons

It is valuable that not only the ceiling has been preserved here, but also the decor of the vertical wall space

Very elegant design of wall panels and door groups of the hall

As I understand it, the author of the interiors of the second floor is the architect M. Chichagov. I don’t know if he designed the version of the halls that we see, but it is certain that the next halls on the second floor retained his decoration. First we will enter the blue dance lounge

Both the ceiling and walls have also been restored, but since the building is used as an administrative building, the room is filled with modern office furniture. Let's not pay attention to it, let's look at the stucco molding of the ceiling and door portals

Design of the door portal in the dance room of the Morozov mansion on Podsosensky Lane

An impressive ceiling lamp for a chandelier (the chandelier is modern, I’m not showing it)

The dance room still has a marble fireplace.

Above it there is a mirror with a very magnificent stucco decoration

Other doors from the hall lead to such a music room

Three-dimensional images on the wall panels indicate the musical purpose of the room.

The lush stucco of the ceiling and walls is impressive

The stucco molding occupies the entire space of the ceiling, so the lampshade becomes part of it

Next, tourists are shown the premises of the first floor, already decorated by F.O. Shekhtel. Firstly, this is the front lobby (remember the front entrance with atlases and a balcony instead of a canopy?). It is designed in Egyptian style

Very bright, rich colors. Unusual images of winged snakes

A bizarre combination of both stylized lotuses and five-pointed stars in one object

And finally, business card of this mansion, one of the best creations of F.O. Shekhtel - the owner’s two-light office

Here is a view from the opposite direction, towards the entrance arch

The office is made in the architect’s favorite Gothic style, entirely decorated with expensive dark wood

The staircase leading to the second floor, decorated with exquisite carvings, seems to flow into the lower room

A gnome or old man sits at the foot of the stairs

At his feet is an open book with the inscription in Latin “Life is short, art is eternal”

This old man did not seem kind to me; his hooked nose and protruding tooth did not inspire confidence.

The unusual image of the staircase, which itself is a work of art, is complemented by a dragon sitting on a pole at the top of the staircase

Please note that even the pillar on which the dragon sits seems to be covered with scales. And the imagination of the design and the magnificent wooden carving of the staircase are absolutely beyond belief

On the ground floor, a fireplace with a shelf supported by gargoyles also attracts attention.

It’s interesting to look at these monsters from different angles, their facial expressions seem to change (I wrote and thought: maybe they have faces? Well, these ones are more likely to have faces;-)

At the top of the fireplace there are two gargoyle masks and four unique carved heads.

A clock in the shape of a Gothic tower and a throne-like chair with a carved Gothic finial on the back have been preserved.

Let's try to take our eyes off the magic of the first floor and look up at the ceiling, decorated with carvings and paintings

On the second level, the window openings are filled with stained glass windows, which muffle the bright light from the street and create twilight in the office

Also on the second floor level, the wooden panels of the office are decorated with large picturesque panels created by Mikhail Vrubel on the themes of Goethe’s “Faust”. On the left is the panel “Mephistopheles and the Disciple”, on the right is “The Flight of Mephistopheles” (all originals are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery)

If you go up the stairs, then on the sides of the niche on the intermediate platform there will be two more narrow vertical panels by Vrubel: “Faust”...

...and “Margarita” (Vrubel wrote this image from his wife)

The niche itself on the intermediate landing of the stairs is reminiscent of the times of knights and queens

The columns of the stairs here end with such fancy burdock cones.

The staircase leads to the library; the entrance to it is decorated with such an arrow-shaped arch

The library, although it is part of the office, is designed in a different variation gothic style. There is lighter wood here, besides this is a corner room and there are more windows and light. In the next panorama of the library, in addition to the cabinets, you see the door to the adjacent room on the second floor, with a pointed arch and overhead curly hinges

I note that in the photo, electric lighting and flash distort the natural shade of the tree, making it yellow and vulgar. In fact, I remember the wood texture of the library as soft and noble. In photographs without flash, color rendition is closer to reality. The ceiling itself is worthy of attention and admiration.

Along the entire perimeter of the library, on the upper part of the walls under the ceiling, there is a painted frieze based on the plot of Goethe's poem about Reineck the Fox. This poem depicts different types of society in medieval Germany in the images of animals (much like in Krylov’s fables)

Most likely, the repeated reference to the work of Goethe in the design of the Morozov mansion on Podsosensky Lane is not accidental: the architect did not just create the interior, but expressed some idea, some kind of worldview in accordance with the plans and wishes of the customer. Filling the space with images and symbols should have contributed to the disclosure of this idea, creating in the owner and/or visitors a certain mood, evoke some associations and memories.

It’s interesting to compare the owners’ offices in this and my other favorite mansion – . To what extent is Ryabushinsky’s office an island? business man in the house-prototype of the world order, so the office of A.V. Morozov shows us creative person, who devoted himself entirely to collecting art objects

Along the walls there are oak bookcases made especially for this room. Please note that the top of the cabinets is designed like the roof of a medieval European house: with tiles and turrets

Everything here is thought out and highly functional: the cabinets have pull-out shelves for easy work with lithographs and heavy volumes. After all, the customer, Alexey Vikulovich Morozov, collected ancient icons, engravings, porcelain, crystal and glass items, as well as folk crafts. To store and display his extensive collection, A.V. Morozov in 1914 added a new building of three halls to the mansion. And these glass cabinets in the office were used by the owner as display cases for porcelain. Well, look at the carved wood - you just want to touch it, run your hand along these curves

In general, the carved wood throughout the office is simply a song of songs, a delightful result of unbridled imagination, exquisite taste and masterly execution. Here the entrance arch is decorated with such an element, the purpose of which I don’t know, but I’m ready to admire endlessly

I would like to especially draw your attention to the highest craftsmanship: here is precisely the case when the craft reaches the heights of art. You look at the carvings of the office and living room - and the lines of O. Mandelstam involuntarily come to mind:

...beauty is not the whim of a demigod,

And the predatory eye of a simple carpenter.

So, all the furniture was made at the factory of Pavel Schmidt, who was married to the owner’s sister, Alexei Morozov. The furniture factory of P. Schmidt had the title of Supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty.

In the center of the library there is a hexagonal table made according to the design of F. Shekhtel

Initially, every second cell of this hexagon was a showcase where valuable rarities from the collection that had developed over three generations of the Morozov family were displayed. And for studying tomes and engravings, spaces in the form of tables located between the display cases were used. Here's a look at a photo from a hundred years ago of how it was conceived and originally implemented. Pay also attention to the lamps: the central one above the table and the individual lamps above each workstation. After all, the mansion’s lamps have not survived to this day, and F. Shekhtel designed the interiors comprehensively and developed all the small details, right down to the door handles and ventilation grilles

In addition, this table helps provide light to the living room located below the library. I don’t quite remember whether the table cells are moved apart, or the hexagon in the center of the table is removed, but somehow access is provided to the light bulbs located in the floor under the table and illuminating the lower living room according to the principle of built-in ceiling lights. Now we will go there and you will see how the living room lighting is organized. You cannot go directly from the library to the living room located below it; you must return along the stairs with the gnome to the first floor of the office and through these doors enter the rocaille living room. Please note that the doors on the cabinet side are made in the Gothic style...

...and from the inside these doors are already made in the Rococo style, like the living room itself

As I already mentioned, the architect stylized the interior to the smallest details. This is how door handles and keyholes are designed from the inside

Well, the doors themselves. It looks like several types of wood were used here in a marquetry style. And of course, the highest art carver

The doorway from the inside is somewhat reminiscent of a peacock with a giant tail, which, however, is very consistent with the style and spirit of Rococo

The Rocaille living room is small, it’s difficult to take a panoramic photo, and tourists are crowding around, rushing to look at everything and capture it, so I couldn’t find a general shot of the living room either at home or on the Internet. We will consider it in parts. Here is the most general view

The walls are decorated with French tapestries, the floral and courtly theme of which, coupled with delicate pastel shades, is very suitable for the overall style of the room. Because of these trellises, the room is also called a tapestry living room.

It is believed that due to the tapestries, which are harmful to bright light, subdued central lighting was made here through the frosted glass of the ceiling. The hexagonal table upstairs in the library was used to maintain this lighting. This is what the ceiling lamp looks like when the chandelier is turned off (the project did not include any pendant lamps at all; the chandelier is the work of the subsequent inhabitants of the mansion)

Here is the ceiling light of a rocaille living room with the chandelier on

Once again I admire the bright talent of the architect: the Rococo style implies a large decorative load, but Shekhtel’s stylization is so refined and elegant that the viewer does not have a feeling of excess and burden, everything is harmonious, but at the same time luxurious, playful and comfortable. The ball here is ruled by a curl, an elegant curved line, as it should be in Rococo interiors. The ceiling of the living room is decorated with gilded carvings

In two opposite corners of the rocaille living room there are mirrors to visually increase the space due to multiple reflections. But how original it was done! In one corner there is a mirrored bay window with a sofa.

The bay window gives the impression of a precious toy, a fabulously magical corner

Some fairy-tale birds can also be seen in the design here.

And opposite the mirrored bay window there is a mirror above the jasper fireplace

An array of jasper inspires respect with its power and natural beauty

Here, even the heating and ventilation grilles are works of art.

Here, perhaps, is all about the office and the rocaille living room, these two pearls of the Morozov mansion on Podsosensky Lane. Tourists are shown two more rooms on the first floor, recently recreated. In fact, only the ceiling remained there. The purpose of the premises is not known exactly. The first room is presented as a smoking room or a men's living room. There is a coffered ceiling made of wood with a very unusual decor reminiscent of chess pieces

In this office, the wood paneling of the walls has been preserved, but it is completely ordinary. The room opposite, judging by the decor, is a women's or, rather, a girl's living room. Look for yourself

Painting on stucco molding is used here

Bouquets and garlands of very delicate colors and shades

And finally, about the entire estate as a whole. In the courtyard of the mansion there is a house, radically rebuilt and built on three floors. It is believed that part of its basements and first floor remain from the first owner, the merchant Plavilshchikov. To this house, according to the design of F. Shekhtel, a winter Garden. It has not survived to this day even in images, but some traces of it are still visible. In the photo below, a brick fence with an iron fence on top shows the perimeter of the winter garden. The arch, traces of which are visible on the facade, most likely set the shape of the vault. It's not very clear in the photo, but the middle window is a door. Now it literally leads to nowhere, but previously there was a staircase leading down from it to the winter garden. The arch itself was decorated with sculptural images by M. Vrubel.

According to the design of F. Shekhtel, an Old Believer domed chapel was erected in the depths of the estate, which also has not survived. All Morozovs belonged to the Old Believers and strictly adhered to pre-reform customs. Thus, the Morozov men certainly wore a thick beard. Here they are, representatives of 4 branches of the Morozov family: Abram Abramovich, Timofey Savvich, Vasily Zakharovich, Vikula Eliseevich

In grateful memory of the owners of the Morozov mansion in Podsosensky Lane, it must be said that after the revolution of 1917, A.V. Morozov did not go abroad, but remained the custodian of the nationalized treasures. He even managed to open a museum in his former mansion for a short period, but then the unique collection was distributed to museums. Imagine what kind of collection it was, if even after the losses suffered during the revolutionary years, its items went to the Armory Chamber, Historical Museum, Tretyakov Gallery, the current Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and other museums! The unique porcelain mainly ended up in the museum in Kuskovo. Here is a portrait by V. Serov of this an extraordinary person, a collector who has amassed, among others, the best collections of porcelain and icons that have ever existed in Russia

It is simply impossible to pass by this wonderful mansion without being surprised and admiring it. And here we go again - Arseny Morozov's mansion on Vozdvizhenka, but now let's pay attention to the details. And there are a great many of them here. In the title photo there is an elegant stone vine, repeating the wall of a Portuguese castle entwined with grapes. I didn’t want to write any words about this wonderful building, everything has already been said about it, but I learned something that I didn’t know about before.

It turns out that this intricate mansion had a very specific model. This is the Pena Palace (Palácio Nacional da Pena) in Portugal, on a high cliff above the city of Sintra, in a fantastic pseudo-medieval style. The construction was organized by Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, husband of Queen Mary II of Portugal. He invested enormous amounts of money in this project, and work continued until his death in 1885. A building built in mid-19th century, combined elements of Moorish medieval architecture and Manueline - the Portuguese national style, popular in the 15th-16th centuries. This same Pena Palace in the early 1890s inspired Russian millionaire Arseny Abramovich Morozov and architect Viktor Aleksandrovich Mazyrin to build a mansion on Vozdvizhenka. It all started with the fact that Arseny Morozov received a plot of land in the center of Moscow as a gift.

Pena Palace in Sintra

Arseny's mother, Varvara Alekseevna, came from the Khludov merchant family, which owned one of the first Russian paper mills equipped with steam engines. His father, Abram Abramovich ( cousin famous philanthropist Savva Morozov), was the owner of the Tver manufactory. After his death, management of the enterprise passed into the hands of his wife - an intelligent, acumen and beautiful woman. It was she who decided to give her unlucky son, the reveler and reveler Arseny, a 25th birthday present. land plot on Vozdvizhenka.

Konstantin Makovsky. Portrait of V. A. Morozova, 1874

Arseny turned to his friend the architect and great original Viktor Mazyrin, whom he met at the world exhibition in Antwerp. And he invited Morozov to travel around Europe together in search of a prototype of the house. Upon returning to Moscow, Arseny Morozov got the idea to build himself a castle house, repeating the general outline Pena Palace style.

Architect Viktor Mazyrin (pictured left) and millionaire Arseny Morozov

The mansion was built quickly, in four years, a period unprecedented for that time.

1. Now the trees have grown, and the cast-iron fence has been duplicated with opaque shields, which, of course, makes it difficult to view the mansion. But still, some design details can be captured.

2. In the Morozov mansion, the Moorish style is most clearly manifested in the design of the front entrance, as well as the two towers located on both sides of the main entrance. The doorway is decorated with ship's ropes tied in maritime knots, - a symbol of good luck in Portugal, the main entrance in the form of a horseshoe - a symbol of good luck in Russia, and above it is a chained dragon, an eastern symbol of good luck.

4. Two romantic towers with lacy attics and balcony railings are located on both sides of the main entrance.

7. Picturesque decorative details are used in the design of the walls - shells, ship ropes, horseshoe-shaped and lancet window openings.

17. In the remaining parts of this building, the architecture is eclectic. For example, some window openings are decorated with classical columns,

18. The general asymmetrical structure of the mansion is more characteristic of Art Nouveau.

19. The mansion did not bring good luck to Morozov himself. He managed to live there for only nine years. In 1908, at one of the drinking parties, Arseny shot himself in the leg with a pistol as a bet. I wanted to prove that a person can withstand any pain. They bet on cognac. Morozov did not scream after the shot and won the argument, but even after that he did not go to the doctor, but continued drinking. Three days later, millionaire Arseny Morozov, at the age of 35, died of blood poisoning. The scandalous glory of the mansion did not end with his death. Morozov left the house not to his wife and children, but to his mistress, Nina Aleksandrovna Konshina.

After the revolution, Arseny Morozov's mansion changed owners more than once. From 1918 to 1928, it housed Proletkult and its theater, from 1928 to 1940 - the residence of the Japanese Ambassador, from 1941 to 1945 - the editorial office of the English newspaper "British Ally", from 1952 to 1954 - the embassy of the Indian Republic. For almost half a century, the Morozov mansion housed the “House of Friendship with Peoples” foreign countries", opened on March 31, 1959. At that time, there were demonstrations of foreign films, meetings and press conferences with foreign artists, photo exhibitions and even concerts. Last time I was in the House of Friendship at the very end of the last century. The Russian Government Reception House was opened on January 16, 2006, and now the mansion is closed to Muscovites and guests of the capital.

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House of Friendship

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I visited the House of Friendship several times when I worked and studied at the University of Peoples' Friendship.

In the photo: 2000, meeting of RUDN graduates ( Russian University Friendship of Peoples) from different countries and Valentina Tereshkova during events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of RUDN University: (I act as a correspondent):

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Inside the Morozov Mansion

Marble Hall :

Living room:

Z al of techniques:

On the street, the building of the House of Friendship has a pleasant snow-white color. The composition of the house combines volumes of different sizes: the front part, the vertical dominant and the main building. The richly decorated facade of the building consists of two cylindrical towers with an openwork fence on the roof and porticoes, which successfully contrasts with the simpler and stern look the rest of the building. The walls of the towers are decorated sea ​​shells, and the entrance is framed by twisted chains.

The charm of the building is given by geometric shapes, traditional rosettes, flowers, grapes, strange trees and other stucco moldings on the surface of the walls. The roof railings and arched windows are original. It feels like this Fairy Castle has been transported from a magical land, where the sun always shines, the sea roars and it’s summer all year round. From an architectural point of view, the mansion on Vozdvizhenka was built in an eclectic style. This style replaced classicism in Russia in the mid-19th century. The new fashion for construction denied any rules in creativity, and, on the contrary, welcomed “flights of fancy” in every possible way. Eclecticism made it possible to use elements of the most different styles. The main customers of such buildings at that time were wealthy industrialists, who dictated their non-standard tastes to the architects.

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Over time, critics began to condemn eclecticism for its excessive pandering to the tastes of customers. “Architecture that copies old models,” wrote the Russian architect V.P. Stasov, “...the architecture of dexterous people who have become alert in classes and... selling goods by the arshin and pound... Whatever - here’s five arshins of Greek classicism", but no - here are three and a quarter of the Italian "Renaissance",... And either a good slice of Romanesque, six spools of Gothic, or a whole pound of Russian.” Who is the author of this miracle and what is this marvelous design? Oh, there's more than one story connected to this.

... When the architect asked the customer in what style to build the house and named several of them: Gothic, neoclassical, Moorish style - the poorly educated merchant’s son replied:“Build everything - I have enough money.” This story was retold in the best aristocratic houses of the capital. The main character of the story was Arseny Abramovich Morozov, a representative of one of the most influential merchant families, who maintained priority in the development of Russian industry and contributed with their charitable actions huge contribution into the foundation national culture 1.

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In the photo: Arseny Abramovich Morozov:

1. The Morozovs' capital began with 5 rubles, which Savva Vasilyevich Morozov, a serf peasant in the Old Believer village of Zuevo, received as his wife's dowry. He and his family were engaged in weaving. In 1797, at the age of 27, Savva Vasilyevich founded a silk weaving establishment in his native Zuev. When he was 50, he bought himself and his family from the landowner for huge money at that time - 17 thousand rubles. 17 years later, in 1837, he bought land near Orekhov and moved the factory there. From the four manufactories that belonged to him and his sons, a powerful cotton empire was later formed. Business acumen, amazing efficiency and crystal honesty ensured the success of the Morozovs. Today monographs are written about their experience of capitalist management. By technical equipment their manufactories were among the best in Europe. The owners took care of the working and living conditions of their workers, building houses, hospitals and churches for them. The Morozovs donated money to free shelters, almshouses, maternity hospitals, hospitals (the most famous is the Morozov Children's Hospital). A family of Old Believers peasants found themselves in an environment richest people Russia, which has been formed over centuries. The founders of the clan had no education other than religious education. Their grandchildren received an excellent education. It was in vain that the annoyed professor Ivan Vladimirovich Tsvetaev complained: “They walk around in tuxedos and tailcoats, but inside they are rhinoceroses.” The "men" Morozovs are known as philanthropists and collectors. They supported Russian artists, spent a lot of money on publishing projects. An avid theatergoer, Savva Timofeevich Morozov, took over the financing Art Theater and built a magnificent building for it. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ _____________________________
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Captivated by the beauty of the castle, Arseny immediately ordered Victor Mazyrin to build a mansion in the image and likeness of what he saw in Sintra. They say that Arseny Morozov made his order on the station platform in the city of Sintra, while also being pretty drunk...
Arseny could not have chosen a better author of the project. Rosy-cheeked Mazyrin was fond of mysticism, spiritualism, believed in the transmigration of souls and believed that his soul was born in Egypt. In addition, Mazyrin was already known as the author and designer of Russian pavilions at the World Exhibitions in Paris, Antwerp, and the Central Asian Exhibition in Moscow. And here the architect coped with the task perfectly, creating an eclectic mixture of styles based on the Spanish and Portuguese Renaissance.

The decoration of the building’s façade with stylized shells and stone plexuses deserves special mention. According to existing legend, Saint Sant'Iago once sailed to the Pyrenees. During the long journey, the bottom of his ship was overgrown with huge shells. The monks carried these sacred shells to castles and monasteries in Spain and Portugal. In the Spanish city of Solomanka, today there is a castle of shells - Casa de Conchas (conchas in Spanish - shells).

The same palace with shells

Construction lasted 5 years and in 1899 Arseny Morozov became the owner of the luxury mansion in the city. There has never been such a house in the Mother See. He amazed cultural Moscow with his “castration of tradition” and the fact that he amazingly included the worship of the lower instincts of our nature, created a cult of the lower organisms of the world, stylizing them and thereby equating them with man and his life." Aristocratic Moscow frowned skeptically and did not share the enthusiastic ideas of Morozov and Mazyrin.Both of them were not in the best standing with the prim Moscow public.

Count Tolstoy in his novel “Resurrection” gave both the mansion and its owner a damning description: driving along Vozdvizhenka, Nekhlyudov reflects on the construction of “a stupid, unnecessary palace for some stupid, unnecessary person.” The owner of the “stupid, unnecessary palace” was clearly interested in symbolism. This is evidenced not only by the horseshoe entrance: the ropes on the facade, tied into strong knots, symbolized prosperity and longevity.

Varvara Alekseevna Morozova:

In his extravagant home, the owner feasted in the Knights' Hall, decorated in Romanesque style; in the empire-style Zolotoy, decorated with gilded stucco, set off by the white color of the stucco ceiling, with furniture and walls covered in gold damask, balls were held; big white hall in the Baroque style they were decorated with paintings and sculptures symbolizing the muses. The charming master bedroom-boudoir was designed in Art Nouveau style. And only the owner’s office was decorated in the Moorish style: carpets, an ottoman, edged weapons on the walls and other attributes of the East.

They said that a tame lynx roamed around the house, and stuffed animals, wild boars, foxes and wolves “lived” in secluded corners, and bear skins everywhere: the owner-hunter killed 82 huge animals in his life. Arseny Morozov did not enjoy his mansion for long; due to his own stupidity, he died at one of the drunken parties. Claiming that a person can endure any pain, he went into his office and secretly shot himself in the leg. He won the bet, no one noticed anything. But he lost big - blood poisoning began, and a few hours later Morozov died. Architect Mazyrin died in 1919 from typhoid fever. The house built by a couple of these eccentric people still stands.
After the revolution, the mansion was nationalized. At first, performances by Meyerhold and Eisenstein were staged there. Many people have been in the house Soviet writers, artists, painters. Vladimir Mayakovsky spoke at debates here, and Sergei Yesenin visited. It so happened that Sergei Alexandrovich lived in a mansion for about two months. Since 1928, the building has become the residence of the Japanese ambassador.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War it was provided to the British Embassy and housed the editorial office of the British Herald newspaper. After the end of the war and until 1952, the Indian Embassy was located in the house.
Since 1959, the House of Friendship of Peoples has settled here. In 2003, the palace was closed for reconstruction, for which the state spent 700 million rubles, and since 2006 the Russian Government Reception House has been operating there. Over the more than century-long existence of the house, a change in tastes and ideas about beauty has occurred: now this example of architecture, strange to contemporaries, is perceived as something remarkable and even miraculous. “My house will stand forever, but no one knows what will happen to your paintings,”- Arseny said to his brother collectors.

In Moscow, at Vozdvizhenka, building 16/3, stands one of the most unusual ancient buildings in the capital. The architecture of this building was so amazing for Russia XIX century, that his contemporaries were unable to appreciate him. And in our time, Morozov’s mansion on Vozdvizhenka is perceived as a wonderful palace, similar to those described in fairy tales.

History of the mansion

It all started with the fact that three brothers from the wealthy merchant family of Morozov argued how best to immortalize their name in history, what works of art should be collected for this. The younger brother, Arseny Morozov (1873-1908), decided for this purpose to build an unusual house that would stand for centuries. U young man there was a suitable plot for construction, given by my mother for her 25th birthday. Together with his friend, architect Viktor Mazyrin, he traveled all over Spain and Portugal in search of a house that could be a prototype for their Moscow construction. The most strong impression The millionaire was made by Pena Castle in Sintra (in Portugal). This masterpiece was erected there in the Middle Ages in the Moorish-Spanish style.

Friends returned to Moscow and work began to boil. Public opinion was shocked even at the construction stage, but Morozov did not pay attention to the ridicule and made sketches of his miracle castle with his own hands. After the construction of the mansion on Vozdvizhenka was completed in 1899, the barrage of criticism only intensified. Morozov’s efforts were not appreciated even by his own mother, not to mention strangers. In the novel “Resurrection” by Leo Tolstoy there are disapproving words about this palace. However, Morozov was delighted with the house and turned out to be right - a hundred years have passed, not a trace remains of many of the “correct” houses of the Moscow nobility, and the non-standard castle delights and surprises guests of the capital to this day.

Castle architecture

The front entrance of the house and the two towers on the sides are made in a distinct neo-Moorish style. The opening itself has the shape of a horseshoe, the stucco molding is made in the form of shells, the columns are twisted, and the cornice is openwork. All this adds up to a unique flavor. It’s hard to say about other parts of the amazing mansion exactly what style they are in. There are elements of classicism here, and the lack of symmetry clearly points to modernist techniques in architecture.

The decoration of the rooms inside expresses the widest range of preferences and interests of the extravagant millionaire. He called the dining room the “knight's hall”; this is a good example of pseudo-Gothic style. And the living room in which the balls were held is an example of the Empire style. Morozov chose to decorate his wife’s boudoir in the Baroque style, but this did not save the couple from actual divorce. Some rooms have Chinese or Arabic interiors. Outside, a small hanging garden was laid out above the mansion.

The owner did not live long in his exotic nest. The death of Arseny Morozov was highly unusual - he died because of a bet at the age of 35. Knowing that his family did not approve of this house, he bequeathed it to his mistress, as they said in those days, “a lady of the demimonde.” Very soon the mansion was sold to the wealthy oil industrialist Montashev.

Mansion after the revolution

After 1917, anarchists briefly settled in the house, then a traveling theater troupe. In the pre-war years, the Japanese Embassy was located here, during the Second World War - the British Embassy, ​​after the war - the Indian Embassy. Since about 1959, Morozov's mansion on Vozdvizhenka began to be called the House of Friendship of Peoples; meetings with foreign representatives and film screenings of foreign films took place there.

In 2003, a major reconstruction and restoration of the building was carried out. By special order, mahogany furniture was made, copied by restorers from available samples of objects. late XIX century. Since 2006 it has been the Reception House of our government. It hosts official events related to the representation of Russia in international organizations.

In a wonderful mansion on Vozdvizhenka they successfully hold important meetings between delegations from different countries, diplomatic negotiations and conferences at the international level. In this bizarre way, Morozov’s prophetic predictions about the great future of the house he built came true.