Kschessinska Mansion

Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Mansions
KSCHESSINSKA MANSION (2 Kuybysheva Street /1 Kronverksky Avenue), a modernist architectural monument. The building was constructed in 1904-06 (architect. A. I. von Gogen) for ballet dancer M.F. Kschessinska. The building is distinguished with a partitioned asymmetrical plan and dynamic composition of uneven shapes. The free rhythmic of different window shapes correspond to the arrangement of the apartments. An important part in the expressiveness is the combination of decorative material: red and grey granite, facing brick and majolica tile, decorative metal. The main enfilade creates an uninterrupted flowing space, opening through the glass surfaces of the Winter Garden to the environment. The central hall (architect A.I. Dmitriev) is executed in Neoclassicism, which corresponds perfectly to its representative function. In March 1917, the mansion of Kschessinska was occupied by soldiers of an armoured car division, shortly afterwards TsK (Central Committee) and PK (Party Committee) RSDRP(b) (Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (of Bolsheviks)), the publication of the newspaper Pravda, the Military Organisation of TsK (Central Committee) and PK (Party Committee) RSDRP(b) (Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (of Bolsheviks)), the editorial office of the newspaper Soldatskaya Pravda and Bolshevist Soldiers Club Pravda were settled there. From 3(16) April 1917 to 4(17) July 1917, Lenin regularly came and worked in the mansion. On 6(19) July 1917, the mansion was occupied by the troops of Provisional Government. After October 1917, it housed establishments of Petrograd Soviet, Institution of Catering, Leningrad Department of the Society of old Bolsheviks, in 1938-1956 the Museum of S.M. Kirov, since 1957 - the Museum of Great October Socialist Revolution, since 1991 - the Museum of Political History of Russia. In 1957, the Mansion of Kschessinska was connected to a new building of the former mansion of V.E. Brant (1909-1910, architect R. F. Meltzer), that was also given to the Museum.

Reference: Кириков Б. М., Бобров В. Д. Особняк Кшесинской. 2-е изд. СПб., 2000.

B. М. Kirikov. Brant Vasily Emmanuilovich
Dmitriev Alexander Ivanovich
Gogen Alexander Ivanovich von
Kirov (real name Kostrikov) Sergey Mironovich
Kschessinska Mathilde (Maria) Felixovna
Lenin (real name Ulyanov) Vladimir Ilyich
Meltzer Roman (Robert-Friedrich) Fedorovich
Kronverksky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 1
Kuibysheva St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 2
Кириков Б. М., Бобров В. Д. Особняк Кшесинской. 2-е изд. СПб., 2000 Pravda (The Truth), newspaper
Provisional Government of 1917
Museum of Russian Political History
1904
1957