Underground printing shop and a museum: Mystery 20th century house restored

The façades of the building which now houses the Underground Printing Shop Museum with a display of 1905-1906 exhibits has undergone renovation work. It is a branch of the State Central Museum of Russia’s Contemporary History. The walls and decorative parts of this example of Eclecticism-style are red brick. Its central three-storey part overlooks Lesnaya Street and two two-storey buildings adjoin the structure on either side.

The museum is located in the former revenue house of merchant Kuzma Kolupayev. In 1905, it housed an underground printing shop of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, where the Rabochy (Worker) newspaper and propaganda leaflets were printed. There was a small shop on the ground floor to disguise the printing shop, named Kalandadze’s Wholesale Caucasian Fruit Traders, which operated at a loss. The printing shop was located in a cave dug in the ground where a printing press was installed. There also was a manhole leading from the stormwater drainage system to the cellar of the “fruit shop”. It is noteworthy that the printing shop was located just nearby the Butyrskaya prison and a police station, but its discovery was only made after its shutdown in 1906.

In 1924, a museum opened in the eastern part of the building and still functions. Housed on the ground and first floors, as well as in the cellar are a copy of the interior of the former fruit shop as well as the recreated printing shop and original household items dating back to the late 19^th-early 20^th century. Administrative offices are located on the second floor. In the western part of the building there is a café and offices. Visitors can access the museum via the arch.

In 1903, the building underwent a major overhaul and gained the appearance it has now. The work was led by the architect, Viktor Mazyrin, who had drawn up the plans for the Arseny Morozov mansion on 16 Vozdvizhenka Street.

The museum’s main façade is decorated with a cornice and denticular moulding decorates the windows of the first and second floors. A dormer window is located in the central part of the roof. It is decorated with a metal balustrade and pinnacles. Under the window, on the second floor there is a balcony. The square-shaped windows of the main façade have rectangular frames and decorative keystones.

“The outside of the building badly needed attention before the renovation work: the walls were cracked, some brickwork was damaged and the pinnacles were missing. During a period of five months, experts dealt with the cracked walls and recreated certain parts which were no longer in existence, regrouted where necessary, reinforced the balcony and installed cast-iron canopies. With the help of archival photos and documents, the pinnacles were recreated. The walls were also weather proofed and the old wooden window frames were replaced with new ones that look just the same as the original ones,” said Head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage Alexei Yemelyanov.

He also added that the museum is a cultural heritage site of federal importance. All the restoration work once planning permission had been granted was strictly monitored by department experts.

Viktor Mazyrin (1859-1919) was a Russian architect who worked in the Moscow Art Nouveau style. He graduated from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He studied together with famous Russian artist Konstantin Korovin. Mazyrin built the mansion on 6 Vozdvizhenka Street. The building is an example of the Portuguese late Gothic style, common in Portugal and the palaces of Sintra. This project brought the architect controversial fame, because the mansion stood out with its eccentric forms.

Mazyrin worked a great deal on the construction and alterations of revenue houses in Moscow. The plans for Varvara Morozova’s house on 14/1 Vozdvizhenka Street were drawn up by the architects Viktor Mazyrin and Roman Klein.

The recreation and preservation of cultural heritage landmarks is one of the key priorities of the Department of Cultural Heritage. Thus, this year the old Miusskoye tram maintenance depot was done up to look like it originally did. It is also located on Lesnaya Street. The tram depot is an example of the industrial neo-Gothic style. Famous architect Vladimir Shukhov took part in drafting its design.

In February, the outside of the building with Dmitry Tveritinov’s chambers was done up. This is a two-storey Baroque structure. In the 18^th century, Tveritinov was a doctor working at the main chemists in the German Sloboda (District). During the times of Peter the Great, Protestantism-adherent Tveritinov was accused of heresy and arrested. At the request of Peter the Great, he was granted a pardon after several years in prison.

The track and field manege of Moscow State University was also renovated. Experts reinforced the loadbearing structures, redecorated the façade, including the fluting and moulding. The concrete floor and the running track were also repaired inside the building.