Moscow classicism style: a noble estate residential house restored in Denezhny Pereulok

The restoration of the former residential house of the Moscow estate built in 18th -19th centuries in Denezhny Pereulok has been completed. It is a piece of Moscow classicism, which is characterised by monumental, simple forms, austerity and lack of any excessive decor.

This building is located at 2/1 Denezhny Pereulok. Presently, it houses a bank office.

During its more than 200-year history, the estate has seen many owners, and most of them were noble people. In the late 18th century, the estate consisting of the main house and an annexe, was owned by the Ladyzhenskys family. In the 1830s, they sold its part (along with the residential house) to a government agency, the Department of Principalities, while the remaining area with an annexe and outbuildings became the property of a noblewoman Nadezhda Zagryazhskaya. The annexe was reconstructed into a two-storey residential building. Its designer is unknown.

In the days of Zagryazhskaya, building facades were adorned with cornices, the first floor walls were finished with rock-face stones (masonry imitation). Windows were decorated with labels (decorative cornices) and stylised keystones with mascarons - decorative relief elements shaped as human heads. At the end of the 19th century, the Rukavishnikovs became the estate owners.

In the 20th century, the third floor was constructed, but the design of the first and the second floor facades made in the 1830s survived.

"This building, together with the adjacent 19th century former Palace Department building, represents a single architectural ensemble, a significant landmark of Denezhny Pereulok. The former residential house of the city estate of the 18th-19th centuries is a rediscovered cultural heritage site, so the restoration project was approved by the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage and the process was supervised by our experts. Restoration works lasted over a year," Head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage Alexei Yemelyanov said.

According to him, the building had been in disrepair and had not been used before the renovation was launched. The gutter system was almost down, and the roof was leaking. As a result, some wooden rafters got rotted, metal beams were covered with rust, and the third floor walls — with mould. So, the experts have first conducted accident prevention work. The old roof has been replaced, bearing walls and foundation have been strengthened, and then the restoration of the building premises and facades have been launched.

Further, the experts have restored the brickwork using whole bricks of due size. Whole bricks are made of high-melting clay with no hollows inside. This is the kind of bricks the building was made of. Door and window openings, bricked up before, have also been restored, in the basement the vaulted ceilings (Monier vaults) have been renovated.

Old paint and plaster, partially peeled off before the restoration, have been completely removed from the fronts, with cracks in the walls patched by special binders. The wall surface has been levelled and primed, with two layers of yellow paint applied. Decorative elements such as mascarons, keystones and cornices have been painted white. In addition, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and fire alarm systems of the building have been renovated and updated. The electrical equipment has also been updated.

Restoration and preservation of architectural monuments is one of the important activities of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage. Over the past eight years, more than 1,200 architectural landmarks have been restored in Moscow.

For example, the restoration of Durasov's Mansion on Pokrovsky Boulevard, built in the late 18th century by Matvei Kazakov, was completed last December. Built in 18th century, this mansion is a typical piece of Russian classicism. This year, the facades of the building on Lesnaya Street, where the Underground Printing House of 1905-1906 Museum is located, as well as the Pavel Shchapov's house, built in 1867, have been restored. Besides, there are works underway in Vsevolozhsky's house in Khamovniki district, once visited by Pushkin, Gogol and Belinsky. It is expected that Moscow residents will see the restored building in 2021.