The official date of foundation of Perm is May 4, 1723. On this day, the Yegoshinsky smelter was laid. Like most cities in the Urals, the city of Perm appeared as a result of the development of natural resources, which were enough in the district.
Fortunately, industrialization does not come alone - along with technological advances, culture develops, works of art appear, many events and people become so significant that monuments are erected in their honor, and the life of any city is surrounded by unique architecture.
Signed Governor
The order to establish the plants was given by Peter I. Already at that time the enterprises of the Demidov, Golitsyn, Stroganovs flourished in the Urals, and nobody liked the appearance of a competitor in the form of sovereign enterprises. For land development and city building, an extraordinary person was required, capable of not only achieving goals, but also resisting influential ill-wishers. During the reign of Catherine II, Karl Modera was sent to the city. Contemporaries characterized him as a hardworking man, with great knowledge in various fields, persistent, disinterested, and who served not for fear but for conscience.
The new governor was directly involved in the development of the concept of urban development and the organization of public space. Thanks to him, Perm in the XIX century, received wide streets, avenues, convenient infrastructure. Since the main part of the buildings was built of wood, fire safety was taken into account in planning the location of the streets - the main arteries of the city were laid parallel to Kame. True, precautions once failed.
Karl Moderah has been governor for 15 years, and after his departure, no other local boss enjoyed such respect and love from the residents. He controlled the laying of roads, and they were among the best in Russia. With his active participation, educational institutions, trading floors were built, handicraft was developed. The city did not just develop, it flourished, but the resignation was a voluntary decision by Modera. For 15 years in the post of governor, he was never on vacation and did not travel outside the province of Perm.
Fire
The efforts made to develop the city yielded excellent results, but a devastating fire occurred on September 14, 1842. On this day, churches conducted services on the occasion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the population stayed in churches in prayers. The alarm bell struck at about 2 p.m., and in the evening the whole city was covered with thick puffs of smoke. It was possible to localize the fire only by noon on September 15.
The causes of the fire remained unclear. The fire killed 300 houses located in the central part of the city and which were architectural monuments already at that time. So disappeared the governor-general, governor and vice-governor houses, the old buildings of the barracks, where public places were located at that time. The men's gymnasium, most of the private houses, a pharmacy, guardhouse and much more were burnt down. In addition to houses, libraries, private and provincial archives, museums and their funds perished in flames.
After the fire, Perm architecture has changed a lot. Recovery began very quickly. For several days, fire victims were given the opportunity to move into apartments for free. By order of Emperor Nicholas I, everyone who wished to build a loan was issued with the possibility of repayment for 17 years. Moreover, interest for the first 2 years was not charged. The construction boom that followed the fire marked a new direction in shaping the image of the city - stone construction. In connection with the fire, the architecture of Perm is significantly different from other Ural cities, where you can find an abundance of objects of wooden architecture.
Historical heritage
One of the significant architectural monuments of Perm are Motovilikhinsky factories. They were founded by Fedor Tatishchev and are an operating enterprise.
The complex of buildings includes buildings of different years. Since 1976, a museum has been opened at the enterprise, which includes an open-air exposition, which contains products manufactured at the plant throughout its history. The main exhibits are artillery pieces, launchers, and oil equipment. Of particular interest to visitors is the 20-inch gun, cast in 1868 to protect St. Petersburg. Its mass significantly exceeds the weight of the Tsar Cannon.
Museum halls are deployed in an old production workshop built in the 19th century. Here are materials that tell about the history of the plant from 1736 to the present day. The exhibition attracts attention the layout of the mine of the XVIII century, coins minted from Motovilikhinsky copper and much more. Address: 1905 street, building 20. An open area is open during daylight hours, admission is free.
Perm architectural monuments
After a large-scale fire, construction became widespread. One of the most beautiful mansions that appeared in that period is the house of Gribushin (Lenina St., 13 A). The house was built in the 19th century for an official Kashperov, the author of the project is A. Turchevich. The Art Nouveau building initially looked a little different, the decor of the facades appeared with the next owner - the merchant S. Gribushin. Home decorations were made by self-taught master Peter Agafinyin.
The merchant family lived in the house until 1919, arranging salon receptions for the local intelligentsia. Subsequently, the building was used as a garrison shop, a hospital for the military, a hospital for children. Today, the mansion is occupied by the Perm Scientific Center, where chamber concerts are held monthly in the main hall.
In 1824, Permians celebrated a visit to the city of Emperor Alexander I by installing a commemorative rotunda in the city center. It happened in 1824, the architect of the project was the architect Svityazev. Even today, on the roof of the building you can see a sign saying: “Perm Society. September 24th day of 1824. " The Rotunda is one of the oldest monuments of Perm architecture.
It consists of twelve columns, they are crowned by a semicircular roof, on top of which a forged spire is installed. An attentive tourist will consider the skillful carvings on the columns and the roof. You can see this monument of architecture of Perm in the park to them. Gorky.
Museums
Getting acquainted with the city, many are sure to try to get to museums, often located in historical buildings. Meshkov House is one of the most beautiful architectural monuments of Perm Art Nouveau style. Today it houses the museum of local lore. The mansion was built in 1889 and is considered to be an adornment of the city.
The lower level of the front facade is decorated with embossed brickwork, on the second floor there are huge semicircular windows in massive platbands. In the central part stands out a magnificent openwork fence of a balcony made of cast iron. Columns on the second floor support the classic portico.
The visitor should carefully consider the building in detail. It is richly decorated with elaborate stucco molding, vases mounted on parapets and many other attributes of a luxurious historical mansion.
The exposition of the local history museum is diverse, exhibitions are often held here, lectures are given, and you can sign up for an excursion. Address: Monastyrskaya street, building 11.
The classicism style in Perm architecture is reflected in several historical buildings, but the most prominent representative is the Transfiguration Cathedral. For a long time after construction, it was the tallest building in the city. The project belongs to the famous architect G. Paulsen, who largely shaped the look of Perm. The cathedral was operational until 1922.
The museum exposition in the halls was placed in 1932. The funds contain more than 50 thousand works of Russian and foreign masters. Of particular note is the collection of wooden sculpture (XVII-XIX centuries) and the collection of icon painting. Address: Komsomolsky Avenue, Building 4.
Places of worship
The existing mosque is an architectural monument and a landmark of Perm. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century in an area where there was a mass settlement of Muslim believers for charitable contributions of wealthy merchants. During the Soviet period, the mosque housed the city archive. Since 1986, services have been held there again. Address: Osinskaya street, building 5
The Belogorsky monastery was founded at the end of the 19th century, the main church - the Holy Cross Cathedral, was built over 15 years and, ironically, was consecrated in 1917. The following year, the whole monastic fraternity was shot. In the 30s, a camp was opened on the territory of the former monastery, where special migrants and repressed citizens settled. A year later, a disabled people's home was opened on the premises. During the war, White Mountain became a hospital and rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers.
In peacetime, the house of the disabled continued to operate on the monastery courtyard. In 1980, part of the domes of the Holy Cross Church died in a fire. The revival of the monastery began in 1990. Today this magnificent architectural monument of Perm is a functioning monastery located at Monastyrskaya Street, building 1.
Peter and Paul Cathedral was erected in 1723, and is considered one of the first Perm structures built of stone. The question of who will send services in the temple was decided by Empress Catherine II herself. After the revolution, in the beginning of the 30s, the cathedral of Peter and Paul was closed for worship.
In 1948, the building was recognized as an architectural monument. Here, restoration work has been ongoing for a long time. In the 70s, restoration workshops were located within the walls of the former temple. And in the early 90s, the church was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church and began restoration. Today, the Peter and Paul Cathedral plays an equally significant role in the life of the Orthodox community, as at the beginning of its history. Address: Sovetskaya street, building 1.
sights
The favorite of the inhabitants of Perm is a small monument “The Bear Walking”, although the official name of the sculpture is “The Legend of the Perm Bear”. The authors of the project considered that the brown bear represents the Perm Territory, with which many foreign tourists agree and even consider Russia a country of bears. Residents of the city are fond of sculpture and are happy to rub their bear’s nose, making a wish. The kids like stable sculpture - you can safely ride and, to the joy of parents, make funny photos. A bear fulfills wishes on Lenin Street near the Ural Hotel.
One of the major objects of modern architecture in Perm is considered the building of the State Security Committee. Initially, in 1953, a corner tower with a high spire was built on this site for the main building of the university, but upon completion of work the building was transferred to the KGB. Popular rumor did not favor the institution, composing terrible legends about basements and mass executions.
The tower received the common name "Tower of Death", giving rise to numerous rumors. According to one version, such a name could be a consequence of the advertising activities of the cinema located in the neighborhood. Once, in the Soviet years, the movie theater was decorated with a poster of a foreign film with the name “Death Tower”. The analogy was not long in coming, and rumors began to acquire terrible details.
Art objects
There are many interesting contemporary art objects in Perm, but two of them have gained all-Russian fame. One of them - “Monument to the letter P” - was installed in 2011 opposite the rock garden and is noticeable when leaving the central railway station. The name of the sculpture is not simple, it is believed that the artist N. Polissky did not create a monument to the letter, but a certain version of the triumphal gate - “Perm Gate”. The sculpture was created from 5200 logs firmly bonded to each other. At night, the gates are highlighted, creating passers-by in their own associations.
The second art object, in addition to residents of the city, is known to everyone who watched the film "Geographer drank the globe" or the series "Real Boys". On the Kama embankment there are large red letters, folded into the phrase “Happiness is just around the corner”, the author of the idea is Boris Matrosov. The art object has become a cult place for citizens and visitors of Perm, and each of the visitors puts their own meaning into a philosophical maxim, and everyone turns out to be right.
Artists Games
The city carefully preserves historical monuments, restores and restores the architectural heritage. The main institution creating an urban environment is the Perm Architecture Directorate, where they are also responsible for urban development. The main objectives of the organization include the implementation of the General Plan of the city and the creation of a comfortable, aesthetic urban environment for human development.
Russia is a huge country where contrasts are an integral part of reality. Some architects, trying to find the city where the most pronounced signs of the time are most pronounced, consider Perm a center of design and architecture.
In the city, large-scale industrial facilities coexist aesthetically with 19th-century classical-style mansions, and contemporary art is rapidly developing. Perm art objects are not a local phenomenon, but a reflection of the modern view of life and its outline. They not only became the object of pride of the townspeople, but also found admirers in the vastness of their entire homeland.
Examples of graffiti in scale and quality of performance can compete with the capital's wall paintings, and sculptures of modern street art, harmoniously blending into the urban environment, have become new symbols of the city. There are unexpected architectural monuments and sights in Perm, for example, the Perm-36 Museum, dedicated to political repression, the extravagant object for photo shoots, Permyak Salty Ears, and much more.