The estate of the merchant Tarasov in Moscow is located on Spiridonovka Street. Her first project appeared in 1909, and it was put into practice in 1912. The Tarasov mansion in Moscow is considered an architectural monument and an object of cultural heritage. It is also one of the first works of Zholtovsky in the style of the Italian Renaissance.
About the story
The estate of the merchant Tarasov was commissioned by Gavrila Aslanovich, he was a co-owner of the Tarasov Brothers Manufacturing Partnership. He was an Armenian millionaire who moved to Moscow from the beginning of the Caucasian military conflict.
The infamous Nikolai Tarasov was the nephew of the owner of the Tarasov estate in Moscow. He acquired a plot of land on Spiridonovka in 1907. According to the original plan, the estate of Tarasov was to be in the classical style. But when Zholtovsky received the order, he took advantage of the freedom in choosing a style. He decided to push away the traditions that existed in the capital at that time, and the complex of buildings of the Tarasov estate was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance. In addition, the name of the customer with years of construction was knocked out on the house.
Owner Story
The customer himself died before the end of construction, in 1911. Then the city authorities announced a large inheritance tax account. It was intended for the sons of the owner of the Tarasov estate for its rich interior decoration, excellent reviews in a professional environment about this building. The sons tried to bargain, trying to reduce the amount presented to them. However, the city authorities were adamant, and the heirs paid in full on the presented bill.
When the October Revolution took place, Tarasov’s estate was nationalized. Until 1937, the Supreme Court of the USSR was located there. In the same year, the German embassy was located there, and after the end of World War II, the Polish embassy was located there. In 1979, the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences entered it. The interior of the mansion was largely decorated by the tenants - coats of arms and tablets were added, and a safe was walled into the supporting wall. However, in general, the original interior of the guests was preserved for a century. Nevertheless, they laid the front door, made a library there, and the loggia was built up.
About architecture
The Tarasov mansion is not a separate house; this concept included a whole complex of buildings that formed a certain square with a courtyard. It is crowned by a fountain, and the square itself is asymmetrical.
Due to the asymmetry, an image of the Italian court is created, which was formed by layers of different historical periods. The main building faces the front facade on Spiridonovka street. The entrance from the street is on the corner along the Great Patriarchal. The square is closed by office buildings that resemble a palazzo in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance. In the 21st century, street facades look like a monolithic building. However, according to the plan of the creator, there were 2 independent buildings that created 2 luxury apartments, united by one roof.
There was a ground floor at street level, and these 2 buildings were separated by passage to the courtyard. Opposite him were arches. They were cut out in service buildings. The passage was crowned by an overlap with 8 columns arranged in 2 rows. Above the ceiling was an open terrace. She connected 2 buildings.
As a result, due to the fact that the terrace often leaked, a volume of 2 floors was built instead. It was he who was entrusted with the function of visual union of 2 buildings. Instead of the passage, a warm hall was built, there were columns in it, and a library of the institute was built there.
The interior of the residential building is preserved. It is distinguished by the simplicity of Italian forms. Smooth and light walls are taken as the basis, and the ceilings are decorated with picturesque shades.
The facade on Spiridonovka differs in symmetry, there are no entrance doors in it. The design was taken as a drawing of the Palazzo Thiene, which was built in 1553.
However, there is a significant difference from the original - the height of the first floor was increased. The architect also took as a basis the proportions of the Doge's Palace in Venice, and for this reason the first floor was thirteenth part above the second floor. Thanks to this technique, the upper floor looks much lighter than the first. It still remains a mystery why the Palais Tienne became a model of facades. Such a decision itself was very unusual for the capital. Before the revolution, masters preferred neo-Renaissance adaptations. But the European heritage was not taken into account.
About expert reviews
A specialist in the field of architecture Khan-Magomedov called the mansion the most mysterious work of Zholtovsky, and, probably, the architecture of that century in general.
The secret lies in the fact that a professional architect abandoned all the experience that he had acquired earlier, and began his activities embodied in this complex from the very beginning, from scratch.
About plagiarism
It was voiced that the repetition of the facades of the Palais Tienne is actually plagiarism. In particular, this point of view was widespread among the opponents of Zholtovsky. However, his comrades never put forward such claims to the master, recognizing the mansion as copyright.
According to the point of view of Khan-Magomedov, the creative method of the architect was manifested. To create something new, he sought to achieve complete immersion in other people's concepts, began to feel them as his own. And only after going through this stage, Zholtovsky found his own style.
About people reviews
Everyone who saw the estate live noted a very rich fauna on the facades of buildings. So, here you can see the griffins, which are a symbol of power over heaven and earth, pride.
There are atlantes on the facades, but they are hidden in the walls, do not hold anything on their shoulders. The image of people in this style is characteristic of modernity. They seemed to have come down from the images of Bilibin and Vasnetsov, but at the same time, classic motifs are present in them, for example, their beards are turned into acanthus leaves. You can also note swans, eagles, the heads of rams.
It is noteworthy that the acquaintance of the owner N. Schukin told in his memoirs that initially Tarasov lived very modestly. He traveled in the third grade, carrying bags of crackers with him, eating them on the road. In the winter, he appeared in shabby lamb fur coats. And only then he got rich, and N. Schukin saw him in a sable coat, trimmed with a beaver collar.