Chambers of the Old English Court on the street. Varvarka, d 4a is a completely discreet structure, but with an interesting history. This is the very first official representation of a foreign state in our country.
Sourozh merchant
The building was erected in the XV century. The chambers belonged to Bobrishchev Ivan from Surozh, modern Sudak. In those years, Sudak was a Genoese colony and the center of Mediterranean trading activities. Surozhans actively traded on the territory of Moscow. Even on Red Square, one of the shopping nearby was called “Sourozhsky”. They traded mainly in precious stones and silk.
Most merchants erected their homes in Moscow. Surozhanin Ivan Bobrishchev was one of these merchants. He built himself a house on one of the busiest streets at that time in Zaryadye - Varvarka. It was located near the center of trade - Red Square.
The chambers of the Old English Courtyard were built according to the design traditional for that time. There is an opinion that the architect was Fryazin Aleviz. This is an Italian master who took part in the process of erecting the Red Wall, precisely in the part that is along the Neglinka River. Fryazina or Milanza, as he was also called in Russia, was invited by Prince Ivan III.
The front part of the structure faces the river, inside there are ceremonial chambers and outbuildings. Below is a stone basement where food and goods were stored, and above it was the Treasury, that is, the front hall. A little later, a kitchen and a canopy were added to the building.
Ivan the Terrible and Elizabeth Tudor
It was during the reign of these two people that trade relations between Russia and England began to emerge.
It all started back in 1553. English ships plowed the sea in search of a new path to China and India. Caught in the Barents Sea. But, severe frosts 2 out of three ships could not stand it, and all died. The remaining ship arrived at the mouth of the Northern Dvina. The captain of the ship was Richard Chansler, who, upon arrival in Moscow, met with Ivan the Terrible. The king was interested in developing a foreign economy.
The English were received very hospitably, and the king granted foreigners a court. Now these are the modern Chambers of the Old English Courtyard. This happened in 1555. At the same time, in the same year, the Moscow office was opened in England. In Russia, English merchants enjoyed special privileges, and they were allowed to trade duty-free throughout the state.
Foreign merchants set up a garden around the chambers and built a number of outbuildings. Then, a mint was built on the territory, where Russian coins were minted from silver, which was imported from England. They also brought cloth, gunpowder, tin dishes and lead with saltpeter. From Russia they exported leather and wood, wax and ropes. Despite close cooperation with England, other countries did not trade with Russia. Many did not even know about this market.
Trade relations contributed to the cultural exchange between countries. Already at the beginning of the 17th century, the first dictionaries appeared in the Russian Empire for communicating with the British. And the Londoners learned about Russia from the multi-volume Richard Hackluit.
Khan's army of Devlet Giray
In the spring of 1571, Khan Devlet-Girey planned a campaign in Russia with the aim of obtaining a large number of prisoners and production. Setting the number of troops is quite difficult. According to some data, Tatars were from 60 to 120 thousand. In principle, the khan did not plan a campaign on Moscow itself, but since Russia was connected by the Livonian War, there were only a few military units in the capital, which the Tatars learned about.
During the raid, almost the whole city was burned, about 60 thousand people were killed and the same number were taken prisoner. The Chambers of the Old English Court on ul. Barbarian. After the raid, they carried out restoration work and completed the premises of the second floor.
Time of Troubles
Conventionally, the period of trouble is called the period from 1598 (the year of the death of the last of the Rurik dynasty) to 1613 (the date of the election of the king from the Romanov dynasty). This period is characterized by crises in almost all areas of human life. The northern neighbor - the Kingdom of Sweden - was involved in the policy of the Moscow state. And in 1612 there was a famous battle on the Maiden Field. It was then, on November 4, that Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky with their army stormed China Town, thereby freeing the capital from Polish invaders.
During the shelling, the Chambers of the Old English Court also suffered. At the end of the battle, the building was restored, in particular, its facade. Then they attached a stone canopy and a staircase inside, which connected the attic, basement and front rooms.
Why exactly the old chambers
When the Chambers of the Old English Court were built and transferred under foreign representation, in 1636 the trading company acquired a new building near the Ilyinsky Gate in the White City. This estate was called the New English Compound. Accordingly, the building on Varvarka became Old.
The decline of Russian-English relations
In 1649, King Charles I was executed, which was practically a break in relations between Russia and England. All possessions of the British were taken by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, including the House of the Old English Court. A new owner immediately appeared at the building - the boyar Miloslavsky, a relative of the tsar.
In 1669, the building was transferred to the Ambassadorial order, and after 7 years the metochion of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolitan was already here.
Already at the beginning of the 18th century, an arithmetic school was opened in the wards. The founder of educational institutions is Peter I. In the subsequent house constantly goes from one merchant family to another.
Reconstruction and opening of the museum
At the initiative of P. Baranovsky, restoration work was carried out in the Chambers of the Old English Court of Moscow for 4 years - from 1968 to 1972. Although before this period it was believed that the building was completely lost, especially against the background of multiple high-rise buildings. During the reconstruction period, later structures were removed and the northern and western façades were completely restored.
With the support of Queen Elizabeth II, a museum opens in the walls of the Chambers in 1994.
A little later, from 2013 to 2014, large-scale restoration work is underway and in 2016 the doors of the Chambers of the Old English Courtyard open. Photos of the exhibits and the building itself are already impressive. The exhibits are restored and the atmosphere of the 16th century is completely recreated.
Architecture and expositions
The chambers themselves are built of expensive and durable material. Although after such a huge period of time, of course, they could not resist, if not for the reconstruction.
The oldest part of the building is a basement or basement, which in former times was used for household and household needs. There are low but massive ceilings. And along the perimeter on all walls are equipped with stoves, that is, places where food and other household items were stored. The basement was used as a refuge, and in the XVII century prisoners were kept here. Now there is an exposition that allows us to understand how people lived in past centuries, what were the conditions of trade relations between Russia and England.
On the top floor there are ceremonial rooms and the most basic of them is the Treasury. The ceiling here is made of arches with formwork, and in the center is a carved rosette made of stone. The room floor is tiled, black and white, which is staggered. The main element of the chamber is a stove inlaid with red tiles. It was in this front door that the treasury was stored, and meetings were held with sales agents. To date, the room presents an exhibition called "Everyday Life in the English Court of the 16th-17th Centuries."
Visitor Information
Reviews about the chambers of the Old English court are only laudatory. The nearest metro stations are “Ploshchad Revolyutsii”, “Okhotnichny Dvor” and “Kitay Gorod”. For visits without guided tours, admission is free. You can also book a tour:
- overview;
- "Journey through the old city";
- "Merchant business" and others.
The Chambers are an ancient monument of civil architecture and a unique merchant's house, in the construction and reconstruction of which not only Russian architects participated, but also Italian and English masters.