There are sights in St. Petersburg that are not as famous as palaces and temples. These are ordinary residential buildings, multi-unit and several floors. But the unique layout and architecture of these buildings impress even the most sophisticated tourists. The stately home of Buck has been keeping history for several centuries. Once upon a time, outstanding personalities lived in it: military men, scientists, and artists. Current residents take care of the history of their home and try to recover as many lost facts as possible.
Apartment buildings of St. Petersburg
The first of these buildings appeared in the XVIII century. A distinctive feature of tenement houses is the presence of many apartments that are rented to new tenants for a rather long period. Each building has one owner, who receives payment from tenants. Architects carefully planned the design of future structures. The presence of several entrances, front and back doors, stairs, courtyards was taken into account. It happened that the former mansions gradually turned into tenement houses, extensions appeared, redevelopment of a single living space into several apartments was carried out.
The buildings of St. Petersburg are distinguished by an amazing feature - most of them have well courtyards inside. They are called courtyard spaces, surrounded on all sides by walls.
The area of ​​such courtyards is usually small, in some cases there is practically no sunlight. Initially, their presence was not reflected in
architectural projects. Courtyards were formed as a result of frequent redevelopments and the construction of additional outbuildings.
From the history
Buck’s apartment building began to be built in 1844, although it was then called differently. The building originally existed in a classic style. By the order of the new owner, Julian Buck, a radical reorganization was carried out in the early 1900s. The new look of the building belongs to the "modern" style. The interiors were decorated with chic marble stairs, stained-glass windows appeared in the windows. They were custom made by M. Frank and Company. ” Some have survived to our times. Until the middle of the century there was an elevator with patterned metal bars. Separate apartments for residents occupied quite large areas. They included up to ten spacious rooms: a living room with a fireplace, bedrooms, a maid's room and others. The height of the ceilings in the house exceeded 3 meters.
Once the ceiling in the apartments was decorated with stucco. Luxurious decoration attracted wealthy citizens to their homes. The floor was carpeted and mirrors hung on the walls. Families of hereditary military men, officials, statesmen lived here. Eras and generations have changed. After the revolution, apartments turned into communal ones. The layout of the premises was again changed.
Description
A distinctive feature of the structure is a hanging yard. It is a complex transition system. From one courtyard through the arch you can get to another. At the moment, the design is in emergency condition.
Having survived the war and the revolution, the house for all the years of Soviet power was practically not restored. Plans to improve and restore its appearance appeared only in the 2000s. Bak’s house was included in the list of architectural monuments of the city. So many details of the interiors and exteriors have not been preserved, damaged or looted. The walls of the front are repeatedly corrupted by vandals. All this undoubtedly indicates the need for serious restoration work.
Former tenants
Yu. Bak published the newspaper Rech, and by his main occupation he was an engineer of communications. Originally from Lithuania, he was a member of the Jewish Colonization Society. In the house on Kirochnaya St. Buck lived with his family: his wife and daughter. He received a good income from other residents. After the head of the family died in 1908, the women received a decent inheritance, but the house soon had to be sold.
In the 30s of the XX century there was the apartment of A. Mariengof, a poet and playwright, who was a close friend of S. Yesenin. And in the 80s under strange circumstances in one of the rooms Yu. Kamorny, a theater and film actor, a popular actor in those years, was shot dead. Around this death there are still many rumors and secrets. The investigation of the case did not lead to a solution to the riddle, what was the exact reason for the murder and what preceded it.
The current state of the house
The current owners of apartments are caring for their home. They even created a group on social networks dedicated to the history of the house of Bak in St. Petersburg. You can see many unique photos posted on the network, interesting facts found in archives and in the memories of past generations. Visitors are not advised to go to the roof of the building: it can be dangerous, in some places the fortifications are outdated, the materials are rotten. It is strictly forbidden to tear off and damage the decor elements, litter and write on the walls. Recently, special signs have been hung up in the front doors asking them not to smoke.
Buck’s house has repeatedly become a platform for filming documentaries and feature films. These were historical films, detective series, such as “Secrets of the investigation” and others. Every week, parades conduct excursions for those who wish. Small fluffy “residents” help create a special cozy atmosphere - a bit shy, but friendly to the guests, local cats.
How to find Buck's house: address
You can get to it from the Chernyshevskaya metro station, which is located very close by. Bak's house is located at: st. Kirochaya, 24. The building now has a bank and several shops, as well as a beauty salon. Therefore, getting into the yard will not be difficult.
Opposite the house is another old building, former barracks. All these structures stand on Kirochnaya street.
For those who are particularly interested in the building and want to stay there for a while, there are several options. Some tenants rent apartments for curious tourists for a while. The hostel was also opened in the house, on the site of a former casino. The situation remotely resembles the life of communal apartments, which remained in the not so distant Soviet past. In some places stucco molding on the ceilings, ancient doors still remained.