Today, Tomsk is probably the only city in Russia where two-story wooden houses are partially preserved. Most buildings are over 100 years old, but some have already exceeded 200.
The wooden architecture of Tomsk allows it to stand out among other cities in Siberia and attracts many tourists here. Unfortunately, not all buildings that survived to the 21st century have been restored, some are in decline, but the general flavor of the old pre-revolutionary streets remained.
Take a walk along the old streets of Tomsk, look at the carved facades of wooden houses and try to find out why wooden architecture was so popular in Siberia.
A bit of history
As in all cities of Siberia, before the beginning of the 19th century, Tomsk houses were built from local wood. This applied both to municipal buildings and to the houses in which the townspeople lived. The skill of wood carving was highly appreciated, experienced carvers decorated the facades of houses, turrets and shutters.
When active construction of stone buildings began in Siberia, the prosperous residents of Tomsk did not change their usual way of life and continued to live in carved wooden mansions.
Merchants and industrialists turned to famous architects, fans of different styles - from Finnish Art Nouveau to Empire style. So there were real masterpieces of wooden architecture. Each house, custom-built, was decorated with carved wooden lace and unusual details.
Locals gave some mansions their own names that describe the unique details of the facades. Guides will show "House with a tent" and "House with dragons" in Tomsk. And also a bewitching estate of the architect S. Khomich or the children's doctor V. Vasilkov.
In total, more than 700 old houses have been preserved in Tomsk. Some of them became monuments of federal significance. The buildings are being reconstructed gradually, and there is hope that many of them will be preserved.
Palace facade of the House of Arts
One of the masterpieces of wooden architecture is located in the historical part of Tomsk, on Shishkov Street (former Akimovskaya). This house was built in 1905 and, due to the revolution, did not last long for its owners.
In the period from 1911 to 1915, the outstanding writer V. Ya. Shishkov lived here. During this period, he wrote his first major work - the story "Taiga". Actually, the writer did not live in the house itself, but in the outbuilding in the neighborhood. But this fact does not prevent historians and guides from calling the entire mansion "Shishkov’s House" in Tomsk.
The building was built in a manner typical of the beginning of the 20th century: a brick first floor and a wooden second. It was the magnificently decorated carved details of the second floor that made the mansion a recognized masterpiece of wooden construction.
After a serious reconstruction of the building, it was possible to preserve not only the decorative decorations of the facade, but also part of the interior: a white stove, tiled, stucco molding on the ceiling and cornices.
Until the 90s of the last century, the house was residential, it housed several families. Residents were resettled, and after the reconstruction, completed in 2007, the House of Arts began to work in the building, uniting the creative people of the city and region.
"Tomsk lace"
The pre-revolutionary mansion, once owned by the merchant Leonty Zhelyabo, is one of the masterpieces of wooden architecture in the city of Tomsk. It was built according to the project of the chief architect of the city Pyotr Fedorovsky and became a wedding present for the merchant’s daughter.
The carved two-story tower is called the "House with Firebirds" or "Tomsk lace". Images of stylized figures of fabulous birds decorating the wings of the house were used in the symbolism of the city's anniversary.
This building preserves the ancient atmosphere. Surprisingly: although the mansion is protected by the state, people live here. Therefore, the interior can be viewed only with the consent of the residents, but you can wander around the flowering courtyard and ride on a carved swing.
Until 2009, the condition of the House with Firebirds was depressing, local residents no longer believed in the reality of restoration. Thanks to the restoration, which lasted from 2009 to 2011, the mansion was returned to its original beauty.
Friendship House of two nations
Not far from the House with Firebirds, at 71 Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, is an old mansion of the merchant Georgy Golovanov, built in 1904.
The two-story building with an intricate outbuilding, carved platbands and small spiers was popularly called the "House with a tent."
Once a residential building after restoration, carried out jointly by Russian and German experts, it became a center of friendship between the two peoples. There are classes in traditional German dances and vocals, family meetings, celebrations and competitions.
Workers of the House of Friendship of Peoples conduct tours of the building, similar to a fabulous tower. You just need to make sure in advance whether the house will be open at the selected time.
Museum of Wooden Architecture
Due to the frequent threat of fires in pre-revolutionary Tomsk, it was forbidden to build wooden houses above two floors. The talented architect A. D. Kryachkov managed to convince the city authorities, and in 1909 the construction of the first three-story mansion in the city began. The architect even turned the authorities’s ban on stove heating for the good, having first installed his heating system with cast-iron stoves. And also bathrooms and toilet rooms located on the first two floors.
The building, made in the style of wooden Art Nouveau, is not burdened by carved excesses and is considered a recognized example of Tomsk's wooden architecture. But the decorative elements of the windows, unusual brackets and bay windows are decorated with strict geometric ornaments.
In this unique building, the Tomsk Museum of Wooden Architecture is located, the exposition of which preserved samples of the decor that once adorned the house. The museum’s collection contains fragments of carved wooden log cabins, platbands, and elements of volumetric carving popular at the beginning of the 20th century. And also talentedly executed mock-ups of Tomsk’s wooden towers, which the kids like.
Restored Spasskaya Tower
Before the celebration of the centenary of the city, in 2004, the authorities of Tomsk decided to restore the lost part of the fortress wall and the wooden Spasskaya Tower. At the beginning of the XVII century, the tower was part of the Tomsk prison, built by decree of Boris Godunov.
During construction, the gates and the tower were slightly displaced from their original location, but this did not spoil the appearance of the structure. Guided by engravings and mock-ups of the Tomsk prison, stored in the Historical Museum of the city, the restorers were able to recreate the ancient appearance of the tower. And on the site of a low fence used to be strong walls.
Above the gate of the tower is a wooden icon, another example of the amazing skill of Siberian woodcarvers.
Carved tower in the Tatar settlement
In one of the historical districts of Tomsk there is a monument of architecture of federal significance, known as the "House of Akhmetov." This wooden two-story mansion was built in 1902 by order of Akhmedulla Akhmetov, a Tatar from Moscow.
The beautiful wooden building is richly decorated with voluminous carvings. The craftsmen worked on the window frames and pediments, creating the impression of a lace cloud on a dark wooden facade.
Before the restoration of 2007, the mansion was in very poor condition, even carved double-leaf gates were lost. The appearance of the building has been carefully restored using old postcards and engravings, and now it’s breathtaking to see the carved tower. This is a real example of the amazing wooden architecture of Tomsk.
Helmet-like dome
On the street, before the revolution called the Noble, a single-story wooden house stands out with a carved turret at the entrance and a dome similar to the helmet of an ancient hero. This intricately decorated tower in 1908 was built for his family by the merchant Gromov. The mansion cut down from massive logs was put on a foundation of solid bricks and covered with an iron roof.
The house is distinguished by large windows and intricate carvings. It is believed that the author of the project was carried away by eclecticism and mixed the popular Art Nouveau with elements of ancient Russian architecture.
Few residents of Tomsk can answer the question of why the mansion is called the “Hunter's House” and which hunter lived there. Everything is prosaic: in Soviet times, there was the "Society of Hunters and Fishers", and here the name stuck.
The monuments of wooden architecture of Tomsk are really impressive. The entire historical Tatar settlement is a whole block of unique wooden buildings, each with its own face and unusual decor.