The Municipal Society's Apartment Building is a three-story structure at Rozhdestvenskaya in Nizhny Novgorod, a landmark of 19th- and early 20th-century history and architecture. It was erected in 1822 and underwent major reconstruction between 1896 and 1902. The building is associated with the name of first-guild merchant Fyodor Perepletchikov and for two centuries served as one of the centers of the city's business and public life.[1][2]
Construction History
In 1822, at the commission of first-guild merchant, Mayor Fyodor Petrovich Perepletchikov, a modest two-story building with three wings was erected on the even-numbered side at the beginning of Rozhdestvenskaya Street. The project was designed by Ivan Yefimov.[2]
Under Perepletchikov's will, the building passed to the city's administration in 1845. Revenue from renting out its premises was designated for the poor and went toward the upkeep of the Perepletchikov almshouse.[1][2]
The second phase of construction took place between 1896 and 1902, in anticipation of the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896. The work was carried out under the supervision of architect Vladimir Lemke: a third story was added to the building, and the wings along Nagorny Lane were merged with the main structure. The façade was styled in Art Nouveau: pylons with sculptural finials in the form of eggs were installed above the cornice, mask bas-reliefs were placed between the windows, and two small turrets appeared above the central entrance.[1][2]
Tenants and the Life of the Building
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the building housed hotels, commercial offices, coaching inns, and a bank.[1] In 1901 the building was leased by the Nikolayevsky Public Bank — one of the first credit institutions in the Russian Empire to extend loans to both merchants and peasants.[1]
In 1867, it is believed that British author Lewis Carroll, the writer of *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*, stayed at the building; his visit resulted in notes on the history of Nizhny Novgorod.[1]
In 1922, the technical department of what would become the Automobile Plant was established in the building.[1] During the Soviet period the building was divided into communal apartments; a Mayakovsky Cinema also operated here, notable for its lower ticket prices compared with other cinemas in the city.[1]
Current State
The ground floor houses an art café, while the second floor contains an alternative exhibition space where works by contemporary artists are displayed in a room with high ceilings and preserved decorative plasterwork. The building also accommodates the "Guild of Nizhny Novgorod Photographers".[1][2]
Sources
- laperuz.com — The Municipal Society's Apartment Building in Nizhny Novgorod
- tripguide.guru — Rozhdestvenskaya Street in Nizhny Novgorod — a review of historic and scenic sites with photographs and descriptions