Pertsov House

The picturesque mansion on the bank of the Moskva River, resembling a fairy-tale terem from Russian bylinas, is rightly considered one of the most impressive architectural landmarks of the capital. The building’s facades are adorned with images of mythical birds, ancient Slavic deities, and decorative elements that one could admire for hours. This unique apartment house became the embodiment of the creative dream of an early 20th-century patron and turned into a cult location for Moscow’s artistic bohemia.

History of the creation of the fairy-tale terem on Prechistenskaya Embankment

The idea of patron Pyotr Pertsov

The appearance of the unusual mansion on Prechistenskaya Embankment dates back to 1907. The initiator of the construction was Pyotr Nikolaevich Pertsov — a successful railway engineer, art collector, and patron. Having made his fortune on railway projects, he became passionate about collecting paintings, with a particular preference for works by Russian masters: Levitan, Repin, Roerich. The concept of an apartment building for creative people came to Pertsov thanks to his fellow collector friend Ivan Tsvetkov. The latter had built his own mansion in the style of a fairy-tale terem several years earlier and recommended that his friend purchase the neighboring plot at the corner of Soymonovsky Proezd. The only condition was that the building be constructed in the Russian national style.

Competition for the best design

Pertsov approached the implementation of the idea seriously and organized an architectural competition. His goal was a modern technical solution clothed in traditional Russian forms. The authoritative jury consisted of:

• Viktor Vasnetsov
• Vasily Polenov
• Fyodor Shekhtel
• Vasily Surikov

The jury selected two winners — Apollinary Vasnetsov and Sergei Malyutin. The client chose Malyutin’s vivid sketches in the fairy-tale-epic style. Since Sergei Malyutin was an artist famous as the creator of the first matryoshka doll and illustrator of folk tales, he developed the artistic decoration of the facades and interiors. The technical execution of the project was undertaken by professional architects Nikolai Zhukov and Boris Shnaubert.

Record-breaking construction time

The builders faced a difficult task — to rebuild an existing building on Soymonovsky Proezd. The works included:

• Adding a fourth floor
• Building an extension for the owner’s family on the embankment side
• Erecting an additional wing for rental apartments on the Kursovoy Pereulok side
• Installing electricity and telephone lines
• Arranging ventilation, water supply, and sewerage

The project was completed in a record eleven months. The property was registered in the name of the patron’s wife Zinaida, which is why the mansion became known as Pertsov House.

Architectural features of the building

Synthesis of Art Nouveau and ancient Russian architecture

While working on the decoration, Malyutin sought to embody Russian flavor as vividly as possible without overloading it with ornament. To create a harmonious ensemble, the artist used techniques characteristic of Art Nouveau:

• Asymmetrical placement of windows and balconies
• Turrets and projections on the facade
• A pointed pyramidal roof

At the same time, most of the decoration drew inspiration from ancient Russian architecture and fairy-tale aesthetics.

Unique decorative elements

To make it resemble a terem externally, the artist added a pointed roof decorated with bright majolica panels. On the Prechistenskaya Embankment side there is a composition depicting a fight between a bull and a bear — embodiments of the pagan gods Perun and Veles. On the pediment facing Soymonovsky Proezd, there is an image of the sun surrounded by plant ornaments. The corner of the building facing Kursovoy Pereulok was decorated by Malyutin with a carved balcony with a tall pointed spire. An openwork grille with gilded lions was installed on the roof ridge.

Majolica mosaics and carved decorations

The red-brick facade is richly decorated with carved elements and bright mosaics depicting:

• Plants and floral ornaments
• Animals and fish
• Mythical birds
• Ancient Slavic symbols

Particular attention is drawn to a small balcony with the romantic name “Queen’s Bower”, crowned with a tent-shaped roof. Above the entrance from Soymonovsky Proezd there is a carved image of the prophetic bird Gamayun with a woman’s face — according to Slavic mythology, it foretells the future.

Interior decoration of the Pertsovs’ apartment

The luxury of an ancient Russian palace

Malyutin personally designed the rooms for the owners of the house. Their apartments occupied three floors in the mansion facing Prechistenskaya Embankment. The artist’s imagination was most impressively displayed in the decoration of the bedroom, dining room, and vestibule with staircase. Inside, the apartment resembled a lavish ancient Russian palace. All interior elements were made of valuable wood species:

• Oak
• Karelian birch
• Mahogany

Masterful carving and decorative elements

Literally every centimeter of space was adorned with masterful carvings depicting:

• Plant ornaments
• Paradise birds
• Lions and owls
• Mermaids

The tiled stove was decorated with images of plants and flowers. A small lift hidden inside the stove delivered ready meals from the kitchen.

Works of art in the interior

The splendor of the interiors was complemented by outstanding works of art:

• The dining room was decorated with Nikolai Roerich’s painting “Overseas Guests”
• Stained-glass window “The Victor’s Entry” based on a sketch by Mikhail Vrubel
• In the study hung Philipp Malyavin’s canvas “Peasant”

Life of the apartment building and its famous tenants

A nursery of the arts

The spectacular mansion quickly became a Moscow landmark. City residents and visitors came specially to admire the “fairy-tale house”. Apartments in the rental section were quickly let to artists and representatives of the creative intelligentsia:

• Members of the “Jack of Diamonds” art group occupied studios in the attic
• Painters Robert Falk and Alexander Kuprin
• Sergei Malyutin himself with his family
• Actors and theater figures

Theater-cabaret “The Bat”

From February to March 1908, the basement housed the famous theater-cabaret “The Bat”. Parody performances by Moscow Art Theatre actors were staged here, including:

• Olga Knipper-Chekhova
• Vasily Kachalov
• Directors Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko

Eccentric tenants

Among the tenants were genuine eccentrics and lovers of outrageous behavior. One tenant, a certain Pozdnyakov, turned two of his four rooms into a winter garden and bathroom. In one he scattered sand and planted palm trees, and in the other he installed a huge black-marble bathtub on a tall pedestal.

Soviet period and nationalization

The fate of the owner

After the October Revolution, many tenants began to move out. Pyotr Nikolaevich lived in the mansion until 1922, when he was accused of counter-revolutionary activity for attempting to save valuables from the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour from confiscation. He was released a year later, but the house had already been nationalized.

New inhabitants

Military figures were moved into the apartments. A famous resident of the “fairy-tale house” became Leon Trotsky, who moved into Pertsov’s former apartments after the owner’s arrest. Around that time, all the lavish furnishings of the apartment were dismantled: carvings were removed, walls were plastered, and ceilings were whitewashed.

Threat of demolition

In the 1930s the building was slated for demolition to make way for the Palace of the Soviets. Fortunately, the project was never realized, and the unique architectural monument was preserved.

Current state and access

Since the 1970s, the building has housed offices of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic corps. Ordinary visitors cannot enter — access is restricted to ministry employees only. Of Malyutin’s original interiors, only fragments remain: the vestibule with wooden carvings of the Sirin bird, the wide ceremonial staircase with owl figurines on the balusters, and some individual doors.

Interesting facts about Pertsov House

1. Literary fame: researchers believe that Ivan Bunin placed the heroine of his story “Clean Monday” in this very house
2. Uniqueness of style: experts say there is no other apartment building in the world that so perfectly embodies the neo-Russian style
3. Reverse perspective: the corner of Soymonovsky Proezd and Kursovoy Pereulok creates the illusion of simultaneously viewing three facades thanks to two pediments sharing a single diagonal ridge
4. Technical innovations: the building was equipped with elevators, forced ventilation, and telephones — cutting-edge technology for the early 20th century
5. Quality of the mosaics: the majolica panels by the “Murava” artel have retained their original appearance — the glaze has suffered no damage over the years

How to get to Pertsov House

Address and location

The mansion is located at: Kursovoy Pereulok, building 1, next to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, on the first line of the Moskva River embankment.

By metro

The nearest station is “Kropotkinskaya” on the Sokolnicheskaya line. It is about a six-minute walk from there. Take the first exit from the center, cross Prechistenskie Vorota Square, and follow Soymonovsky Proezd toward the river.

By surface transport

Nearby bus stops:

• “Prechistenskaya Embankment” — bus No. 255
• “Soymonovsky Proezd”
• “Metro Kropotkinskaya” — bus No. A

Best viewing points

Excellent views of the mansion open from:

• Patriarch’s Bridge
• Bersenovskaya Embankment on Balchug Island

Conclusion

Pertsov House remains one of Moscow’s most recognizable and photographed architectural landmarks. For more than a century, the “fairy-tale house” has delighted visitors with its colorful panels, fairy-tale details, and harmonious combination of ancient Russian motifs with Art Nouveau elements. Every detail of the facade — from the cockerel on the weather vane to the whimsical serpents supporting the balcony — deserves close study. Although it is impossible to enter the building because it houses diplomatic services, simply viewing the exterior of this architectural masterpiece leaves an unforgettable impression. Pertsov House is included in many walking tours of the capital, where guides tell about the symbolism of the decorations and the fascinating stories of its former inhabitants. This is a place where history, art, and architecture have intertwined into a single whole, creating a unique image of early 20th-century Moscow.