Morozov Mansion

On Vozdvizhenska Street rises one of the most extravagant mansions in the capital — a building adorned with seashells, turrets, and twisted columns. This structure sparked controversy among contemporaries, is mentioned in Tolstoy’s novel, and keeps the astonishing story of its owner. Today we will tell you about the legendary Arseny Morozov Mansion — an architectural masterpiece once called tasteless but which has become a true gem of Moscow.

Arseny Morozov: a traveller from a merchant dynasty

Arseny Abramovich Morozov belonged to the famous merchant family and was a cousin of the industrialist and patron Savva Morozov. Unlike his elder brothers Mikhail and Ivan, who were engaged in business and collected Impressionist paintings, Arseny chose a different path — his passion was travelling around Europe. After graduating from the mechanical-technical department of the Moscow Real School, the young man went for an internship to England and then visited the World Exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium. It was there, in 1893, that a fateful meeting took place with the architect Viktor Mazyrin — an eccentric builder fascinated by esotericism who considered himself the reincarnation of the builder of the Pyramid of Cheops. When Arseny’s mother gave him a large plot of land on Vozdvizhenska, Mazyrin proposed designing an unusual mansion. In search of inspiration, the friends travelled across European countries and in the Portuguese town of Sintra discovered the magnificent Palácio da Pena — the romantic residence of King Ferdinand II, combining features of a neo-Romanesque castle and a Moorish fortress.

Architecture of the mansion: eclecticism of styles and oriental exoticism

Exterior decoration of the building

Construction of the mansion began in 1895 and lasted four years. The main entrance is framed by twisted columns and is located between two round towers with rich carved decoration. A garden was originally planned on the roof, but the Moscow climate forced them to abandon the idea. Particular attention is drawn to the moulded scallop seashells on the façade — a decorative element inspired by the famous 16th-century Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca, Spain. These details give the building a unique flavour and create the feeling that the palace was transported here straight from sunny Spain.

Interiors: a journey through eras and countries

The interior decoration of the mansion is a true eclecticism of styles:

• Dining room resembled the hall of a hunting castle with appropriate attributes
• Oriental rooms were designed in Chinese and Arabian styles
• Ballroom was executed in the solemn Empire style
• Greek and Roman halls displayed antique motifs

Contemporaries said that guests were greeted by a tame lynx — another extravagant detail characterising the owner of the house. Arseny got exactly what he dreamed of — “a palace in all styles”, embodying his idea of an ideal home.

Why the mansion was nicknamed “the fool’s house”

The appearance of the unusual building in the historic centre of Moscow provoked a stormy public reaction. Newspapers called the structure tasteless and criticised it for not fitting into the architectural ensemble of Vozdvizhenska. The Maly Theatre actor Sadovsky dedicated a caustic epigram to the mansion, and Leo Tolstoy, in his novel Resurrection, through the mouth of the protagonist Nekhlyudov, called both the building and its owner stupid and unnecessary. According to an urban legend, Arseny’s mother, Varvara Alekseyevna, upon seeing the mansion project, exclaimed: “Previously only I knew that you were a fool, but now all of Moscow will know!” The historical authenticity of these words has not been confirmed, but the nickname “fool’s house” stuck to the building for a long time.

The tragic fate of the owner

Arseny lived in the luxurious mansion for only a short time. In 1908, at the age of 35, he died under tragic circumstances. While arguing with a friend, the young man shot himself in the leg to prove that, thanks to esoteric practices, he could endure any pain. However, an infection got into the untreated wound, leading to blood poisoning. Three days later the extravagant rich man was gone. The will contained a surprise: the mansion went not to his legal wife Vera Sergeyevna and daughter Irina, but to his mistress Nina Konshina. After legal proceedings, she sold the building to the oil industrialist Levon Mantashev, and after the October Revolution the mansion was left without an owner.

History of the mansion’s use in the 20th–21st centuries

Cultural centre of the avant-garde

After the revolution the building underwent many transformations. It was first occupied by anarchists until, in 1918, the Proletkult Theatre was housed here. Poetry evenings with Mayakovsky and Bryusov were held within its walls, and Yesenin even lived in the attic. In 1923 the revolutionary play “For every wise man there is quite enough simplicity” premiered in a production by Sergei Eisenstein. The director called the genre “montage of attractions” — the stage resembled a circus arena, a tightrope was stretched over the audience for tightrope walkers, and a short film was shown during the performance.

Diplomatic period

The further history of the building is linked to international relations:

1. From 1928 — Embassy of Japan
2. During the Great Patriotic War — offices of the British diplomatic mission
3. 1952–1954 — Embassy of India
4. From 1959 until the late 1990s — House of Friendship with Peoples of Foreign Countries
5. Since the 2000s — House of Receptions of the Government of the Russian Federation

After a large-scale restoration in 2003–2006, the historical interiors were recreated. Today it hosts diplomatic meetings, high-level international conferences and government negotiations.

Other works by Viktor Mazyrin in Moscow

Revenue house of F. T. Kononova

Address: Mashkova Street, 17 A five-storey building of the early 1910s demonstrating the elegance of brick architecture. The façade is decorated with ceramic tiles and attics with neo-Gothic turrets. The famous theoretical physicist Nikolai Umov once lived in one of the apartments.

Revenue house of A. S. Frolov

Address: Baumanskaya Street, 23 A neo-Gothic building with pointed turrets, lancet stained-glass windows and balconies adorned with heraldic shields. The client was the wealthy Old Believer peasant Anton Frolov. Today only three families live in the house — just as before the 1917 revolution.

Revenue house of R. A. Trifonova

Address: Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street, 18 A neoclassical building of 1914 distinguished by memorable decoration — three mascarons depicting the Roman god of trade Mercury are placed on the façade.

How to get to the Arseny Morozov Mansion

Address: Vozdvizhenska, 16 Public transport options:

• Metro station “Arbatskaya” (dark-blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line) — the most convenient route
• Metro station “Biblioteka imeni Lenina” — alternative option within walking distance
• Buses to the stop “Arbatskiye Vorota”

Conclusion

The Arseny Morozov Mansion remains one of Moscow’s brightest architectural mysteries. A building that contemporaries called tasteless is today recognised as an outstanding monument of eclecticism and an object of cultural heritage. Although it is impossible to enter the House of Receptions of the Government, everyone can admire the splendour of the façade decorated with shells and turrets in the Hispano-Moorish style. The story of the “fool’s house” reminds us that true art is often not understood by contemporaries but eventually receives the recognition it deserves. The mansion on Vozdvizhenska is not just an architectural monument but a testament to the boldness of a young merchant who decided to embody in stone his dream of travel and the exoticism of distant lands.