Narkomfin Building

The Narkomfin Building is one of the most famous and significant monuments of avant-garde architecture in Moscow. Built in 1928–1930 to a design by Moisei Ginzburg and Ignaty Milinis, it became a true manifesto of constructivism and an experimental “transitional-type house” toward a new collective way of life.

History of the Narkomfin Building

The building was constructed on commission from the People’s Commissariat of Finance of the USSR for its employees. The project’s chief ideologue was the People’s Commissar of Finance Nikolai Milyutin, who dreamed of a communal house where private space would be harmoniously combined with public areas.

• Construction: 1928–1930
• Move-in: 1931
• Architects: Moisei Ginzburg, Ignaty Milinis
• Client: Narkomfin of the RSFSR

The building was conceived as a transitional stage from traditional bourgeois housing to the communist dormitory of the future. It was inspired by the ideas of Le Corbusier and the experience of European modernism.

Architectural features and Le Corbusier’s “five points”

The Narkomfin Building became the first building in Moscow to fully implement the famous five points of modern architecture formulated by Le Corbusier:

1. House on columns (pilotis)
2. Flat usable roof-terrace (solarium)
3. Free internal floor plan
4. Ribbon glazing
5. Free facade without decor

The building received the popular nickname “ship-house” thanks to its body raised on columns and long horizontal windows that create the impression of floating above the ground.

Innovative materials of the 1930s

• Reinforced concrete frame
• Slag blocks by engineer Prokhorov (lightweight and warm)
• Fibrolite partitions
• Xylolite floors
• Sliding window frames with brass fittings

Types of cell-apartments: from minimalism to penthouse

Moisei Ginzburg developed several types of compact two-level cell-apartments:

• Cell type F — 37 m², for 1–2 people (studio with mezzanine)
• Cell type 2F — double unit with two bedrooms upstairs
• Cell type K — 90 m², for a large family
• Milyutin’s penthouse on the roof — the first in the USSR, designed personally by the People’s Commissar of Finance

There were practically no kitchens in the apartments — residents were supposed to eat in the communal canteen.

Social experiment: a new way of life that did not take root

The project envisaged a complete collectivization of everyday life:

• Communal canteen and factory-kitchen
• Kindergarten and nursery
• Library and gym
• Laundry and drying room
• Covered passage between the residential and communal blocks
• Wide corridors for neighbors to socialize

However, by the mid-1930s the idea of collective living had failed: residents preferred privacy, and the repressions made neighborly communication dangerous.

Famous residents

At different times, the building was home to:

• People’s Commissar of Finance Nikolai Milyutin (penthouse)
• Architect Moisei Ginzburg (studio)
• Artist Alexander Deineka
• Surgeon Alexander Vishnevsky
• Guest of the house — Le Corbusier

Decline and rescue: restoration 2017–2020

Before the restoration, the building was in an emergency condition: the columns were built over, the slag blocks were replaced with brick, and the interiors had been repeatedly altered. The restoration was carried out by the descendants of the author — Alexey and Vladimir Ginzburg. In 2020 the building regained its historical appearance:

• The columns were freed and painted black
• Ribbon glazing was restored
• The original interior colors were brought back (based on the palette of Hinnerk Scheper from the Bauhaus)
• Cells with historical finishes were recreated

The Narkomfin Building today: where to live and what to see

Today it is an upscale residential building with apartments for sale and rent. Some cells have been preserved in an authentic state. The public spaces are managed by the Garage Museum:

• Café in the former canteen (3rd floor of the communal block)
• Bookstore with architectural literature
• Roof-solarium (summer events)
• Tours and art residencies

How to visit the Narkomfin Building

• Address: Novinsky Boulevard, 25, building 1
• Metro: Barrikadnaya or Krasnopresnenskaya (10 minutes on foot)
• Tours: via the Garage Museum website (tickets sell out quickly)
• Café and bookstore: open daily, free entrance

Interesting facts about the Narkomfin Building

• Included in the list of the 100 most significant buildings of world constructivism (MoMA, New York)
• The first reinforced-concrete-frame residential building in Moscow
• The roof was used as a solarium (residents sunbathed naked)
• In Milyutin’s penthouse, food was served through a special hatch from the kitchen
• After the restoration, some apartments were named after famous residents: “Deineka”, “Ginzburg”, “Milyutin”

Conclusion

The Narkomfin Building is not just a building but a true manifesto of its era: a bold experiment that was decades ahead of its time. Today, after careful restoration, it is once again full of life: people live here, a café and bookstore operate, and tours are held. Be sure to visit this masterpiece of constructivism — one of the most important architectural monuments of the 20th century in Moscow.