Street of Nobles, Fire DepotStreet of Nobles, Fire Depot

Prechistenka is undoubtedly one of Moscow's loveliest streets. It flows gently between the Boulevard Ring and Garden Ring roads on the way from the Kremlin to Novodevichy Convent. It is lined with two- and three-story houses, some set back from the street but most fronting it boldly. Dominant is the lovely Empire style of the 1820s and 1830s period, but there are odd Art Nouveau quirks and the occasional mansion of the early 1900s. It is best to ignore the out-of-place tower block of the 1970s. Stand in front of the tree-lined forecourt of No. 17. This is a lovely house in ocher with white detailing so typical of Prechistenka. The pediment and semi-circular window of the mezzanine and the portico of the central section, added after 1812, mirror the dominant classicism of the street. Yet this is the only one to be set back behind a garden, with the two wings linking the house to the street. The main house makes use of a mid-18th century structure that was given a classical look in the 1770s when it belonged to Moscow's chief of police, N.P. Arkharov. The wings were altered over the course of the century and the back garden, which stretched from one lane to the other, was gradually filled in with various buildings that in the 1920s were given additional stories. In 1835 Denis Davydov, the daring poet and soldier mentioned in Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace," purchased the estate but soon had it on the market again, hoping for a profitable sale. Before Davydov, it had belonged to the Bibikovs, Moscow nobles who were known for their musical evenings and balls. The house changed hands many times, finally becoming a ladies' secondary school before the revolution. In the Soviet period the local Communist Party, who tended to take the best buildings, made it their headquarters. It is now the office of Moscow's property fund. Across Prechistenka is another classical building, No. 22. Originally built in the 18th century, it was purchased in 1830 for Moscow's fire depot when construction of the huge Church of Christ the Savior forced it to move from Volkhonka Street. The old house was enlarged to almost double its size, and a kalancha, or tower, was placed on the roof to indicate the location of fires through a series of signs. The long facade was given a rusticated basement and the Corinthian pilasters which now harmonize so well with the street. The kalancha was removed in 1930, but the Moscow fire department is still located here.To the right of the fire department is a charming house, No. 20, the offices of UPDK, recently repainted in a soft brown and a rather hideous yellow, with a splendid wrought iron balcony. It too dates back to the 18th century and was rebuilt after the 1812 fire. In the 1850s it was the home of General Yermolayev, who had been released from his command by Nicholas I for being too kind to the Decembrists. In the 1870s and again in 1910 the house was rebuilt, with a heavily sculptured facade featuring eagles with outstretched wings. At this time the house belonged to A.K. Ushkov, a factory owner, who married a leading Bolshoi ballerina, Alexandra Balashova. Dance became part of the history of the house, for in the 1920s it was given to Isadora Duncan for her dance school. Here she lived with poet Sergei Yesenin, with whom she enjoyed a brief, tempestuous marriage in which neither spoke the language of the other. To the left of where you are standing across the lane is another large mansion, built in the 1870s, probably by Matvei Kazakov for Prince A.N. Dolgorukov. It has an incredibly long facade but originally the arches, now closed, opened onto a large garden, which relieved the severity of the facade. Damaged in the 1812 fire, it was not restored until 1837. Later it became the Alexander-Marina Girls' School. In 1921, a military academy was established in the former palace and it is still in the hands of the army.Just visible next door is an art gallery, No. 21, which long ago had the most avant-garde art in Moscow. Its owner, Ivan Morozov, was along with Sergei Shchukin a notable collector of impressionist art. Morozov's huge collection remained in this house after the revolution until the 1940s, when, regrettably, it was dispersed among various museums. However, it might well have been lost at this time if it had not been for dedicated museum workers who persuaded the Bolsheviks of the value of the art. At the end of our tour, feast your eyes on the wonderfully light Art Nouveau apartment house facing No. 28, built in 1906 by Lev Kekushev. I especially like the languid, seductive ladies under the eaves.?©Kathy Berton Murrell