The mansion of the state councilor and businessman Alexander Kelkh is considered the property of Russian culture, one of the architectural gems of St. Petersburg and an excellent example of late eclecticism.

The building is a unique composition combining styles gothic castle, Rococo, French Renaissance, Baroque and Art Deco. This applies to both external appearance and interior solutions.

History of the mansion

The original building changed owners and was reconstructed several times. In 1896, it was acquired by Varvara Petrovna Kelkh (nee Bazanova) - the heiress of the dynasty of gold miners who owned the Siberian and Lena-Vitim shipping companies, and placed an order for the reconstruction of the house. Erected by 1897 by the architects Vasily Shene and Vladimir Chagin, the hostess did not like the urban-type estate, and she entrusted the development of a new project to Karl Schmidt, a famous architect, thanks to whom by 1903 the Kelch mansion received its extraordinary appearance and interior design, becoming a model of late eclecticism.

During the years of the formation of the Soviet state, the world's first educational institution for the art of cinematography was established in the Kelch mansion, which in 1922 acquired the status of an Institute that taught acting and directing. One of the graduates of 1924 was Sergei Vasiliev, the creator of the excellent film Chapaev.

In 1930, a nursing home was organized in the building, then the Committee of the KPSS of the Dzerzhinsky District of Leningrad worked here. During the years of the blockade, a high-explosive shell destroyed part of the building and the interior in the left wing, but by the middle of 1945 the restorers managed to eliminate the main damage, except for the bay window and some interior elements.

In 1991, the Kelch Mansion housed the UNESCO support center and the Committee for the Organization of the Banking Congress, which had a long dispute over ownership of the beautiful building.

In 1998, the house passed into the free possession of the State University, the building housed the Faculty of Law. Since then, the Kelch mansion has become officially known as the Lawyer's House.

Architecture and interior

The high hipped roof, voluminous pylons, the front facade made of pink and beige sandstone give the building an unusual and attractive aura. The courtyard facade of the mansion surprises with the fabulousness of the medieval wing in the style of "flaming Gothic", and the interior design of the house is simply stunning with the complexity, richness and bizarre "fantasy" of the decor.

Behind the ancient oak doors of the mansion, the guest’s gaze is captured by the magnificence of design, color and luxury of the interiors: white-pink, golden, brown marble, the most complex carved ornaments on stone and wood, exquisite stucco decoration, old bronze, stained-glass windows shining with rich colors, unique sculptural compositions, decorating niches, fireplaces, antique furniture. Each corridor, staircase, room is unique and has a variety of design styles.

The reliefs and patterns of stair railings, columns, window frames are incredibly complex, bizarre and plentiful. The walls are decorated with paintings, frescoes, embossed wallpaper made of natural leather. The work of master cabinetmakers and carvers, stained-glass ceilings, cornices with gilded elements, and damask panels are striking.

Against the background of the integrity of the decoration of each room, the interior decoration is distinguished by a variety of materials and "jewelry" elaboration of details. Stunningly beautiful multi-tiered fireplaces made of marble and labradorite are full of multi-figured sculptural compositions and bas-reliefs.

The decor of paneled ceilings is rich in expressive carvings on dark wood in the form of foliage, flowers, garlands, among which the most beautiful panels with arabesque paintings and landscapes delight the eye.

Of particular beauty are the White Hall in the Rococo style with huge mirrors between the windows, precious parquet made of different types of wood and a marvelous fireplace, a billiard room in the French Renaissance style and a stunning Gothic dining room with a huge fireplace decorated with figures of a knight and heraldic shields. Here, under the arched ceiling of dark wood, among the elongated window openings with fine binding and multi-colored stained-glass windows, the atmosphere of an exquisite mysterious Middle Ages reigns.

The Kelch mansion in the 21st century

In 2010, the building was closed for restoration, and a year later it was transferred to the Ministry of Justice. In 2017, private tour companies organized "tours" around the Kelch mansion. Unfortunately, today you can get into the building only with rare group excursions by appointment on certain days of visiting the KGIOP of St. Petersburg.

You can get to the wonderful house No. 28 on Tchaikovsky Street in a 5-minute walk from the Chernyshevskaya metro station.

For several years, passing by house number 28 on Tchaikovsky Street, I admired the interesting solutions for decorating the facades.

But all my attempts to get inside were doomed to failure.

I already knew whose house it was, who the architects were, when it was built, and I was picking information fields on the Internet. On some site I saw that, it turns out, there are people who offer excursions for a certain amount at a certain time. Even once tried to get through by the specified phones. Contact did not work, and I calmed down. And just before the holiday “Day of KGIOP”, I see information about the opportunity to freely get on an excursion to the house that I liked “the mansion of Baron A.F. Kelkha. To do this, you need to come to the KGIOP on Friday from 10:00 to 16:00 and sign up so that on Saturday, and the holiday is on Saturday, come up at the appointed time and enter the very chosen, desired premises with a tour.

By chance, on the instructions of my management, I had to get to a conversation with KGIOP specialists and the meeting was scheduled for Friday at 9:30. Thinking about the possibility of being late and the possible long "Soviet" lines (and the people who came there were mostly very old), I decided to arrive early. At 8:40 I turned the corner from Rossi Street and saw a small queue at the front door. I took a queue and found that these 30 people were only a part of the queue. The main part (grandmothers), having pressed the buttons of pity for the guards, penetrated inside the building. The weather was very windy and cold. The line gradually grew and widened, complaining about warm sweaters and blouses forgotten at home. There were people entering the door bypassing the line. Grandmothers were alert and put their checkpoint at the door. KGIOP employees had to prove their involvement in the monument protection apparatus, and only after that the door was released to enter the workplace. I decided to shift the time of visiting a specialist until I received an appointment for an excursion. At 10:00, the crowd gradually moved to the third floor, to a huge office, where there were 5 tables with KGIOP employees. Each table made an appointment for a specific tour. Where they were recorded is unknown. Those who first got to the tables began to make noise that he didn’t want to go here, but it was VERY difficult to get out ... Gradually everything calmed down and I got to the very table where they recorded “on Kelch”. Having gone outside to smoke at 10:20, I heard the loud voice of an employee behind me, informing the crowd on the street that the recording was over on “Kelch”. There are no seats! The noise of the crowd. I smoked and went to the reception under the withering eyes of the chilled architecture lovers standing on the street.

Those who know this object and its history well, I think, will not be offended if I borrow some suggestions from Internet narratives. I will not tell the story of the building site itself, although it is also interesting, but I will immediately start talking about the fact that the young Kelch family in 1896 decided to order the construction of a new house from the popular architects of St. Petersburg - V.I. Shene and V.I. Chagin. In two years, they built the front building in the style of the French Renaissance. It is lined with pink and light yellow sandstone. The façade is punctuated by an attic crowned with a tall tent.

Probably, it is necessary to say about the family itself ... Varvara Petrovna Bazanova came from a very wealthy family of Moscow merchants. Her grandfather, Ivan Bazanov, founded several enterprises in Siberia, including gold mines, a construction company railways and the shipping company, in which he was the main shareholder, together with partners Yakov Nemchinov and Mikhail Sibiryakov. After the death of their father, Varvara and her mother Yulia inherited the family wealth and founded a new company together with Konstantin Sibiryakov. Varvara in 1892 married Nikolai Ferdinandovich Kelkh, the son of a Petersburg hereditary honorary citizen. He died two years later.

As often happens in Russia, Nikolai's brother Alexander married a wealthy young widow that same year, which may have been for reasons of business, since, in accordance with the premarital contract, almost all the wealth remained in the hands of Varvara. Since 1900, the couple began to live under the same roof, but their life together did not work out and in 1905 they registered separate residence.

In 1912, Varvara Petrovna left for Paris. In 1915, the Kelchs officially divorced. A.F. He stayed in Russia, tried to start life anew, got married a second time. After 1917, he worked as a worker at one of his factories in Siberia and was in poverty. In the twenties, A.F. Kelkh returned to St. Petersburg, but could not find a job, begging, selling cigarettes on the street. V.P. Sent him money, invited him to go to Paris. In 1930, A.F. was arrested, was exiled to camps, his further fate is unknown.

Saturday! My wife and I open the treasured door and enter the lobby. Everything is expected and familiar (virtually) but still festive and beautiful. At the request of the guards, they approached the table with the lists and, having shown their passports, received permission to go through the next door to wait for the tour. There were several guides. Eight groups of 20 people drove around the mansion for 30 minutes. A total of 160 people signed up. Now I will stop the story of the ordeals and start talking about the mansion itself.

First of all, the decoration with Italian marble of different colors - white, pink, gray, brown, is striking. Then the eye catches the whimsical, typical for Art Nouveau bend of the white marble staircase. The walls of the lobby are decorated with four paintings of the late 19th century with romantic landscapes. Between them - stucco decoration.

I didn’t get a sharp photo, but I really want to show a bizarre monster at the bottom of the stairs ...

In the upper part of the pilasters there is an image of a man's head. It is believed that this is an image of the brothers Alexander and Nikolai Kelkhov.

Part of the front door and part of the vestibule ceiling. Already at the entrance, the work of woodcarvers is striking.

The ceiling is decorated with picturesque arabesques, in its middle part there is stucco molding, its main element is a laurel wreath framing the picturesque canvas.

After the turn, we rise to the upper platform. Second floor. The arcade is visible on the left side of the picture. The arches are supported by pilasters and marble columns.

In the niches there are marble copies of sculptures by A. Canova - "Awakening" and "Italian Venus".

The third niche was also intended for sculpture, but then a mirror was installed in it. On the sides of the mirror are bronze candelabra with a figure of the winged Nike standing on a ball.

The skylight ceiling is decorated with polychrome stained glass. Ten paintings are placed under the ceiling. A huge gilt-bronze chandelier completes the extraordinarily sumptuous decoration. front staircase.

We pass into the Small living room.

Sculpture, painting, mahogany cornices with gilded details, parquet, and white marble window sills have been preserved in the Small Living Room. The exit to the surviving bay window is decorated on the sides with a sculpture - Egyptian caryatids with stucco torches above them. Above the opening leading to the bay window is a desudeport depicting an altar with a lamb's head on it, an overturned basket of roses and doves. Above the door to the White Hall is an image of Amphitrite surrounded by marine life. Above the door leading to the stairs is an image of a half-naked woman with a peacock and a lamb. To her left is a bust of a man. The walls are decorated with longitudinal stucco bas-reliefs. The spaces between them were covered with damask panels in the form of bouquets of flowers.

A huge picturesque plafond occupies the entire ceiling; the gilded cornice of the living room serves as a frame for it.

The first and third floors were occupied by living quarters. The interiors were distinguished by the variety of materials used, the thoroughness of their processing, the unity of the design of each room, characteristic of Art Nouveau.

Upper office.

The interior is in the Baroque style, walnut wood trim. Corinthian columns are used in the design of the doors and the central window. The monumental fireplace is made of labrodorite, modeled on the fireplace located in one of the halls of the City Hall in Bruges, made in the 16th century. Lancelot Blondel. In the first tier of the fireplace frame, columns are used, on which there is a second tier of entablature and a complex multi-figured composition of the third tier. In the center of the composition there is a niche, in the depth of which there is an image of a gate, in front of which stands a knight holding a raised sword in his hand. On the sides of the niche are pylons depicting geniuses in wreaths, on both sides of the central part - consoles, on which female figures in medieval clothes are placed. In the center of the pommel is a shield with the letters "KA" - Alexander Kelkh. The room is illuminated by two chandeliers made of spiers. The walls were decorated with tapestries.

In the decoration of the ceiling, along with carved compositions made of wood in the form of flowers, leaves, garlands, images of a rake, a hammer, a scythe, a shovel, a trowel, a composition with a shield partitioned by an oblique bandage into two parts are placed in the cruciform panels of the ceiling; a six-pointed star is placed on the right side.

The door to the dining room.

The door to the billiard room.

Next to the Upper Cabinet was a billiard room, designed in the form of a Renaissance. Oak was used for decoration. The fireplace is made in the form of an arch made of white marble. On the sides of the fireplace are two corner sofas raised by a step. The upholstery is made of embossed leather. Of the pieces of furniture, a cabinet-stand for cues has been preserved. Panels with arabesque painting are placed in the panels of the ceiling. A dark metal chandelier has been preserved.

The room was not prepared for the tour and was closed. Only the ceiling was photographed.

The White Hall occupies the middle part of the building with windows to the south (Tchaikovsky Street). White marble is used for facing the lower part of the walls, framing the doors and for the wall pilasters of the Ionic order. The interior is designed in the "second rococo" style. The walls are decorated with stucco compositions in the form of bouquets of flowers, acanthus leaves, bouquets with musical instruments, bow with arrows. Sculptures of playing putti are placed in semicircular compositions under the ceiling. Huge mirrors are placed between the windows. The white marble frames of the doorways are complemented by pink marble inserts. Above the doors are sculptural compositions with winged griffins and picturesque desudéportes with flowers. The parquet made of different types of wood is made in the form of a carpet with bouquets in the corners and mesh decor on the rest of the field. The hall is illuminated by a gilded bronze chandelier made at the St. Petersburg factory Shtange Luka in 1848.

Fireplace made of light gray Italian marble, with the author's signature "M. Dillon, 1899". The fireplace consists of three parts: the actual fireplace, a mantelpiece with a sculptural group and a mantelpiece with a multi-figured bas-relief. The fireplace insert is made in the form of a marble shell, inside which a polished brass shell is fixed on a holder in the form of twisted acanthus leaves. The lower tier of the fireplace is decorated with volutes. On the mantelpiece is the sculpture "Spring Awakening". The relief of the panel above the fireplace consists of a female figure flying up in a fluttering robe, playing a lute entwined with roses.

Well, now the most interesting part. Gothic dining room.

The dining room is designed in Gothic style. Wall panels, ceiling, furniture, framing of doorways and exit to the bay window are made of walnut wood. Stained-glass windows are placed in windows divided by bindings into narrow elongated parts. The ceiling is a composition of five keeled arches. The spread of the vault is restrained by horizontal flying buttresses supported by the consoles of the eastern and western walls. The consoles are decorated with weights and figures of chimeras, at the base of the consoles there are images of dancing men. The walls are decorated with a frieze, where shields with coats of arms are placed.

There is a huge fireplace in the dining room. The firebox is lined with yellow finishing bricks. The frame is carved in three tiers, the first tier is decorated with columns, the middle one is a complex entablature with a heraldic composition in the form of a shield with the monogram of the owners under a knight's mask. The shield is supported by a deer and a horse. On the sides of the middle part are two consoles, decorated with carved weights, on which are installed figures of a man and a woman in medieval clothes under carved canopies. The upper hipped tier is carved in the form of a stylized eagle.

A concert organ was installed on the mezzanine.

Niches for the location of the keyboard of the legs and two manual ones are clearly visible.

On the north side there is a spiral staircase leading to the mezzanine.

The hall is illuminated by two chandeliers, made in the form of openwork rims made of spiatra alloy, and a small lamp made of the same material, located in the bay window. Eight stained-glass windows were made in 1898 in the workshop of Ernst Tode in Riga.

Well, that's all that I managed to see during this tour. I also want to add that the work of Schene and Chagin did not satisfy Varvara Petrovna Kelkh. At her request, further work on the site was carried out by another architect, K. K. Schmidt. By 1903, they built a courtyard building and stables. The architect gave strictly Gothic features to the courtyard wing. The stables are made in the Art Nouveau style, which may mean the involvement of another architect in the work.

This is the view from the window. Haven't been able to get into the yard yet.

Reactions to the article

Liked our site? Join or subscribe (you will receive notifications about new topics by mail) to our channel in Mirtesen!

Impressions: 1 Coverage: 0 Reads: 0

In St. Petersburg, sights are at every turn. One of the brightest pearls among the architectural structures of the 19th century is the Kelch mansion. You can fall in love with just one courtyard at first sight. Here are eccentric gnomes, and sculptures entwined with centennial ivy. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get into the patio now, but if you ever have the opportunity, be sure to take it.

Historical roots

From the middle of the 18th century, Tchaikovsky Street was sparsely populated. There were mostly empty plots of land that were distributed to prominent figures. One of these plots was donated to the merchant Broter, who at that time held the post of burgomaster. He gave the land to his daughter, but the house never appeared on this site, and this state of affairs continued until the end of the 18th century. In the late 1790s, the owners changed constantly, and the name of the first person who built a stone base with a wooden second floor was not preserved in history.

In 1858 Grigory Kondoyanaki (Consul of Greece) buys a house with land on Tchaikovsky Street. According to the project of A. Kolman, a beautiful mansion is being built here in

Kelch family

At the end of the 19th century, Varvara Petrovna Kelkh, heiress of Siberian industrialists, moved to St. Petersburg. She was very rich thanks to the fortune that her father saved for her. In distant Siberia, Varvara Petrovna owned the Lena gold mines and part of the shipping industry on the Lena River.

Having settled in St. Petersburg, V.P. Kelkh buys the land of the former consul of Greece for 300 thousand rubles and orders the house to be demolished. In its place, it was first planned to build a mansion in the French Renaissance style. The project was supervised by the architects Shene and Chagin. But Varvara Petrovna did not like the result, and by her order, another architect, K. K. Schmidt, began to redevelop. He kept the overall picture, not changing the façade, but creating a unique Gothic patio. During 2 years of construction, a courtyard building and stables were added.

The interior looked just as good. The entire St. Petersburg nobility visited the mansion of Baron Kelkh, never ceasing to be surprised at the decoration of the halls. What was one white room in which the collection was located? It is known that Mrs. Kelch was a passionate lover of French creativity.

Divorce and maiden name

But the Kelch family did not have long to enjoy the beauty of the newly built house. The construction was completed in 1903, and already in 1905 Varvara Petrovna divorced her husband Alexander Fedorovich and moved to Paris forever.

Alexander Fedorovich, unlike his ex-wife, did not have untold wealth, so he needed money. In this regard, he sells the house, later known as the Kelch mansion, and marries a second time. But his plans were not destined to come true. In he falls into disgrace, and he is sent to the camps. Unfortunately, his further fate is unknown.

Since March 1917, the Kelkh mansion has become the first Screen Art School in the Soviet Union. Here they became actors and directors. In 1922 the school became an institute. Behind the scenes, the house on Tchaikovsky Street began to be called the "Ice Palace". There was no central heating here, and in winter, although the fireplaces worked, it was terribly cold.

During World War II, the mansion was damaged by a high-explosive bomb. As a result of the explosion, part of the building was lost. All interior decoration was removed and lost.

Until the end of its existence, the party leadership of the Dzerzhinsky district of the city of Leningrad was located in the house. Meetings were held in the halls of the palace, and new members were solemnly received here.

Modern life of the Kelch mansion

From 1991 to 1998 the house was empty. It was passed into the hands of one or another organization, but no one could settle here. Since 1998, the law faculty of St. Petersburg University has been located in the building of the former Kelkh mansion. The whole of St. Petersburg began to call it simply "House of Lawyers".

Until 2010, it was possible to visit the restaurant, which was located on the basement floor. It was opened specifically to raise funds for the restoration of the palace. Restoration work actually began in 2011.

How to see the house?

Excursion to the Kelch mansion is amazing journey through the halls of the palace. You can order a tour from many travel agencies in St. Petersburg. For example, you can find out more detailed information on the website "Walks around St. Petersburg". In cooperation with St. Petersburg University, the organizers offer to make a unique tour into the historical past of the mansion. The guide is the head of the excursion department of the same university.

Interior

Unfortunately, little is known about how the house looked from the inside at the time when the Kelch family lived there. All decoration, furniture and decor were lost: first after the advent of Soviet power, and then - during the Second World War. It is quite difficult to restore the complete picture, one can only assume what was in this or that room.

The greatest value was the collection of Faberge eggs. It is known that Varvara Petrovna's husband Alexander Fedorovich gave his wife a new work by a French artist for each anniversary of their life together.

Let's imagine what the palace was like in its better times. So, immediately from the street you would be met in the lobby with a wide, slightly curved staircase. Then you would probably be invited to the dining room - to dine or drink tea. All significant events and balls were held in a white hall with large windows and a crystal chandelier under the ceiling. It would be possible to retire with suitors in a room with an alcove. Gentlemen would certainly appreciate the decoration of the billiard room.

The second floor has always been reserved for the master and guest bedrooms. There was also an upper study and a boudoir. Another office for business meetings was located on the first floor.

One can only imagine with what luxury the rooms were furnished. Kelchs were insanely rich and hardly saved on decoration.

Patio

Where is?

Even many of the indigenous inhabitants of St. Petersburg do not know where the Kelkh mansion is located. How to get there, we'll figure it out together. First you need to get to the Chernyshevskaya metro station. From it, go along the avenue of the same name to the intersection with Tchaikovsky Street. Turn left and find the house at number 28. You are there.

Petersburg addresses: architectural and historical heritage of St. Petersburg

The old mansion of A.F. Kelkha http://deluxedecor.ru/blog/osobnjak_kelkha_gotika_renessans_barokko.html#prettyPhoto

The old mansion of Baron A.F. Kelkh
Derived from the period of late eclectic architecture, it combines several styles.
This is gothic, modern, baroque, rococo and, of course, the Renaissance style.

The castle is located on Tchaikovsky street, house 28
in that part of the city center where many mansions are concentrated,
built for the aristocratic and business circles of the St. Petersburg elite.

These are facades pleasing to the eye with exquisite finishes that have local features - the Florentine Renaissance or the French Rococo - which enlivened and enriched the look of St. Petersburg

In the middle of the 19th century, according to the project of the architect A.K. Kolman, a mansion was built here for I.E. Kondoyanaki. Its main façade was made in neo-baroque forms. At the end of the 19th century, this building was rebuilt under the guidance of architects V.I. Shene and V.I. Chagin, and acquired its current form. The elegant two-storey facade of the mansion overlooking Tchaikovsky Street is decorated in the traditions of the French Renaissance.

It is lined with pink and light yellow sandstone. The façade is punctuated by an attic crowned with a tall tent. The three-story courtyard facades are already made in the Neo-Gothic style. The service wing closes the perspective courtyard. It houses a Gothic pavilion, decorated with sculptures. The construction of the new building was also carried out with the participation of the architect K.K. Schmidt, and was completely completed in 1903. Mansion A.F. Kelkha is an outstanding architectural monument of late eclecticism.

courtyard facade

pavilion in the courtyard of the mansion

Decoration of the courtyard facade of the mansion of A. F. Kelkh

service (stable) wing

The interiors of the mansion A.F. Kelch are made with particular complexity and detailed study. Here you can see the receptions of various historical styles: the main staircase with arcades is solved in the forms of the Renaissance, the elegant living room is made in the Rococo style, the dining room with stained glass windows is a Gothic composition with superbly executed details.
When decorating the interiors, stucco molding, sculpture, carving, etc. were actively used.

The owner of the house, Alexander Kelkh, was a gold miner and one of the richest people in Russia.

gothic dining room photo 1900s

main staircase

plafond of the front staircase

To decorate the interiors of his mansion, he acquired a lot of amazing arts and crafts.
So, for example, to order expensive Easter eggs in the Faberge workshop in Russia,
apart from the king, only A.F. Kelch and the oil tycoon Nobel.

Sanssouci Palace

Mansion A.F. Kelkha.
Stucco molding, sculpture, carved decor, alfrey painting, stained-glass windows, fireplaces.
Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque

top left photo: White Hall
top right photo: gothic dining room
bottom photo on the left: Plafond of the main staircase
bottom right photo: White Hall, marble fireplace

Carl Faberge personally selected large and rare precious items for his wife Alexander Kelch. In the house on Tchaikovsky Street there were many products of the same Faberge, and other expensive and exquisite items. source.http://deluxedecor.ru/blog/osobnjak_kelkha_gotika_renessans_barokko.html#

Quite remarkable is the fate of Kelch himself.
The fact is that after the revolution, he did not leave Russia, but remained in Siberia, and worked at his factory as a simple worker. In the twenties, he returned to St. Petersburg, but could not find a job, begging, selling cigarettes on the street. As a result, in 1930 he was arrested and sent to Stalin's camps.

Today, many precious items from the Kelch collection are sold at international auctions.

During the siege of Leningrad, the mansion of A.F. Kelkha was badly injured. But in 1944-1945 it was restored.
In the 1990s, the St. Petersburg UNESCO Center was located here.
Currently, in the premises of the former mansion of the gold miner A.F. Kelkha hosts the Statutory Court of St. Petersburg.

The architectural heritage of St. Petersburg: the house of Baron Kelkh

The house was built for the heiress of Siberian millions by her husband, the baron. And sovereign Petersburg was blinded by the brilliance of the reference interiors. There, the Gothic side by side with Art Nouveau, and classicism is framed in Rococo. And on a white night in the twilight, dreams easily penetrate reality. The history of the owners is forgotten - there are no traces of meetings or partings, but the famous mansion shines, not noticing the overweight course of centuries.
Lika Janic

In the development of streets that took shape during the 18th-19th centuries, on the streets closest to the left bank of the Neva, (mansions) facades stand out, pleasing the eye with exquisite decoration. The architect's desire to express one or another style that had gone and become historical, often having local features - Florentine Renaissance or French Rococo - enlivened and enriched the appearance of St. Petersburg. Historicism and romanticism in architecture are replacing the already bored order monotony of classicism and empire. Freedom, complexity and variety of architectural forms are combined with the stylistic accuracy of reproduced historical styles.

The Kelch Mansion is a prominent representative of this romantic trend in architecture.

Mansion A.F. Kelkha, located on the street. Tchaikovsky (formerly Sergievskaya) house 28, is located in that part of the city center, where many buildings are concentrated, built for the aristocratic and business circles of the St. Petersburg elite.

The house, which belonged in the middle of the 18th century to the daughter of the merchant Ivan Broter, who served as burgomaster. In the 18th century, the merchant Ivan Broter buys a plot on Tchaikovsky Street for his beloved daughter, but does not build anything ... For a whole century, this land passes from hand to hand : when the Greek consul Kondoyanaki bought it in 1858, there was an unremarkable two-story house. For a year, the architect A.K. Kolman turned it into a mansion, made in best traditions baroque.

The facade of the building facing the street is designed in the style of the French Renaissance. The cladding is made of natural stone - pinkish in the basement, and yellow sandstone in the upper floors. The first floor is decorated with rustication, the second - with Ionic pilasters between arched windows. The second floor is distinguished by a central bay window, which is symmetrically complemented by the side right and left bay windows. The right bay window was destroyed during the Second World War and was not subsequently restored. The richly decorated central bay window has unfolded side faces

The pediment above the bay window of a developed complex shape forms a compositional unity with the attic, on both sides of which a balustrade is built, and which, in turn, is crowned with a kind of portico with a sculpture in a niche. A high hipped pyramidal roof with a small scaly pattern completes the composition of the front facade.

The property has changed owners several times. In the 1790s, it was divided, before that it was a single household between Sergievskaya (Tchaikovsky) and Zakharyevskaya streets. Until the middle of the 19th century, a two-story house with a stone first floor and a wooden second was preserved here.

The three-story courtyard facades are already made in the Neo-Gothic style. The service wing closes the perspective of the courtyard. It houses a Gothic pavilion, decorated with sculptures. The construction of the new building was also carried out with the participation of the architect K.K. Schmidt, and was completely completed in 1903. Mansion A.F. Kelkha is an outstanding architectural monument of late eclecticism.

And now - to the Kelhams.
Papa Sashenka Kelkh was engaged in public education. And he received the baronial title not just like that, by birth, but solely due to the efforts made. The cavalier of many orders - both Vladimir and Anna, with bows and garters - in the prime of his career was granted the title of baron and the title of "Honorary Citizen of St. Petersburg." So Alexander Kelkh was a nobleman not so long ago - only in the second generation.

The three brothers received an excellent education. Nikolai (senior) and Alexander became industrialists, Vladimir became an artist. And they received their education at Moscow University, of which they were full students. This is what left a noticeable imprint on the family life of Nicholas and Alexander. Students, I mean.

Let's crawl back to Siberia for a while. Namely - to Irkutsk. The family of the richest gold miners Bazanov lived there. After the death of the head of the family, Ivan Bazanov, and later his son-in-law, the chamberlain of the court, Peter Sievers, the entire fortune, which included not only the gold mines, but also the Lena-Vitim shipping company, went to Yulia Bazanova and her daughter Varvara.

Yulia Bazanova - "the mother of students", a lady famous for her charitable work. Having been widowed at an early age, she was engaged in the construction of hospitals, libraries, supervised educational institutions in Irkutsk, and also followed the fate of Siberian students in Moscow. During her life, she, the owner of a huge fortune, spent about 2,000,000 rubles on charity. Just think - more than 2 million - this is comparable to the state budget!

Daughter Varenka followed in her mother's footsteps. And, once going on business to Moscow University, she met Nikolai Kelkh. Well, it's a young affair, passionate love, an almost instant wedding. Everything too beautiful ends quickly - Nikolai dies two years later. Moreover, no one knows until now what caused such a sudden death.

Immediately after the death of Nikolai, Varvara is proposed to by his younger brother, Alexander. And she agrees. And Alexander becomes the manager of his wife's huge fortune. By the way, they say that Varvara Kelkh (Bazanova) was a lovely creature. But at the same time, not a muslin young lady, but, on the contrary, a likeness of the well-known type - Vassa Zheleznova.

So, so - married Nikolai in 1892. Widowed in 1894. And immediately jumped out to marry a second time.

And she decided that the young family would live in the most original house in St. Petersburg. For these purposes, from the Greek consul - Ivan Kondoyanaki - they buy in 1896 a house on Sergievskaya Street (a two-story neo-baroque mansion) and begin its reconstruction. For these purposes, they hire two architects - Vladimir Chagin and Vasily Shenet and give them carte blanche, including financial. Considering that both architects were simply indecently young - up to thirty, then they frolic to their heart's content. The interiors of the mansion amaze not only with the richness of decoration, but also, most importantly, with the unexpectedness of the interiors. Not only by eclecticism, especially since each room produces a very holistic feeling in terms of style, but precisely by surprise.

All the materials that were used for the work were only of the highest quality - Alexander Ferdinandovich did not look at the invoices - he signed them. And, it should be noted, the result was amazing.

For two years, the front building was built by the architects. To do this, the Kondoyanaki mansion was demolished, and a new building in the French Renaissance style was built on its foundation. The work of Schene and Chagin did not satisfy Varvara Petrovna Kelkh.

At her request, further work on the site was carried out by another architect, K. K. Schmidt. By 1903, they built a courtyard building and stables. The architect gave strictly Gothic features to the courtyard wing. The stables are made in the Art Nouveau style, which may mean the involvement of another architect in the work.

Not only the facade of the house, but also its interiors were decorated extremely richly. The Kelch family was a client of the Faberge firm, ordering Easter eggs, cutlery, and precious jewelry. It was in their Yellow Room that the famous Easter eggs made by Faberge were exhibited.

By 1905, Varvara Petrovna and Alexander Fedorovich Kelkh divorced. The mansion had to be mortgaged and then sold. Varvara Petrovna left for Paris forever, Alexander Fedorovich tried to start new life. After 1917, his ex-wife sent him money. From such assistance, despite the second marriage, he did not refuse. Apparently, this affected the fate of Alexander Fedorovich Kelkh. In 1930, he was arrested, exiled to camps, and then his fate is unknown.

On March 17, 1919, the School of Screen Art was opened in the mansion - the world's first cinematographic educational institution. They taught acting and directing. Since 1922, the educational institution received the status of an institute. In 1924, Sergei Dmitrievich Vasiliev, the creator of the popular Soviet film Chapaev, became one of the institute's graduates. The students called the Kelch mansion "Ice House". The heating in the building did not work, because of which it was necessary to use fireplaces.

In 1936, the Dzerzhinsky district appeared in Leningrad. Its main governing institution (VKP(b) CPSU) is located in the Kelch mansion. Here the heads of most enterprises were approved, and new members of the party were accepted.

In 1941, a high-explosive bomb destroyed part of the building with the left bay window. The building was restored in 1944-1945, but the bay window was not recreated. The interiors, located on the left side of the mansion, also turned out to be lost.

In December 1991, the building was handed over to two organizations - the St. Petersburg Center in support of UNESCO and the Organizing Committee for the preparation of the 1992 Banking Congress. Subsequently, these two organizations argued among themselves for ownership of the mansion. Until 1998, the Kelch mansion was empty. In 1998, the building was transferred to the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University for free use. Since then, the building has received the name of the Lawyer's House.

There is a restaurant on the ground floor. It was opened to raise funds needed for the restoration of the Kelch mansion. But later the restaurant management did not find a common language with the law faculty of the university and the institution began to work independently.

Front staircase and vestibule.

The ceiling of the main staircase is decorated with picturesque arabesques and plaster moldings in the Renaissance style. On the graceful marble staircase with griffins, the visitor enters the luxurious lobby, decorated with sculptures - copies of Canova's works - "Awakening" and "Italian Venus". Turning his gaze upward, he will see a light lantern made in the form of a stained-glass window in the same Renaissance manner. The transition from the vestibule to the state rooms is made in the form of a Renaissance arcade with arabesques.

In 2010, the Kelch House was closed for restoration. In 2011, it was decided to transfer it to the Ministry of Justice.

Dining room.

Reminiscence in the Gothic style. Wall panels, furniture, framing of openings and ceiling are made of walnut wood. Gothic alcoves of the walls, a large fireplace are decorated with the finest carvings with sculptures characteristic of this style. Narrow windows are decorated with stained glass windows, passing through which the light fills the room with a fabulous atmosphere. One can imagine what a wonderful impression this room had on visitors when the organ hidden behind the mezzanines began to sound within its walls.

A ladder leads upstairs, where the organ used to stand.

From the Gothic dining room to the oak smoking room. And again - the carving on the ceiling will jump! There is a sickle, and a shovel, and a rake. And something else very similar to a plunger. In the smoking room, of course, there is also a fireplace, as without it - copied by order. Alexander Ferdinandych saw such a fireplace somewhere in Italy in a castle - and ordered it, because he liked it. And they did it to him.

Yes, this aunt on the stained-glass window is Varenka.

White Hall.

The interior design of this luxurious hall is designed in the Baroque style. Pilasters, door frames, and the entire lower part of the wall are made of marble. The wall panels are decorated with plaster moldings in the form of compositions typical of the French Baroque.
A magnificent fireplace of light gray Italian marble, made according to the sketch of Maria Lvovna Dillon (1858-1932) in 1899 in Italian stone-cutting workshops, gives a special uniqueness to the interior. Maria Dillon is the first woman in Russia to graduate from the Academy of Arts in sculpture. The monument to V. F. Komissarzhevskaya (located in the Necropolis of the Masters of Arts of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra), created in 1915 and recognized as one of the most notable phenomena in the artistic life of Russia of that period, brought her the greatest fame and glory. The Fireplace of the White Hall is an earlier work by M. L. Dillon, but no less interesting. The complex multi-figure bas-relief of the fireplace "Spring Awakening" embodies tender feelings and happy moments of love... Evidence of the outstanding talent of the female sculptor.

The office of Alexander Ferdinandovich. Everything is strict there. The owner of the house was very fond of the Karelian birch, so the Karelian birch on the ceiling is adjacent to the walls with peach silk wallpaper, a bookcase and a fireplace frame are made of it.

In the next room - an alcove - a rest room - the wallpaper is dark green and even those that were originally stretched have been preserved. A mahogany ceiling with gilded bronze inserts, a fireplace (by the way, as a rule, the window sills in the room are made of exactly the same stone as the fireplace. Preferably, from one monolith). The bookcases are also mahogany.

The guide makes a slight movement with his hand - and the cabinet opens not only the doors, but also the door spaces. Caches, which in the palace of Kelch are immeasurable. And behind these second doors there are not only safes, not only cavities for storing large things, but also a secret passage. And in general they say that now it was walled up, and earlier it led to the 2nd metro line.
By the way, there is also something behind that bookcase in the office!

The mansion is generally crammed with hiding places - there is also a tricky locker in the bedroom. Entering it, you can go up a spiral staircase to the second floor, go down another to the first floor, turn the desired detail of the decor - and here it is, an armored room - huge, about thirty meters, walls meter thick, safe locks (I’ll say right away, we’ll go there they didn’t take it, because the archive of the law school, which owns the building, lives there now, they just told), but I believe.

And what did the Kelkhs keep there? That's right, gold gems. One necklace by Varvara Petrovna cost 35,000 rubles. And the diamond in it was thirty carats, for those who understand. And there was kept something that aroused the envy of all high-society St. Petersburg. Faberge Easter eggs. Despite the fact that Karl sculpted his gifts only for members of the royal family, there were, there were exceptions. These were the Duchess of Marlborough, Rothschild, Felix Yusupov and Alfred Nobel. And Varvara Kelkh, for whom the jeweler made as many as seven eggs. Why the sovereign allowed such embarrassment is unknown, but remembering the amounts spent by the Bazanovs on charity, we are no longer so tormented by this issue.

Address: Tchaikovsky st., 28
Nearest metro stations: Chernyshevskaya