Kshesinskaya mansion in St. Petersburg: photo, address, history, opening hours

The mansion Kshessinskaya in St. Petersburg - one of the most important sights of the modern era. Its elegant appearance on the Petrograd side is an undoubted adornment of the city. But, in addition to architectural advantages, the mansion Kshessinskaya is a place historically important and interesting. There are still legends around him. Yes, and the very figure of a ballerina, the most beautiful woman, is shrouded in a halo of romance and mystery.

The history of the ballerina

Matilda Kshesinskaya was born in a ballet family. Her mother danced on the stage of the Mariinsky, his grandfather was a violinist, his father - a famous dancer, a unique performer of the mazurka. The girl spent her childhood behind the scenes. At the age of 8 she, like her sister and brother, was given to a choreographic school. There she initially was in a special situation: all children lived in an educational institution, and she was only allowed to come to classes.

Since her early childhood, Matilda was very fond of being in the spotlight. She went to school on a pony harnessed to a small coach, and reveled in curious looks. In the school she also knew how to be a leader, although she was always compared to her sister. Even after coming to the theater after school, she became Kshesinskaya-2. The first was Julia. Matilda did not become the first student, but she was a purposeful careerist from her youth and was able to turn things around in her favor. At the graduation school in the choreographic school, she was able to charm the emperor. And he wished her "to be the pride of the Russian ballet". At the solemn graduation party, where the members of the imperial family were present, she first met the heir to the throne Nikolai and a spark ran between them.

After that, she made a lot of efforts to constantly catch the eye of the heir and eventually got a meeting in private, after which they established a connection. Kshessinskaya, without hiding, began to live alone in the house where she received Nicholas. The relationship ended after the engagement of the heir to the throne with the German princess Alice. But Kshessinskaya did not waste time. Besides the fact that she was making a successful career in the theater, she did not hesitate to complain to the members of the imperial family about any harassment, she also started a relationship with the Grand Duke - Sergey Mikhailovich. Thanks to such connections and high technique of dance, Matilda reaches considerable heights in the theater. She boldly intrigues against any competitors and becomes the leading ballerina of the Imperial Theater. She is the first native prima ballerina who was able to master 34 fouettes.

Since 1900, Matilda has two parallel novels with members of the imperial family: Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich. Kshesinskaya gives birth in 1902 from Prince Andrew's son. From that time, Sergei Mikhailovich remains her only friend. Matilda still works in the theater for two more years, but it becomes less interesting to her. She ecstatically plunges into the arrangement of her family (so far unofficial) life. Special talent Kshesinskaya consisted in the ability to charm men. With all her lovers, she maintained friendly relations and skillfully enjoyed their support.

Life after ballet

In 1904 Kshesinskaya left the theater at her own request. At the benefit, she receives a luxurious gift from the imperial family. She concludes a contract with the theater for one-off performances. Her fee was from 500 to 750 rubles for one performance. In 1917 she left Petersburg and went to Kislovodsk, and later to France. Before the revolution, Prince Andrew gave her a luxurious mansion on the French coast. He became her refuge after the emigration.

In 1921, Matilda in France officially marries Prince Andrew. He finally adopted his own son, who had previously worn Sergei's patronymic. In 1924 she was granted the nobility and the title of Princess Krasinsky. And in 1935 they with the prince Andrey received the title of the most brilliant princes of the Romanovsky-Krasinsky. A year later Kshessinskaya finally left the stage. But I taught for a long time. In 1960, she releases memoirs written by her along with her husband. The ballerina died in 1971, not surviving the centennial anniversary of just a few months.

History of the building of the mansion

In 1904, Matilda Kshessinskaya conceived to build her house. Of course, this should be the best and most unusual mansion. Choosing a place, the ballerina drew attention to the most fashionable territory of that time - the Petrograd side. She found a suitable land on the Great Noble Street and invited the most popular architect, Alexander von Gauguin, to create the project.

In 1904 the mansion Kshesinskaya was built in record time. Two years later, Matilda received her palace. She entrusted the interior design to the architect Alexander Ivanov. For registration of the house only professional suppliers were invited and the best things were bought. Matilda wanted to hit the light. And she succeeded. In 1906, the mansion Kshesinskaya in St. Petersburg was opened, its address: Bolshaya Dvoryanskaya Street, House No. 2-4 and Kronverksky Prospekt, No. 1. The house became the most fashionable place in the capital.

Biography of architect A. I. von Gauguin

Choosing an architect to create a project of his house, Kshesinskaya sorted out a lot of candidates. But I stopped at Alexander von Goegene. He was very famous for his works - numerous houses, churches and public buildings in St. Petersburg and its suburbs. He was a vivid representative of the modernist style, the most fashionable at that time. The mansion of Kshessinskaya became an important project for A. Gauguin. He glorified his name for years to come. Get a customer like Matilda Kshesinskaya, was a great success for the architect, since she was not stingy about the costs and was ready for bold experiments.

AA von Gauguin began the architectural practice in 1877. He also had a diploma of an artist, created sculptures, painted paintings. For some time he worked as an architect in the Military Ministry: he built temples, officers' offices, hospitals. In 1903 he became an architect of the Imperial Court. This significantly increased the number of client-aristocrats. And that is why Kshessinskaya came to him, who all her life tried to keep her closeness to the royal family. Gauguin received a classical education. He graduated from the Academy of Arts, but at the turn of the century he actively built in the Art Nouveau style, developing and enriching this style with new decorative and architectural solutions.

The main architectural style of St. Petersburg early XX century

The mansion of the ballerina Kshesinskaya had to correspond to all fashion trends. Therefore, discussing the construction of the house with the architect, she immediately opted for the "modern" style, which was then the most advanced and bright in the domestic architecture. It is distinguished by the desire to use natural forms, the inclusion of various elements of eastern architecture, a harmonious combination of utilitarianism and aesthetics, a desire for decorative, strong external effects. All this corresponded to the time of the turn of the century, when there was a sense of changing epochs, there was a search for new forms, ideas, new canons of beauty. Gauguin was a representative of the early Northern Art Nouveau in St. Petersburg. In its buildings, the style has not yet been fully revealed, but all the distinctive features of this trend in its buildings were present.

The Northern Art Nouveau is distinguished by the asymmetry of forms, the attraction to the use of natural materials in decoration, the harmonious selection of textures and shades of decoration in natural tones. Buildings in this style are reminiscent of the color and texture of medieval castles and northern rocky shores. Vegetable ornaments, decoration with majolica panels and mosaics are another feature of this trend. Facilities in style are distinguished by the contrast of textures, large, massive shapes, a wide variety of shapes of window openings. The mansion Kshesinskaya in St. Petersburg has become a worthy example of the early Northern Art Nouveau.

The device of the mansion

The idea of building the mansion came to Matilda after the birth of her son. In a house on the Promenade des Anglais, she could give the child only one room, and she wanted him to live comfortably with her and after growing up. Gathered to build a mansion, Matilda expressed her wishes to the architect. In her memoirs, she writes that she has outlined the interior decoration of some rooms. She wanted space and maximum comfort. And the mansion Kshesinskaya became a combination of beauty and convenience. The ballerina not only wanted to impress guests and onlookers, but also to live with maximum comfort.

The layout of the mansion was very comfortable. It provided everything. There was even a luxurious dressing room of two rooms: one housed the clothes of the hostess, in the other - scenic costumes. Everything was numbered. Mathilde could simply send a maid's note with the number of the closet so that she would send her the right dress anywhere. The kitchen was very spacious and equipped with the latest technology. Here often Kshesinskaya invited guests after dinner.

The house had an accommodation for animals: the fox terrier Jibi, the cow, which provided the child with fresh milk, pigs and goats, with which Matilda performed at Esmeralda. Also on the farm there was a separate laundry room, a garage for two cars. For guests in the house there is also a luxurious wine cellar, the filling of which was personally taken care of by Prince Andrew. The front part of the house was a luxurious suite of rooms, each of which amazed with style and splendor. Separate pride of the hostess was a luxurious winter garden.

Style and architecture of the mansion

Creating a new house project, the architect Gauguin literally put his soul into it. He thought out every detail, while clearly following the wishes of the customer. The mansion Kshesinskaya has an asymmetric composition, its basis is equal to the volume. The unusuality of the house is that there is no main entrance on the front side facing Kronverksky Avenue. He is hidden in a small courtyard outside the gates of a granite fence. The originality of the facade is given by the free rhythm of windows of different sizes and shapes. Their apertures correspond to the internal layout of the premises.

The plan of the house assumed that the lower part of it would be given under various office premises, and the first floor would be occupied by the main rooms: a salon for reception of guests, a dining room, ballrooms. The latter, by the way, were planned in the form of a suite, reminiscent of palace interiors. Simultaneously, on the second floor will be placed private family rooms: bedrooms, dressing rooms, bathroom, children's. For the servants were fairly spacious, bright rooms. Matilda was not stingy in this.

The facade of the house is finished with red and gray natural granite and facing light brick with elements of blue majolica and metal decor. Style - northern modern, which assumes restraint and elegance. The house does not look luxurious outwardly, but it gives the impression of a sharpened style.

Interior

MF Mansion Kshesinskaya was designed for great effect by its interior decoration. For its design all the best was applied. The furniture was ordered from the largest manufacturer, Meltzer. Accessories, furnishings, lamps, chandeliers, utensils, fabrics - all the smallest detail was ordered in the best Paris salons. Matilda wanted to have the best and in the expenses did not hesitate.

At the request of the hostess, one parade hall was decorated in the style of Louis XVI, the second - the Russian Empire. The walls of the first room were covered with yellow silk, the second - white. For bedrooms she chose the English style with white furniture. The dining room and the salon were decorated in Art Nouveau style. The interior was thought through to the smallest detail. Everything - from the bolt to the chandeliers - the architect Dmitriev selected in accordance with the concept of the room. Therefore, the guests were amazed not only by the luxury, but also by the absolute harmony and integrity of the interiors, which were perfectly emphasized by the proportions and shapes of rooms and windows.

Center of High Life

After the opening of the mansion Kshesinskaya, a photo of which fell into all the newspapers, was a gathering place of the upper world. Matilda was very proud of her work and was ready to conduct almost tours. There were all the celebrities of that time. Yesenin often came with Isadora Duncan, who became very close to the mistress of the mansion. There was Chaliapin. The colleagues of the ballerina came: Karsavina, Nijinsky, Pavlova. Sergei Diaghilev long stayed with Matilda, with whom he was friends.

Kshesinskaya liked to arrange concerts, inviting the best musicians for this. For example, the Italian star Lin Cavalieri. In the house, a frequent guest was Carl Faberge. And, of course, the main guests of Kshesinskaya became representatives of the imperial family. It often hosted receptions, home performances, huge dinners rolled up. Ten years Matilda led a happy, luxurious life in her mansion, but came in 1917. Everything has changed.

The Times of Revolution

At the end of 1916, Matilda began to receive letters with threats, but so far she was not much worried. And in February 1917 she had to face direct revolutionary changes. On February 28, rioters rushed into the mansion, began to smash and rob. Kshesinskaya with her son hastily left the house, taking a chest with valuables. Ten days in the house reigned arbitrariness. And only on March 10 an officer from the mayor's office was able to describe the surviving values, which were later transferred to the bank. Matilda fought for a long time for their return, but did not achieve anything. However, the largest part of things already by that time completely disappeared.

The revolutionary leadership has taken care of the house to house its headquarters here. And the mansion Kshesinskaya in St. Petersburg was decided to "condense". Half a year Matilda tried to defend her right to a house: she filed a lawsuit, turned to Kerensky. Everywhere received reassuring news. But the house was never released by anyone. In July 1917, Kshesinskaya went to her dacha to Kislovodsk. She will never see her mansion any more.

The period of Soviet power

After 1917, Petrosovet was housed in the house, then the Museum of the Revolution. During this period, the street names change. And the questions about where the mansion Kshesinskaya (address) is located, how to get to it, become very relevant. The residents of St. Petersburg will have to get used to the fact that the Bolshaya Dvoryanskaya street is now called the name of Kuibyshev. In the mansion at various times, there were also the Institute of Public Catering, the Society of Old Bolsheviks. And only in the mid-30's it was decided to give it to the museum.

Museum and mansion

In 1938, the museum of Sergei Kirov was opened here. By this time, the situation of the mansion was almost completely lost. Remained only the elements of interior decoration. In 1957, they created the Museum of the Revolution, restore the situation of one of the offices of the leaders of the coup. The mansion of Kshessinskaya, whose working hours are now determined by the museum's regime, are connected to the neighboring building - Barant Brant's private residence. In 1991, the complex is given to the Museum of Political History of Russia, part of the exposition is dedicated to the times of Matilda Kshesinskaya.

The life of the mansion today

Mansion Kshesinskaya in St. Petersburg today appears in two ways: it continues to work as a museum of history, but many visitors come here to see with their own eyes the remains of luxurious interiors. There are few of the furnishings left, but the halls themselves remain almost in their original form. The mansion of Kshessinska, whose address has now become a venue for literary and musical evenings, allows us to see the brilliant, stylish idea of architects and the magnificent execution of this idea. The preserved grand staircase, halls, chandeliers give an idea of the scale of the project. The mansion of Kshesinskaya (St. Petersburg) has the following working hours: from 10 to 18. Today it attracts many guests and residents of the Northern capital, as a stylish object and place where the life of an unusual woman took place.

Legends of the mansion

The mansion Kshesinskaya in St. Petersburg has always been shrouded in various rumors and legends. Even at the time of construction people were saying: the money for such a luxurious building was given by the Emperor Nicholas II himself. It was on his orders that an underground passage was laid between the house and the Winter Palace. This rumor was so steady that even today some visitors of the mansion want to see it with their own eyes.

Also, the mansion of Matilda Kshessinskaya, whose history and luxury amazed the imagination of the proletariat, throughout the post-revolutionary fate was accompanied by rumors about the treasure. Since the capture of the building was not officially found so many jewelry and luxury items, the people have a legend that Matilda packed all the valuables in a chest and hid it. To find him so far no one has succeeded. Another urban hearing is associated with a vision of a female figure in the windows of the mansion. Residents of the Petrograd side say that at night there is a ghost of a ballerina who can not part with her favorite home.

Interesting Facts

Mansion Kshesinskaya in St. Petersburg - this place is historical. Here in 1917 from a balcony spoke speeches Vladimir Lenin. Since 1938 it was used as a museum first by S. Kirov, then - by the Revolution and, finally, by the political history of Russia. The huge wardrobe of the ballerina, who was in the mansion, was confiscated after the revolution. For many years, Alexander Kollontai, a Russian revolutionary and diplomat, could be seen in Matilda's dresses.