Embassy of France in Moscow
Encyclopedia
Igumnov House is a historic house in Moscow and is today the residence of the French Ambassador to Russia
. The house is located at 43 Bolshaya Yakimanka Street in the Yakimanka District
of Moscow.
, already had five years of practice as the town architect of Yaroslavl
, where Igumnov had substantial investments in textile mills. Halfway through the project, in 1888, architect and the client agreed to discard the existing structure altogether and redesign the building from scratch; its dimensions, as built, increased to 45×33 meters. After 13 years of slow progress the building attracted public attention and became a target of numerous art critics, detesting its pseudo-Russian luxury; whether for this reason or due to sheer greed, Igumnov refused to compensate cost overruns to Pozdeyev; ruined architect committed suicide in October 1893.
After the October Revolution
the nationalised building was taken over by a communal club, then by medical institutions; the Embassy of France has occupied it continuously since 1938. A larger, modernist Embassy structure (No. 45) was built on an adjacent block in 1979; since that year, Igumnov House became an official residence of the ambassador. In August 2007 the management of GlavUpDK
, the state organization in charge of embassy buildings, announced a forthcoming restoration of the building, estimated to cost 10 million US dollars. Igumnov House is open to visitors once a year, on the International Museum Day
.
Ambassador of France to Russia
- XVIII century :*1702-1713 Jean-Casimir Baluze*1713 Lavie *1721 de Campredon*1727-1733 Magnan*1734 Édouard Salomon Fonton de l'Etang-la-Ville*1739-1743 Jacques-Joachim Trotti, marquis de La Chétardie*1743-1747 de Saint-Sauveur...
. The house is located at 43 Bolshaya Yakimanka Street in the Yakimanka District
Yakimanka District
Yakimanka District is a district of Central Administrative Okrug of Moscow, Russia. Population: It is named after the former church of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne...
of Moscow.
The building
The oldest building occupied by the French embassy, facing Yakimanka Street (No. 43) - Igumnov House - was built in 18831893 to the design by Nikolay Pozdeyev (1855-1893), and cost the architect his life. Igumnov family acquired the lot in 1851; in 1880 Nikolay Igumnov hired Nikolay Pozdeyev to rebuild the old two-story empire style mansion into a larger residence. Pozdeyev, a graduate of Imperial Academy of ArtsImperial Academy of Arts
The Russian Academy of Arts, informally known as the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, was founded in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov under the name Academy of the Three Noblest Arts. Catherine the Great renamed it the Imperial Academy of Arts and commissioned a new building, completed 25 years later in 1789...
, already had five years of practice as the town architect of Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historical part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities...
, where Igumnov had substantial investments in textile mills. Halfway through the project, in 1888, architect and the client agreed to discard the existing structure altogether and redesign the building from scratch; its dimensions, as built, increased to 45×33 meters. After 13 years of slow progress the building attracted public attention and became a target of numerous art critics, detesting its pseudo-Russian luxury; whether for this reason or due to sheer greed, Igumnov refused to compensate cost overruns to Pozdeyev; ruined architect committed suicide in October 1893.
After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
the nationalised building was taken over by a communal club, then by medical institutions; the Embassy of France has occupied it continuously since 1938. A larger, modernist Embassy structure (No. 45) was built on an adjacent block in 1979; since that year, Igumnov House became an official residence of the ambassador. In August 2007 the management of GlavUpDK
GlavUpDK
GlavUpDK is an entity under the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The name translates to "Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps." The current director general is Ivan Ivanovich Sergeyev....
, the state organization in charge of embassy buildings, announced a forthcoming restoration of the building, estimated to cost 10 million US dollars. Igumnov House is open to visitors once a year, on the International Museum Day
International Museum Day
The International Museum Day is a celebration that is held each year on or about 18 May. Each year, the Advisory Committee of the International Council of Museums defines a specific theme for International Museum Day.-Themes:...
.