- Italyanskaya ul., 6/4
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59.936348, 30.334574 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Gates leading up to the Matryoshka Museum. Plaque over the intercom next to the gates
- The longest word starting with “M”
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MATRYOSHKA
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Historical background
The building in Italianskaya Ulitsa was built in 1832 for manufacturer named Zhukov against the design of Andrey Bolotov. The façades were designed by Carlo Rossi. Since 1844, it belonged to the philanthropist brothers Mikhail and Matvey Vielgorsky. Both brothers were fond of music: Matvey Yuryevich was an chief master of the court and a skilful cellist, while Mikhail Yuryevich, an active State Councillor, played viola and violin, composed music and was considered a ‘brilliant amateur’.
Mikhail Yuryevich was in charge of cultural and musical life of the city and even raised funds to organise receptions for celebrities from the music world. Mikhail Vielgorsky popularised symphonic music and was one of the originators of the Concert Society, the Philharmonic Society and wind orchestras. Composer Hector Berlioz called the Salon of the Vielgorsky brothers ‘the minor Ministry of Fine Arts’.
In the 1940s, the building of the ‘minor ministry’, designed by architect Kedrinsky, was rebuilt and merged with an adjacent house with a common façade. Later the building was occupied by a kindergarten, and in 1993 part of the premises of the Vielgorskys’ house were inherited by the Russian Grammar School (Gymnasium) of the State Russian Museum.
/Кarl Bryullov. ‘Portrait of a Musician M. Vielgorsky’, 1828./
Present in routes of categories Lion & Unicorn