ECLECTIC ARCHITECTURE OF IVAN KONDRATENKO: The I. M. Korovin Apartment House
The I. M. Korovin Apartment House
The I. M. Korovin Apartment House (19 Petrovka Street) is a complex of eight buildings constructed between 1897 and 1899 based on the design of architect Ivan Gavrilovich Kondratenko. The project was commissioned by the merchant Ivan Mikhailovich Korovin.
History
The site on Petrovka Street has a long history. In the 1730s and 1740s, it was the estate of Senator V. Novosiltsov, which was later sold to A. Nekrasov (the great-grandfather of the poet N. Nekrasov). The stone estate house, built in 1793, forms the core of the current apartment house.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the property passed to the merchant M. Korovin. Between 1897 and 1899, architect I. Kondratenko erected a new apartment house in an eclectic style, richly adorned with stucco molding. The ground floor was occupied by shops (such as the “Einem” confectionery and the “Andreev & Sons” barbershop).
Architecture
The building’s façade is richly decorated. Bay windows are situated above the two main entrances. The central section is crowned by a relief cartouche featuring a niche and a light fixture. Three domed structures above the dormer windows accentuate the building’s symmetrical silhouette.
Notable Figures
• Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. From 1903 to 1904, the writer lived and worked in Apartment 35 on the third floor of Building 5 (located in the inner courtyard). It was here that he first read the play *The Cherry Orchard* to guests.
• Other notable residents. At various times, the architect V. Zalessky lived in the building, and Sergei Yesenin stayed there briefly in 1919.
Current status
Today, the building still houses shops, offices, and residential apartments. Shops still occupy the ground floor, and some retain their original historic decor. The building is designated as an identified cultural heritage site.
