History of the building

In 1857, on Znamenskaya Street (now Uprising), retired lieutenant Ivan Konstantinovich Myasnikov bought a plot and began to build a mansion for his family. Coming from a family of Rostov merchants who traded meat, wine and gold mines, Myasnikov was not short of money For the construction, he hired the famous architect Alexander Gemilian, and Gemilian's nephew, the artist Viktor Hartman, worked on the interior and exterior.

Photo: provided by the organizer

The construction was completed in 1859. The Myasnikov family owned the mansion until November 1885, when it was sold to the industrialist Konstantin Vargunin. In 1907, Vargunin presented the mansion to his daughter Olga, who married the prominent lawyer Nikolai Platonovich Karabchevsky. Since then, the mansion on Znamenskaya has become known as the "house of Karabchevsky".

Under the Karabchevskys, the mansion turned into one of the largest cultural centers of St. Petersburg : Nikolai Platonovich hosted prominent people of that time, including artists. Fyodor Chaliapin, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Leonid Sobinov (a close friend of Karabchevsky) performed here. Once a year, artists gave a concert in favor of some charitable institution, and people were ready to pay big money for tickets, because here in one evening you could see almost the entire color of art, and the programs were light and even playful.

Photo: provided by the organizer

After the October Revolution, Karabchevsky emigrated to Europe, and the mansion was nationalized. Until 2006, it was a hospital. From 2003 to 2008, the building was under restoration, which in 2009 the Committee for State Use, Preservation and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of St. Petersburg (KGIOP SPb) recognized as the best in the city.

Currently, the mansion belongs to businessmen Dmitry and Polina Zaretsky, who decided to return to historical traditions and revive the house as a cultural center.

Photo: provided by the organizerDmitry Zaretsky:

“I love classical music very much, and therefore I decided that it would be played here. We provide a platform for young musicians, help to reveal their talent. For the audience, this can become an entry point into the world of high music - our concerts are short, and educational lectures are also held. We show that classical art can be of interest to everyone. Karabchevsky had already laid a solid foundation, we only had to remember him and revive these traditions. Here you can spend a cultural evening, plunge into the atmosphere of pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg, chat with musicians, ballet dancers and lecturers. Our events are unique - we rarely take ready-made programs. The most important thing that we give our guests is new knowledge and a cozy atmosphere. An evening in stunning palace interiors filled with incredible music.” Arrangement of the mansion Photo: provided by the organizer

The mansion has two floors, a garden and a yard with a modern design of almost 980 m². On the second floor there is a winter garden, a lecture hall, a library, a music room, a buffet and a concert hall for 120 people.

The concert hall is a solemn, airy space with white walls, gilded moldings and ornaments. Musicians and ballet dancers perform here, as well as creative evenings and social events. Lectures, art brunches, master classes are also held in the mansion.

Photo: provided by the organizer

Many details of the original interior of the mid-19th century have been preserved in the mansion. These are stucco molding of the ceiling and walls, floors with artistic images, marble steps, doors, on the stairs - a plafond by the painter Vasily Schreiber, a bronze chandelier, fragments of the walls and ceiling of the Pompeian room by Viktor Hartmann, marble fireplaces.

Guests of the mansion are waiting for an immersion in history and the opportunity to feel at a reception in one of the most famous St. Petersburg houses of the early 20th century.