History of Embassy’s building

Building № 24 in ulitsa Schepkina is situated in the historical part of the north of Moscow and associated with famous figures of the Russian culture. The street was named after Russian great actor Mikhail Semenovich Schepkin, who lived there with his family in 1850-60’s in building № 47. Before being renamed in 1920’s, the name of the street was the 3rd Meschanskaya, which referred to the name of Meschanskaya quarter situated there in XVII century.

According to the Moscow Cultural Heritage Committee, mansion № 24 in ulitsa Schepkina does not have the status of historical or cultural monument. At the same time, according to the scientific and research literature, at the beginning of XIX century, the land where it was build was part of the property of merchants Bolotnov. There was a manufacture at that time. By the end of XIX century, the factory was closed, and successors of the Bolotnov divided the property in two parts. The bigger one was sold and a large-scale guest house № 22 was build there upon the project of architect G.A. Gelrikh, while the building currently occupied by the Embassy was build on the remaining part upon the project of architect S.M. Goncharov.

Sergey Mikhailovich Goncharov (1862-1935) belonged to the family of Natalia Nikolaevna Goncharova, spouse of Russian great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. He graduated from the Moscow School of Arts, Sculpture and Architecture and was the author of several guest houses in Moscow in the Art Nouveau and eclectic style, as well as the Trinity cathedral in Schelkovo.

The Bolotnov two-storey mansion was built in the eclectic style that was fashionable and popular among emerging Russian bourgeoisie in the second half of XIX century. It is characterized with a presentable and richly-decorated external appearance. The brightest décor features are the frieze with many-figured bas-relief and cast-iron entrance gate.