Alferaki Palace is a museum in

Taganrog Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: History of Taganrog The ...

, Russia, originally the home of the wealthy merchant Nikolay Alferaki. It was built in 1848 by the architect

Andrei Stackenschneider Andrei Ivanovich Stakenschneider (russian: Андрей Иванович Штакеншнейдер) (March 6 regorian 1802 – August 20 regorian 1865), also spelled ''Stackenschneider'' and ''Stuckenschneider'', was a Russian architect. His ecle ...

on ''Frunze Street'' (formerly ''Katolicheskaya''), in downtown

. The building is decorated with a portal featuring four

Corinthian column The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...

s and stucco moulding in the

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style. A suite of rooms was created inside, along with a spacious music hall with a ceiling-painting.

History

The first owners of the palace were Nikos Alferakis, who was born in

and his family.

Mikhail Shchepkin , birth_date = , birth_place = Krasnoe, Kursk Province, Russian Empire , death_date = (aged 64) , death_place = Yalta, Russian Empire , resting_place = , occupation = Actor , language = Russian , nationality = Russian , period ...

stayed in Alferaki Palace in July 1863. In the 1870s, after the Alferaki family went bankrupt, the palace was sold to the Greek merchant Negroponte. Its garden was sold to the merchant community. It re-opened as the ''Commercial Assembly''.

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

(as a student of The Boys Gymnasium) visited concerts given at the commercial club in 1876, and he later mentioned the palace in his stories ''Ionych'', ''Mask'' and ''My life''. From February to April 1918, the mansion became the headquarters of the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Workers' council A workers' council or labor council is a form of political and economic organization in which a workplace or municipality is governed by a council made up of workers or their elected delegates. The workers within each council decide on what thei ...

. Later during occupation in 1918 it housed the German war hospital, and in 1919 –

Anton Ivanovich Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...

's staff. After the establishment of

power in

, the building accommodated various institutions. After 1927 it housed the Museum of Regional Studies (founded in 1898 by

). During the Occupation of Taganrog, the whole collection of Russian art, as well as 339 other art objects were looted by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

occupation authoritiesCводный каталог культурных ценностей российской Федерации, похищенных и утраченных в период второй мировой войны. Том 13. . Alferaki Palace was renovated in 1991–1996 and is now open to public as the Museum of Regional Studies, though it is more commonly known under the name ''Alferaki Palace''. The spacious hall with amazing acoustics is also used by the Municipality for official ceremonies, especially the Mayor of Taganrog's annual ceremony to honor the best school graduates.

Views of the palace

Image:Alferaki Palace19.jpg, ''Commercial Assembly'' in the former Alferaki's mansion, early 20th century Image:taganrog43.jpg, Photo of the late 19th century. Image:Alferaki 2006.jpg, Photo taken in 2006. Image:Alferakigate 2006.jpg, Gates into the Alferaki Palace yard (from Ulitsa Frunze), photo taken in 2006. Image:Alferaki_Palace_2008.jpg, Photo taken in 2008.

Museum's collection

The basis of museum collections is formed with funds related to famous historical or artistic personalities, including authentic personal belongings of the Russian tsars

Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. The son of ...

and

Peter I of Russia Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

, playwright and poet

Nestor Kukolnik Nestor Vasilievich Kukolnik (russian: Не́стор Васи́льевич Ку́кольник) (1809–1868) was a Russian playwright and prose writer of Carpatho-Rusyn origin. Immensely popular during the early part of his career, his works wer ...

, the founder of Russian heraldry

Alexander Lakier Alexander Borisovich Lakier (russian: Лакиер, Александр Борисович) (1825-1870) was a Russian historian of German descent who was interested in heraldry. Alexander Lakier was born in the city of Taganrog in 1825. His fathe ...

, the great actress

Faina Ranevskaya Faina Georgievna Ranevskaya (russian: Фаина Георгиевна Раневская, born Faina Girschevna Feldman, — 19 July 1984), is recognized as one of the greatest Soviet actresses in both tragedy and comedy. She was also famous for ...

, author of children's books

Ivan Vasilenko Ivan Dmitrievich Vasilenko (russian: Ива́н Дми́триевич Василе́нко, uk, Іван Дмитрович Василенко; January 20, 1895 – May 26, 1966), was a Soviet writer of children's books. Early years Ivan Dmit ...

, romantic composer

Achilles Alferaki Achilles Nikolayevich Alferaki ("Achilles" sometimes spelled Akhilles or Ahilles) (July 3, 1846, Kharkov, Russian Empire – December 27, 1919, Saint Petersburg, Soviet Union) was a Russian composer and mayor of Greek descent. His brother was ...

, general

Paul von Rennenkampf Paul Georg Edler von Rennenkampf ( rus, Па́вел Ка́рлович Ренненка́мпф, r=Pavel Karlovich Rennenkampf, p=ˈpavʲɪɫ ̍karɫəvʲɪtɕ ˈrʲennʲenˈkampf; – 1 April 1918) was a Baltic German nobleman, statesman an ...

and many more. File:Alferakis Stateroom.jpg, The stateroom (assembly hall) at the Alferaki Palace with portraits of

governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and mayors of Taganrog of 19th century. Image:Plan of Taganrog 1698.jpg, The project of the Saint Trinity fortress and seaport of Taganrog (established by Austrian engineer Baron Ernst Friedrich von Borgsdorf). Image:Elizabeth Alexeevna (Vigee-Le Brun type) by anonymous (19 c., Alferaki Palace, Taganrog).jpg, Portrait of Yelizaveta Alexeevna (fragment, slightly cropped), born

Louise of Baden Princess Louise of Baden (13/24 January 1779 – 4/16 May 1826) was, later known as Elizabeth Alexeievna ( rus, Елизавета Алексеевна), the Empress of Russia during her marriage with Emperor Alexander I. Princess of Baden Eliz ...

, spouse of

. Image:Alexandre-Remi.jpg, Portrait of Mayor-General

Alexandre Remi Alexander Gavrilovich Remy russian: link=no, Реми, Александр Гаврилович (30.08.1809-27.09.1871) was a Russian mayor-general, brother officer of Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov. Alexander Remy was born in 1809 in the city of ...

, friend of

Mikhail Lermontov Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (; russian: Михаи́л Ю́рьевич Ле́рмонтов, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ˈjurʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲɛrməntəf; – ) was a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucas ...

Image:Ioannis varvakis.jpg, Portrait of

Ioannis Varvakis Ioannis Varvakis ( el, Ιωάννης Βαρβάκης; 1745–1825), also known as Ivan Andreevich Varvatsi (russian: Иван Андреевич Варваци), was a Greek privateer, benefactor, and member of the Filiki Eteria. Origins, early ...

attributed to

Vladimir Borovikovsky Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky (russian: Влади́мир Луки́ч Боровико́вский, ukr, Володи́мир Лýкич Боровикóвський, ; July 24 O.S. (August 4, N.S.) 1757, Mirgorod – April 6 O.S. (April 18, N. ...

Image:Balthasar Campenhausen.jpg, Governor

Balthasar von Campenhausen Baron Balthasar von Campenhausen (russian: Барон Балтазар Балтазарович Кампенгаузен, lit=Baron Baltazar Baltazarovich Kampengauzen) (5 January 1772 – 11 September 1823) was a Baltic German statesman who ...

Image:Ivan Krasnov.jpg, General

Ivan Krasnov Ivan Ivanovich Krasnov russian: Краснов, Иван Иванович (1802–1871) was a Russian general and author. Military career He was born in 1802, grandson to the general Ivan Kuzmich Krasnov (1752–1812), fellow-fighter of Alexande ...

. Image:Rennenkampf Lootings.jpg, Lootings of general

External links

*
Taganrog Arts & Culture Council, Municipal website

References

* Taganrog Encyclopedia (Энциклопедия Таганрога), 2nd edition, Taganrog, 2003 {{Taganrog Palaces in Russia Local museums in Russia Buildings and structures in Taganrog Houses completed in 1848 Baroque Revival architecture Museums established in 1927 Museums in Taganrog Historic house museums in Russia Cultural heritage monuments in Taganrog Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Rostov Oblast

History

Views of the palace

Museum's collection

See also

External links

References