Literaturnoye Kafe (), or Literary Cafe, is a historically significant restaurant on

Nevsky Prospect Nevsky Prospect ( rus, Не́вский проспе́кт, r=Nevsky Prospekt, p=ˈnʲɛfskʲɪj prɐˈspʲɛkt) is the main street (high street) in the federal city of St. Petersburg in Russia. It takes its name from the Alexander Nevsky La ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia, that was frequented by famous writers of Russian literature, including

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

and

Fyodor Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

, and their friends in the nineteenth century.

History

In 1812–14, the mid-18th-century building at 18

Nevsky Avenue Nevsky Prospect ( rus, Не́вский проспе́кт, r=Nevsky Prospekt, p=ˈnʲɛfskʲɪj prɐˈspʲɛkt) is the main street (high street) in the federal city of St. Petersburg in Russia. It takes its name from the Alexander Nevsky La ...

, the capital city of Russia at that time, was renovated by K. B. Kotomin as an apartment for merchants (

Kotomin House Kotomin House (russian: Дом Котомина) is a historical landmark building located at Nevsky Prospekt 18 (between Bolshaya Morskaya Street and Moika River embankment) in Saint Petersburg, Russia. History The first building at the moder ...

). In this building S. Wolff & T. Beranget opened their confectionery, which was considered the best in St. Petersburg. In 1834, a Chinese café (''Café chinois'') was added. The confectionery soon became a place where writers of Russian literature, such as

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 ...

Taras Shevchenko Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko ( uk, Тарас Григорович Шевченко , pronounced without the middle name; – ), also known as Kobzar Taras, or simply Kobzar (a kobzar is a bard in Ukrainian culture), was a Ukrainian poet, wr ...

, and

, gathered.Bogdanov, I. A
Wolff et Beranget Confectionery
''Saint Petersburg Encyclopedia''. Retrieved 14 November 2017. In 1837, Pushkin, on the way to his fatal duel with George D'Antès, met his second,

Konstantin Danzas Konstantin Karlovich Danzas (russian: Константи́н Ка́рлович Данза́с) (1801 – February 3, 1870) was a Russian Major General, a friend of Alexander Pushkin, and his second in a duel with d'Anthès. Danzas was born to ...

, there. In 1840, Dostoyevsky was introduced to Mikhail Petrashevsky, the

Utopian socialist Utopian socialism is the term often used to describe the first current of modern socialism and socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, Étienne Cabet, and Robert Owen. Utopian socialism is often de ...

, there. In 1877, after the closure of the confectionery, a high-class restaurant was opened, where musicians such as

Pyotr Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

and

Feodor Chaliapin Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( rus, Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин, Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin, ˈfʲɵdər ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐˈlʲapʲɪn}; April 12, 1938) was a Russian opera singer. Possessing a deep and expressive bass v ...

frequently visited. Tchaikovsky is said to have ordered there a cup of water that turned out to be infected with cholera, from which he died. In 1858–2001, the basement of the building was converted into a used bookshop, which became relatively well known. In 1978–81, the building was entirely renovated, and, in 1983, the restaurant reopened under the name of the Literaturnoye Kafe, or Literary Cafe.

At present

Literaturnoye Kafe occupies two floors of the building, with many pictures of Russian writers hanging on its walls. The traditional drink of Russia is not coffee, but

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

. Tea in a

samovar A samovar (russian: самовар, , literally "self-brewer") is a metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water. Although originating in Russia, the samovar is well known outside of Russia and has spread through Russian culture t ...

can also be served.

References

External links

Official site
{{coord, 59.93646, 30.31912, format=dms, type:landmark_region:RU, display=title Buildings and structures in Saint Petersburg History of Saint Petersburg Tourist attractions in Saint Petersburg Russian literature Restaurants in Russia

History

At present

See also

References

External links