Address: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod region, Nizhny Novgorod, Bolshaya Pokrovskaya street, 26
Start of construction: 1911 year
Completion of construction: 1913 year
Architect: Pokrovsky V.A.
Coordinates: 56 ° 19'12.9 "N 43 ° 59'56.1" E
Content:
An amazing neo-Russian-style building has been decorating the center of Nizhny Novgorod for over a century. It resembles both a fabulous medieval castle and an old Russian princely tower. External harmony and originality of the concept made this building a national monument. But it became famous not only thanks to the talented architect. Inside the building there are magnificent interiors, decorated with artistic paintings, majolica, carved wood and skillful forging.
View of the bank building from Bolshaya Pokrovskaya street
Construction history
At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, interest in national architecture was revived in European countries. Russia was no exception. During this period, many buildings appeared in the country that embodied the best traditions of ancient Russian architecture and folk art. This direction in architecture received wide government support. The reason lay in the fact that the neo-Russian style symbolized the idea of the continuity of Byzantium and Russia and thereby emphasized the greatness of the Russian Empire.
The building of the State Bank appeared in the city in 1913. This was the time when the citizens of the Russian state celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Romanov royal dynasty. And lavish celebrations took place everywhere.
The city authorities had made the decision to erect a new building for the State Bank three years earlier. The Russian government was well aware of the inevitability of a world war. And therefore, in Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Kazan, practically at the same time, they began to build new branches of the State Bank. It was planned to store the main values exported from the western border regions here. As the further course of history showed, such foresight fully justified itself.
View of the main facade of the building with turrets and a porch
In Nizhny Novgorod, a competition was held among architects, in which the project of the famous urban planner and restorer Vladimir Alexandrovich Pokrovsky won. It was not an easy test, since Pokrovsky's rivals were such eminent architects as Alexei Viktorovich Shchusev and Alexander Ivanovich von Gauguin. Pokrovsky traveled a lot to Russian cities and villages, photographed and measured ancient buildings, and was considered a great connoisseur of ancient Russian architecture. By the beginning of the construction of the State Bank building in Nizhny Novgorod, he was an academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts and received government awards for successfully implemented projects.
The building took about two years to build - from 1911 to 1913. The construction was supervised by the then bank manager Nikolai Pavlovich Polyansky. Funding for all work was done from the state treasury, without attracting funds from benefactors. And the large-scale construction cost 1 million rubles.
Three coats of arms on the facade of the building - from bottom to top: Nizhny Novgorod deer, coat of arms of Russia, coat of arms of the USSR
The most famous specialists and enterprises that had a good reputation with customers were involved in the construction. The metal structures for the suspended ceiling were manufactured at the Sormovo plant. Inlaid parquet for the floor was made at the well-known Moscow furniture factory "Muir and Meriliz". Majolica - at the art and ceramic production "Goldwein-Vaulin". And the facing of the outer walls with stone was entrusted to the artist-architect from St. Petersburg Yakov Ivanovich Filotey.
On May 14, 1913, the new building was consecrated, and three days later it was opened. It was a very solemn event that brought together thousands of townspeople. The ceremony was attended by the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and members of the august family, who stopped in Nizhny Novgorod while traveling along the Volga. By the end of construction, a special commemorative sign was even issued. On it, against the background of a gilded double-headed eagle - the coat of arms of the Russian Empire, there was an image of a new building made of colored enamel.
Coat of arms of Russia on the facade of the building
Thanks to colorful paintings, as well as luxurious decor of multicolored majolica, carved wood and forged copper, the building quickly became known not only in Russia, but also abroad. In 1917, the October Revolution took place. During the years of the Civil War that followed, the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the State Bank held more than half of the entire Russian gold reserve.
Architectural features of the building and its interiors
The building is completely original and has no analogues either in European or Russian architecture. It is believed that the prototypes of its individual elements were the Metropolitan Court in Rostov the Great, the Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin, and the architectural traditions of ancient Novgorod and Pskov. The architectural complex includes the bank itself, a residential building intended for employees, a vault and a clock bell. Initially, all buildings were surrounded by a forged fence.
Like the old Russian chambers, the building has a richly decorated porch. The protruding towers are completed by a hipped roof. A small two-story tower of the clock-bell stands next to the bank - on the right side, when viewed from the side of the facade.
Porch in front of the entrance to the bank
The interiors are not much inferior to the luxurious appearance and amaze with the richness and quality of finishes. In the hall you can see the coats of arms of the cities along the Volga, which annually took part in the Nizhny Novgorod fair. Above them are images of the Earth and the Sun, the changing seasons, as well as the signs of the Zodiac.
An unusual mirror is fixed in the small hall. It is believed that the person standing in front of him looks more beautiful than he really is. The decoration of this hall is dedicated to the metals from which money was traditionally minted - gold, silver, platinum and copper. Inside the small hall there is now a small exposition that tells about the history of the State Bank in Nizhny Novgorod.
There is a separate museum of the bank's history on the ground floor. Here you can see portraits of its managers, samples of coins and paper notes, the first calculating machines, abacus, rare photographs and documents.
By the entrance to the bank
A picturesque fireplace decorated with multicolored tiles has been preserved in the reception room of the bank director since the opening. The ceiling and vaults are also painted with frescoes. The murals and majolica fencing adorn the wide flights of stairs.
But a particularly strong impression is made by the high vault of the main operating room, stylized as old Russian chambers. Artistic paintings on the ceiling and walls were made by Russian painters - brothers Nikolai and Georgy Pashkov. The frescoes are based on sketches by the famous artist Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin. In addition, the spacious operating room is decorated with several large, elegant chandeliers.
Before the centenary in 2013, the old building was thoroughly renovated. The walls, which had darkened with time, were cleaned with sandblasting installations, which is why they lightened significantly.
Chime
Now the regional branch of the Central Bank of Russia is located inside the historical monument. One day a year, everyone can get inside and see the beautifully preserved interiors. This usually happens on the All-Russian Museum Day - May 17. For sightseers, the building is opened for 2 hours and allowed after the presentation of a passport. The bank museum can be accessed at any time as part of an excursion group upon prior request.
How to get there
The original historical monument is located in the city center, at 26, at the corner of Gruzinskaya and Bolshaya Pokrovskaya streets. To get there by public transport, you need to take trams to the stop "Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Ulitsa", and then walk about 200 meters. You can walk from the Gorkovskaya metro station along Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street to the building in 10-15 minutes (0.97 km).
