City Estate of Ya.A. Polyakov

Bolshoy Nikolopeskovsky Lane is located in the western part of the historical Zemlyanoy Gorod area. Like all the surrounding objects, it got its name from the Church of St. Nicholas on Sand (destroyed). Up to the 18th century, it used to be an abode for merchants, palace servants and the Army. In the 19th century, the social composition of its residents started to change: nobility moved in, building estates on old properties. They were, in turn, replaced by merchant mansions.

Today, Bolshoy Nikolopeskovsky Lane features both low-rise buildings and tall revenue houses. For walking tours around Arbat's alleyways, one of the constant attraction points has always been the mansion (modern number 9) that combined the historical Neo-Greek style with Art Nouveau composition.

The first mentions of that property date back to the mid-18th century when it was owned by the St. Nicholas Church deacon, Stepan Nikitin.

In 1806, it was bought by Aleksandra Aleeva, wife of a Titular Councilor. The integrated estate ensemble took shape in the next three decades. The main house, a single-story, Empire style building, was located at the edge of the courtyard and the park. Its main façade with a rectangular three-part window faced the street.

In 1897, the mansion was bought by process engineer Yakov Aleksandrovich Polyakov, a hereditary honorary citizen, an offspring of a wealthy merchant family that owned a large textile production (the Znamenskaya Manufactory Partnership). He ordered the old buildings demolished, and started construction of a two-story Neo-Greek mansion with a residential semi-basement. One of the most talented late 19th – early 20th century architects, Illarion Ivanov-Shitz, designed the project. A mere year later, the construction was complete. The mansion got a main entrance in the form of a portal completed with a pediment. The frieze of the portico is decorated with a meander and dentils, and the window apertures with abutments, an artistic entablature and pediments. The abutments on the windows of the main facade along the alley are decorated with caryatids. The façades are crowned with an egg-and-dart cornice. Another striking detail is the porch area covered with Mettlach tiles. The Art Nouveau-inspired metal lace of the fence complements the design. The pattern of the fence and gate combines C-shaped curls and tulip-like elements.

The Polyakovs’ relative, poet Konstantin Balmont, was a frequent guest in the house. Another famous Symbolist poet, Valery Bryusov, also had a habit of visiting the Polyakovs. Enamored with the Silver Age poetry, Yakov’s brother Sergey founded the Skorpion Publishing House, and financed publication of the Vesy Magazine, the main pulpit of the Symbolist movement.

For the next decade, the whole ensemble remained unchanged. In 1917, the building was handed over to K. Liebknecht Moscow Institute of pedagogics; it has been used to service the
diplomatic corps since 1947.