8, Pomerantsev lane

8, Pomerantsev Lane This mansion is a rare example of a Soviet-era building seamlessly integrating into the historic architecture of central Moscow. Pomerantsev Lane is a small street connecting Ostozhenka and Prechistenka. The lane was originally called Troitsky after the nearby Church of the Trinity in Zubovo, but was renamed in 1922 in honor of Alexei Pomerantsev, a participant in the October battles of 1917. Today, the neighborhood's development, as it was a hundred years ago, is characterized by surviving ensembles of large estates with mansions, as well as apartment buildings and gardens. The estate currently numbered 8 traces its history back to the early 19th century. In the 1810s and 1820s, a small estate was built on this site using a traditional layout for the time: the main house with mezzanines faced the lane, with a two-story stone residential building located behind it. A wooden gallery located near the main house on the side facade and two stairwells on the courtyard side indicated that the estate was used for commercial purposes. The architectural design of the residential building's facade was typical of ordinary buildings in the Empire style. For example, its design utilized one of the variants from the "Collection of Facades, Highly Approved by His Imperial Majesty for Private Buildings in Cities of the Russian Empire," and the main facade's decor was minimalist: the rusticated surface of the lower floor and the smoothly plastered wall of the upper floor were divided into five window axes. In the early 1880s, the renowned physician Vladimir Shervinsky, the founder of Russian endocrinology and a close friend of Anna Akhmatova, who often visited at number 8, took up residence in the mansion. After the revolution, in recognition of Shervinsky's outstanding achievements, the new government assigned the mansion to the doctor's family, where he lived for a long time. In 1891, architect I.P. Zalessky developed a plan for a new development. One- and two-story residential and utility buildings were planned along the northern and eastern boundaries of the property. However, the plan was only partially realized: the dilapidated buildings were demolished, and a small garden was created at the back of the courtyard. After the 1917 Revolution, the property was used for various commercial purposes, and in the early 1960s, a decision was made to construct a new building for a foreign trade mission on the site of the previous dilapidated buildings. By 1963, a three-story stone mansion designed by architect I.A. Gunst was erected on Pomerantsev Lane. The architectural design was minimalist, and the façades, clad in white clay brick, were unadorned, with the exception of the central section, where a striking semicircular window is framed by two flat pilasters. Overall, the "new" building fits in well with the general line of mansions and apartment buildings of the pre-revolutionary era. The ground floor housed the vestibule, cloakroom, office, and reception area of the trade adviser; the second floor housed offices and an exhibition hall, and the third was intended for residences for the representative office staff. At the beginning of the 21st century, the building underwent a major renovation. To accommodate its new functions, the layout of all floors was completely redesigned.