History

The St. Olga Children's Hospital was built on Orlovo-Davydovsky Lane in 1886, during the peak of medical science in Moscow. At this time, the Clinical Town of Moscow University appeared on Devichye Pole, constructed under the guidance of K.M. Bykovsky.

K.M. Bykovsky also oversaw the construction of the Olga Children's Hospital. The project was developed with the participation of medical professionals, including K.A. Raykhfus, a pediatrician and founder of the children's hospital in St. Petersburg, P.A. Vulfius, a neurologist and chief physician of the St. Vladimir Children's Hospital in Moscow, as well as N.E. Pokrovsky.

The hospital was founded with funds donated by Count S.V. Orlov-Davydov and was named in honor of Saint Princess Olga, the patroness of the count's mother, Olga Ivanovna Orlova-Davydova (née Baryatinskaya).

The red-brick buildings of the hospital retained mosaics depicting Saint Olga and Saint Panteleimon on their walls.

The hospital occupied a significant area with an entrance from 1st Meshchanskaya Street. Behind the fence was a large meadow where hospital cows grazed. The hospital had three departments: therapeutic, surgical, and outpatient. Children who came for appointments were fed breakfasts. Outpatient patients received free medications. The hospital kitchen baked cookies for afternoon snacks, which were served with milk from the cows.

After the revolution, the first tuberculosis hospital for children was opened here. A beautiful garden was preserved where one could walk. Trees of various species were planted in the garden so that children could study botany.

In 1957, the main entrance to the hospital was built over with a multi-story building facing the new Mira Avenue. At that time, it housed the clinical base of the Central Institute for Advanced Medical Studies, which operated until 1970.

Until 2012, the hospital buildings housed a day hospital for the psycho-neurological dispensary No. 5. Workshops, creative clubs, and psychological support rooms for patients with mental illnesses operated on the hospital grounds.

Restoration

In 2022, specialists began the restoration of the facades of St. Olga Children's Hospital. It is planned to return them to their original appearance, clean them from non-historical layers of paint, and carefully restore the masonry. Damaged bricks will be replaced with new ones that match the original in texture and color. Special attention will be given to the mosaic panels depicting Saint Olga and the healer Panteleimon. The completion of the restoration is planned for 2023.