Information about the building

The service building, which is a small one-story structure with a basement and an arched passage on the southern side, is located along the eastern boundary of the historical territory of the Znamensky Monastery.

The building acquired its modern appearance after the reconstruction of a stone barn from 1806-1820, carried out by architect F.F. Richter in connection with the establishment of the museum "House of the Boyars Romanov" in the 1850s.

During the reconstruction, the building was adapted for residential needs and decorated with facades styled after ancient Russian architecture: a massive porch on the northern side, the passage framed by flat pilasters on the sides and a decorative finish above it, framed window casings, and, most importantly, a polychrome painting of the walls in the fresco technique, creating the effect of a relief surface known as "diamond rustication." This treatment visually connects the service building with the complex of ancient structures of the Znamensky Monastery.

The interiors have preserved the volumetric-planning structure of the mid-19th century.

Restoration

In 2017-2018, a comprehensive scientific restoration was carried out aimed at preserving the architectural and artistic appearance of the building: complete replacement of the roofing, repair of the brick walls of the facades with cleaning and restoration of losses, plastering and painting of the facades in accordance with the existing rustication style of the main house, repair of the white stone plinth, metal gates and grilles, and restoration of the sculptural composition depicting a griffin and the Romanov coat of arms in the tympanum of the entrance arch.

During the restoration, the original elements of the monument were preserved as much as possible, and the lost elements were recreated based on existing ones, using ancient technologies.

In 2018, the service building of the Znamensky Monastery was awarded in the Moscow Government's "Moscow Restoration" competition in the categories of "best organization of repair and restoration work" and "best restoration and adaptation project."