The apartment buildings of St. Petersburg represent a unique world with unparalleled fates and captivating stories. They were built for renting out apartments, so both ordinary officials and representatives of the creative intelligentsia could live here.

Due to the large number of writers, publishers, and editors, the merchant Lopatin's house at 68 Nevsky Prospect received the unofficial name of the Literary House. Within its walls, great works were created that are now considered classics. The fates of writers such as Nekrasov, Dostoevsky, and Turgenev were decided here. Over time, this apartment building became an important part of the cultural life of Petersburg; despite its tragic fate, it remained connected to the outstanding talents of Russia at that time.

Apartment Building on Nevsky Prospect

Since 1711, the plot in the Fontanka area belonged to Peter I's daughter, Anna, but its construction did not begin immediately. Nevsky Prospect was just starting to take shape, and the bridge over the Fontanka existed only on paper.

In the second half of the 18th century, new owners began construction. Merchant Dekhterev built two four-story houses with facades facing Nevsky. In the early 19th century, the plot and buildings passed to merchant Lopatin, who actively engaged in construction. By 1840, his house became one of the largest in the city. A new four-story wing facing the Fontanka was added to the existing buildings, the project of which was entrusted to the experienced architect Vasily Morgan. This wing has survived to this day.

Famous Inhabitants

After the completion of construction in 1840, Lopatin's house on Nevsky Prospect became a residence for the creative intelligentsia. Here lived the publisher of the magazine "Sovremennik" Ivan Panayev with his wife, editor Ivan Kraevsky, and actress Varvara Asenkova.

The move of critic Vissarion Belinsky to Nevsky Prospect was an important event for the Literary House. He lived here for four years, having moved from Moscow to work at the magazine "Otechestvennye Zapiski." Belinsky was visited by both famous writers and emerging authors. Dostoevsky, Goncharov, Kavelin, Herzen, and others frequented Lopatin's house. A creative circle formed here, which existed until the spring of 1846.

Literary Life in Lopatin's Apartment House

The Literary House was not only a meeting place but also a workspace for Belinsky, who wrote a series of articles about Pushkin here. Ivan Turgenev brought his first work, the poem "Parasha," and received positive feedback in "Otechestvennye Zapiski."

Fyodor Dostoevsky also found support from Belinsky, who highly praised his novel "Poor Folk." However, after a conflict with Turgenev, Dostoevsky broke away from the circle.

Turgenev lived in the Literary House for about six months, working on "Notes of a Hunter." Here, the fate of Nikolai Nekrasov was also decided, whose poetry Belinsky highly valued, although he criticized his prose.

After Belinsky's departure in 1846, the circle disbanded, but creative life in the house continued. In the 1850s, Fyodor Tyutchev lived here. In 1905, a publishing house for the newspaper "Novaya Zhizn" opened in the building, and a futurist exhibition took place.

A New Life for the Building After the Revolution

After 1918, the Literary House was occupied by the executive committee. During the blockade, the building was damaged by shelling. Restoration began in 1947 under the guidance of architect Zhuravlev. In 1974, the wing on the Fontanka was granted historical monument status, and in 1999, the facade on Nevsky was also included as a protected object.

The Demise and Resurrection of the Literary House

In the 2010s, the Literary House was declared emergency and demolished despite protests from activists. The restored facade replicates the mid-20th-century design but with an added floor. Today, the building has become a business center, and only commemorative plaques remind of its past.