Opening date and history of appearance

The word "chambers," borrowed from the Italian palazzo, is used to denote ancient houses in Russia built of brick and stone in Russian cities and monasteries from the late 15th to the early 18th century. These buildings are often referred to as palaces, as they represent an example of new palace architecture that replaced traditional chamber construction.

The Troekurov Chambers are based on a 16th-century structure depicted on the 1626 plan of Moscow. Researchers believe that three vaulted chambers on the first floor of the southern part of the house have survived from it. It is assumed that the house belonged to the princely family of Troekurovs, who likely made significant renovations in the mid-17th century, turning it into one of the tallest civil buildings in Moscow during Peter's time.

Historical sources indicate that Boyar Troekurov (1633-1703) was an ambitious and influential figure belonging to the Rurik dynasty. His ancestor is considered to be Prince Mikhail Lvovich, known as Troekur.

Description

The house is a rare example of the transition from traditional boyar chambers to a new type of palace buildings. The composition "glagolem" and decorative elements of the facade, such as paired columns, correspond to the internal layout of the premises, characteristic of ancient Russian residential architecture. The division of the facade into equal segments and the enfilade arrangement of the ceremonial floors testify to new architectural trends.

On the first and second floors, the facades are adorned with profiled inter-floor ties and keel-shaped lintels made of hewn brick, as well as small arched openings typical of the mid-17th century. On the third floor, the windows are larger and have rectangular outlines. The white stone lintels are executed in the style of Moscow Baroque and are characteristic of the late 17th century. White stone was used only on the southern and western facades, while the windows of the northern facade, which faced the utility yard, had no lintels.

By the end of the 18th century, the Troekurov Chambers, located in the area of Okhotny Ryad, found themselves in a bustling commercial quarter. The building became a profitable house and was used by the Moscow Merchant Society as the "London" hotel in the 19th century.

In the late 1920s, Okhotny Ryad became the site of yet another construction of the century: initially, it was planned to build the Palace of Soviets here, then the State Bank. In 1928, the Church of Paraskeva Friday was demolished, followed by the destruction of the Golitsyn Chambers. The miraculously preserved Troekurov Chambers became an ordinary residential building. In 1956, 268 people from 89 families lived here.

Reconstruction and restoration

In 1680, the house was damaged by fire, and the wooden upper tier burned down. By 1691, the chambers were restored and a ceremonial stone floor was added, marking the beginning of their documented history. There is a record of how Boyar Ivan Borisovich Troekurov, head of the Streltsy order and husband of the sister of Tsarina Evdokiya Lopukhina, received 40 sable furs from the sovereign in honor of the housewarming.

In 1812, the building was again damaged by fire. During the repairs, the chambers lost their facade decor, were plastered, and took on the appearance of an Empire-style house. The interiors underwent re-planning. Throughout the late 18th and 19th centuries, the original interior finishes were lost.

A complete restoration was carried out in the late 1950s and early 60s under the guidance of architect Galina Alferova. She discovered white stone paving along the perimeter of the outer walls in the attic, indicating the existence of an open gallery. The rich brick decor of the facades and interiors, vaults, window and door openings, lintels, and the original layout of the premises were restored. After the work was completed, the building housed the M.I. Glinka Museum of Musical Culture.

Restoration continued in the 1980s under the order of the State Planning Committee of the USSR but was halted after its liquidation. Since then, the building has been virtually unused and remained in an emergency state.

In 2018-2019, repair and restoration work was carried out. The object became a laureate of the "Moscow Restoration-2020" competition in the nomination for "high quality of repair and restoration work."