The Solodovnikov Passage, also known as the Solodovnikovsky Passage, was a large shopping complex in Moscow, built in 1862 according to the design of architect N. V. Nikitin on the order of merchant G. G. Solodovnikov. Its facade, facing Kuznetsky Most, occupied the entire block between Petrovka and Neglinnaya streets. The building was destroyed in 1941.
On the site where the passage was later built, there was the Church of the Resurrection of the Word with a cemetery since 1564, which burned down in the fire of 1812 and was dismantled in 1816. Gardens and houses surrounded the church. In 1821, the territory passed to diplomat D. P. Tatishchev, who built a large three-story apartment building with a portico of twelve Ionic columns and two-story wings. In the early 1860s, the neighboring building was acquired by merchant G. G. Solodovnikov, who in 1862 reconstructed it into a passage according to N. V. Nikitin's design. For this, he was awarded the title of honorary citizen of Moscow. In 1874, Solodovnikov bought Tatishchev's house itself, placing shops and offices there, and in 1878, the buildings were combined, covering the inner courtyard with a glass roof. In the same year, a theater was arranged on the second floor, which was converted into a double-height space. After the fire of 1885, architect M. A. Arsenyev carried out a reconstruction: skylights were built, facades were changed, and spaces for shops were added.
The building had a rectangular shape and two galleries with passages to Petrovka and Neglinny Lane, being part of the shopping quarter from Kuznetsky Most to Theater Square. It was adjacent to the Golofteevo and Alexandrovsky passages, and at the corner of Theater Square was the store 'Myur and Meriliz.' The galleries of the passage housed numerous shops, designed by renowned architects.
The Solodovnikov Passage was not only a commercial but also a cultural center of Moscow. It housed the Society of Lovers of Music and Dramatic Art, which held literary and artistic events. In 1877, one of the first performances by entrepreneur M. V. Lentovsky took place in the passage with decorations by F. O. Shekhtel. In the early 1880s, art exhibitions were held here. In November 1904, one of the first cinemas in Moscow, the 'Cinema Theater' of A. Rosenfeld, opened, later replaced by the 'Kinofon' theater.
During the Soviet era, shops continued to operate in the building, including Mostorg, and part of the premises was rented out as apartments.
The building was destroyed in 1941 as a result of the bombing of Moscow. In 1945, the remains of the passage were dismantled, and in 1947, a park was laid out on this site according to the design of V. I. Dolganov. In 2001, a decision was made to construct a new building for TsUM, and in 2007, the construction of a new five-story building was completed. During the construction work, archaeologists discovered about 300 ancient burials, the foundations of the Church of the Resurrection, and the remains of the walls of the Solodovnikov Passage.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.
To leave a comment, sign in with Google.