If you ask any native resident of Penza what comes to mind with the address Moskovskaya, 72, many will immediately recall the police station. However, in the 19th century, this place was popular among townspeople for relaxation. It housed the 'Hermitage' hotel with a luxurious restaurant.

The hotel, which opened in the 1860s, was considered one of the largest and most comfortable in the city. Its owner, merchant Nikolai Popov, even took care of the comfort of his clients' servants. A new stable was built for the carriages, and the coachmen were provided with rooms in a separate wing, where they were fed in a separate kitchen. The hotel's restaurant was a true paradise for gourmets, offering pancakes with red and black caviar, game, lobsters, and other delicacies. On weekends, a Romanian choir in national costumes performed at the 'Hermitage.' But the most interesting events happened closer to night when the cancan began in the restaurant. At that time, this dance was considered vulgar, so only adults could stay. Once, the poet Anatoly Mariengof, then still a gymnasium student, attended such a performance. He wrote: 'The young lady raised her legs high, showing off her blue garters, while a busty chansonette frolicked nearby in a skirt like a summer umbrella.'

By the way, during the years of World War I, when Prohibition was in effect, regular customers were secretly sold alcohol here, disguised as lemonade.