Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Urals, remarkably combines modern skyscrapers, unusual art-object buildings, and ancient structures with a rich history.

One example of such architectural contrast is the historical center of the city, Rosa Luxemburg Street. Here, at the foot of a mirrored business center, stands the red-brick mansion, the Zheleznov estate, recognized as a cultural heritage site of regional significance.

This building, reminiscent of a miniature Kremlin, is surrounded by many mysteries and legends. It is unknown who its architect was and for whom it was built. Locals claim that the ghost of Maria Zheleznova, the wife of the former owner, inhabits the house.

It is believed that the estate was built in the late 19th century, between 1892 and 1902. The weather vane adorning the belvedere indicates the date, 1895.

The two-story building is executed in the Russian style with elements of Byzantine architecture, merging the traditions of national architecture from pre-Petrine times and folk art. The mansion is often compared to the house of merchant Igumnov in Moscow.

It seems that the estate was adorned by skilled woodcarvers, as the brick is laid so exquisitely. The complex includes the main building, a wing, and a fenced courtyard with gates.

The overall composition is complemented by green towers with white diamonds, wrought iron fences, and window frames in the shape of kokoshniks, the form of which is repeated in the arch of the gates. Previously, a park with a fountain adjoined the mansion, of which only a dried-up basin remains.

The luxurious decoration of the facade continued into the interiors: carved doors, tiled fireplaces, stucco, oak parquet, and vaulted ceilings created a palace-like atmosphere. The first floor housed the living room, hall, and offices, while the second contained the living quarters. The basement was reserved for household needs.

The name of the estate's architect remains a mystery. Some historians believe that the project belongs to Yuliy Osipovich Dyutel, a master from St. Petersburg who moved to the Ural region in 1881 and became the city architect of Yekaterinburg.

Others attribute authorship to Alexander Bonaventurovich Turchevich, born in Kyiv. He worked in the Perm region and created many structures in Sverdlovsk Oblast and Udmurtia. Some of his works resemble the Zheleznov estate.

According to the data from the Sverdlovsk Region State Heritage Protection Office, the construction of the estate was commissioned by Alexey Nikitich Kazantsev, who purchased the plot in 1891. In 1905, Alexey Afanogenovich Zheleznov moved in with his family. He was a merchant and public figure, engaged in the sale of dynamite and supported the development of education and culture.

Zheleznov's wife, Maria Yefimovna, was known for her beauty and love of plants. It is believed that she died in 1914, and her ghost remained in the house.

After 1917, the estate served as a meeting place for anarchists, then housed a military unit, the People's Commissariat of Education, and a school for children with musculoskeletal disorders.

During the Great Patriotic War, the mansion housed the evacuated Moscow Astronomical Institute, and the basements accommodated chronometers of the Time Service.

Since 1988, the Zheleznov house has been the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which left the building in 2013. In 2018, restoration of the estate began to turn it into a boutique hotel, which caused discontent among residents who consider the house an important part of the city's history.