Today, let’s embark on a brief journey to admire one of Saint Petersburg's architectural landmarks—the tenement house of G.A. Bernstein, located on 2nd Sovetskaya Street.
How to Get There
The building occupies a through lot between 2nd and 3rd Sovetskaya Streets. To find the grand staircase featured in today’s article, use this address: 10B, 2nd Sovetskaya Street. It’s an easy 10-minute walk from Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station.
Access is completely open. At least in the summer of 2020, when I visited the house, there were no code locks or intercoms. One thing I always remind readers in articles like this: the building is residential, so please be respectful of its inhabitants.
Now that we’ve covered how to get there, let’s dive into the history of this place.
A Bit of History
This Art Nouveau building was constructed between 1904 and 1905. It belonged to the widespread category of tenement houses in Saint Petersburg, with apartments designed for long-term rent.
The house’s architect was Alexander Sergeyevich Khrenov, a well-known St. Petersburg architect who designed or reconstructed more than 30 buildings in the city. While many of his residential projects may blend into the array of magnificent structures in the city, one of his creations—the Palace of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr.—is widely recognized by both locals and visitors. That building is located on Petrovskaya Embankment and is often seen on the way to Peter the Great’s House from Trinity Square.
Now back to the focus of today’s story. The true highlight of this house is undoubtedly its stunning grand staircase—an absolute masterpiece that is impossible not to fall in love with. The vestibule walls are adorned with turquoise glazed bricks. Decorative panels feature delicate white lilies and water lilies. The artistic detailing is unsurprising, given that Khrenov was also a watercolor artist. It’s likely this aspect of his background inspired him to create such a unique design.
You could easily spend a long time admiring this grand staircase. One of its most unusual architectural elements is the large windows that open into the staircase itself. These appear to have been designed as lightwells, serving as an additional source of illumination for the apartments.
Before stepping back onto the street, I took one last look at the extraordinary vestibule before heading off to explore more of the city. For more aesthetic delights, I suggest reading about the magnificent Kelkh Mansion, located in the Liteiny district.
In summary:
- Stunning grand staircase;
- Open access;
- A great addition to any guide on free attractions in Saint Petersburg.
