If you’ve ever headed towards the Alexandrinsky Theater from Nevsky Prospect or simply strolled through this area, you’ve likely noticed the striking and unusual building with a pink facade in the western part of Ostrovskogo Square — the former revenue house of architect N. P. Basin. Although there is not much information available about this building in the sources I’m familiar with, I simply couldn’t overlook a structure that stands out so sharply from the rest of the architecture in the area.
How to Get There by Metro
The revenue House of N. P. Basin faces Krylov Lane and Ostrovskogo Square, located at the following address: Ostrovskogo Square, 5; Krylov Lane, 7. Interestingly, archival drawings of the house show that the building originally faced the Alexandrinsky Theater Square and Tolmazov Lane, the names these St. Petersburg locations went by in the late 19th century.
The nearest metro interchange station is "Gostiny Dvor" — "Nevsky Prospect," located about a five-minute walk from the building.
Please note that the house is still residential, and there is no public access to the interior.
A Bit of History
The revenue house of architect Nikolai Petrovich Basin was built according to his own design between 1878 and 1879. Some of the architect's other works include the "Rossiya" Hotel on Moika 60, the production buildings of the New Paper Spinning Factory on the Obvodny Canal, and several income houses mostly near the modern "Technological Institute" and "Dostoevskaya" metro stations.
The building on Ostrovskogo Square belongs to the so-called Russian style — an architectural direction that used elements and forms from ancient Russian architecture. Another architect, Nikolai Nikitich Nikonov, is often listed as a co-author of the project. This is not surprising, as Nikonov is well-known as a master of the Russian style. His most famous work is his own revenue house on Kolokolnaya Street.
In one source, I came across the mention of the revenue house as a "textbook example of ignoring the ensemble of the Alexandrinsky Theater." This is hard to disagree with, as the vibrant building with rich decoration stands in stark contrast to the classically restrained structure of the theater. I should note that I found a photo of this revenue house on the internet where its facade was painted a different color, less contrasting than today’s pink. It’s likely the building was painted differently in the past.
Today, the six-story building contains 32 residential units. I couldn’t find any listings for the sale or rental of residential space, but I did come across an advertisement from ten years ago. A 115-square-meter apartment in the architect's house was valued at 37 million rubles at that time.
Explore the history of other interesting buildings in St. Petersburg on this page.
Have a nice trip!
