My next article about interesting buildings in St. Petersburg is dedicated to the house of A. P. Romanov, located at the corner of Vosstaniya Street and Soldatsky Lane. In my opinion, it’s far from the most well-known building in the area, but if you feel like taking a walk through this part of the city to explore its architectural landmarks, you can include it in your route — the house is distinguished by its ornate façade with a corner bay window and various decorative elements.
History of the Building
The plot where the current structure stands was developed as early as the late 18th century. Back then, the site featured several buildings, including some wooden ones. The landowner at the time was a lieutenant named Manstein.
Over time, the property and its structures changed hands many times, with new owners recorded in official documents across different decades. Throughout the 19th century alone, the land changed owners at least six times.
In 1902, the land was acquired by Adrian Petrovich Romanov. That same year, city authorities approved a project for constructing a new main building and renovating the existing courtyard wings. The architect of the house was Boris Yakovlevich Zonn, who served as an architect for the 2nd Russian Fire Insurance Society and as a technician for the City Administration. In St. Petersburg, Zonn designed around twenty buildings, including public, industrial, religious, and residential properties. In the 1920s, he worked as a consultant on the restoration of residential structures.
Just a year after the house was built, A. P. Romanov passed away, and the building was inherited by his widow, Nadezhda Yakovlevna. I’ve come across mentions that her surname after remarriage was Yashvil. On some architecture websites, the building is even referred to as the House of Princess Yashvil.
Today, the façade of the former Romanov house looks clean and well-maintained. However, if you look at past street views online, you’ll see that just a few years ago the building was dirty and run-down. Those same images show that restoration work was carried out in 2023.
How to Get There by Metro
The address of the former apartment house is 1/23 Soldatsky Lane. The easiest way to get there is from Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station — the walk takes about ten minutes.
I’ve seen photos online of the building’s beautiful interior stairwells, but I doubt that just anyone can access them — the building is currently residential.
There are quite a few interesting landmarks in this area. In my previous articles, you can read about G.A. Bernstein’s Tenement House.
Have a nice trip!
