 The main house of Demidov's homestead can be found by the address Gorokhovsky lane, 4. Built in 1779-1791 by an outstanding Russian architect M. Kazakov, the mansion was first owned by the prince Kurakin and then purchased by I. I. Demidov.
At present the only parts of the mansion that managed to survive are two outbuildings and the estate fence. This masterpiece of an outstanding Russian architect excites and strikes by a splendid combination of simplicity and restraint on the one hand and refinement and elegance on the other.
The most staggering is the fact that all the fretwork about the suite of the second floor of the palace was done by the serf according to Kazakov`s sketches. Vivid appointments of the famous golden rooms with their molded mirrors and gorgeous parquet, picturesque damask wall-paper and amazing ceiling-paintings captivate with their dainty splendor.
F. M. Dostoevsky`s sister lived in that house. In 1870-1880 the great Russian writer himself used to put up at the mansion coming to Moscow from time to time. In 1873 and 1930 the building was occupied first by the Moscow Land Institute and then by the Moscow University of Geodesy and Cartography, formed on the basis of the first one.
District: Downtown, Moscow
Address: 4, Grokhovskiy Lane
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Pearls of Russia 