The unique history of the Hotel National. The building of the hotel "national" Who lived in the hotel national

The National Hotel is one of the oldest operating hotels in Moscow. Located in the very center of Moscow - at the corner of Tverskaya and Mokhovaya streets, next to Red Square, the Kremlin, Aleksandrovsky Garden - it has long become an integral part of the capital's landscape, and its history is closely connected with the history of Moscow itself, and of all of Russia.

The construction of the National Hotel began in 1900. The project of the hotel building by order of the Varvara society of homeowners was developed by the then famous architect Alexander Ivanov. During the construction of the building, the most modern technologies and building materials were used - reinforced concrete structures, waterproofing. The majestic facades of the hotel were decorated with natural stone, ceramic tiles, stucco, and the corner attic was decorated with majolica panels. The interior decoration of the National was striking - marble staircases in the lobby, stained glass windows, mosaic floors, figures of Atlanteans installed at the entrance to the elevators.

The hotel rooms were decorated and furnished no less magnificently. Furniture for them was made by special order, from mahogany, light and stained oak, and other valuable species. The most expensive apartments of the National, such as the Living Room of Louis XV or the Living Room of Louis XVI, were located on the third floor and were intended to receive high-ranking guests. The luxury of the setting was complemented by an exclusive range of amenities and hotel services. Many of the hotel rooms were equipped with bathrooms and water closets, safes were installed in all rooms. The National building was heated by the most modern heating system developed at the San Galli foundry. The hotel was fully equipped with telephones, which was also a sign of luxury in those days.

In addition to the rooms, the building of the "National" housed a reading room, a restaurant and various hotel services, as well as shops, a bakery and a wine warehouse.

The National Hotel opened in 1903 and immediately gained unprecedented popularity, taking a place of honor among best hotels Moscow. Accommodation at the National was not cheap, but the hotel rooms were never empty. Rich merchants and large industrialists, foreign diplomats settled here, here in different time lived such prominent figures of Russian culture as Fyodor Chaliapin, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Ivan Bunin.

The changes that took place in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917 were reflected in the fate of the National Hotel. During the October battles in Moscow, the hotel building served as one of the strongholds of the counter-revolutionary forces and was damaged during shelling. After the final victory of the Bolsheviks, all major hotels in Moscow were nationalized. The National Hotel was turned into the 1st House of Soviets, that is, a hostel for functionaries and officials of the new government. In March 1918, after the capital was moved to Moscow, members of the Soviet government settled in the luxurious rooms of the National. Dzerzhinsky, Sverdlov, Trotsky lived here, and Lenin and Krupskaya briefly settled in room 107. The room was furnished with soft furnishings in green tones, and on a massive writing table covered with green cloth, there were black marble inkpots with paperweights, two bronze candlesticks, and a bronze lamp with a green shade. The room was illuminated by a bronze three-arm chandelier. Some details of this setting have survived to this day.

After the Soviet government moved to the Kremlin, the National Hotel remained for a long time the hostel of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The consequences of this became apparent in the early 1930s, when it was decided to return to the hotel's former functions. In the course of the inventory, it turned out that most of the hotel interiors and furniture fell into disrepair, and engineering communications were significantly worn out. A major overhaul was carried out in the building of the National. The appearance of the hotel has changed: the lower floors, faced with granite, sandstone and red brick, were repainted like granite, oak frames were replaced with aluminum frames, and instead of majolica panels on the corner attic of the building, an industrial landscape appeared in the spirit of the times. The furniture for the rooms of the National was taken from the reserve fund created during the nationalization of the noble estates. This is how furniture and objects of art from Anichkov and Tsarskoye Selo palaces appeared in the hotel setting. "National" turned into a kind of "museum", which immediately affected the cost of living in the hotel - even foreign tourists could not afford to stay in its rooms. In the years that followed, the National acquired a reputation as a loss-making hotel. Several times - both in the 1950s and in the 1960s - attempts were made to modernize and re-equip the hotel building, but they did not differ in scope - repairs of roofs and electrical wiring, restoration of individual items of antiques, internal reconstruction of the building. True, in 1974 the National Hotel was included in the list of historical and cultural monuments protected by the state - not because its building was an architectural monument in the Art Nouveau style, but because Lenin once lived here. The dilapidated building and the lack of modern equipment practically deprived the National of its former popularity.

Serious changes in the fate of the hotel began only in 1985, when the decision was finally made to completely restore the National. Part of the antique furniture, recognized as a national treasure, was transferred to museums for storage, the rest was taken out for restoration in order to be used later in the design of the hotel's interiors. According to the results of the competition held in 1990, the general contractor was chosen - the Austrian company "Rogner". On the Russian side, specialists from the Moscow department for the design of public buildings and structures, Mosproekt-2, took part in the restoration of the National.

The renovation of the National Hotel was carried out in three main directions - renovation and redevelopment of the building, modernization of hotel equipment, renovation of interiors. Another floor was added to the northern facade of the building - there was located health Center, the attic was turned into an attic with twenty additional rooms, and the former courtyard was covered with a glass roof and a cafe with a winter garden was equipped there. At the same time, Austrian designers developed Jugend-style furniture for the National and designed interiors. New chandeliers were made, repeating to the smallest detail the design of the first, still pre-revolutionary lamps "National".

The revived "National" received its first guests in 1995. In the same year, by decree of the President Russian Federation the hotel building was classified as a historical and cultural monument of the city of Moscow of federal significance. Thus began a new stage in the history of the National. From the very opening, the hotel was awarded the highest category - five stars. In the new look of the National, modern hotel equipment was combined with the carefully restored atmosphere of antiquity. Many rooms have retained the interiors of the early 20th century and were furnished with antique furniture, engravings and prints with views of old Moscow, picturesque canvases written in the spirit of Russian realism appeared on the walls of the hotel. The new "National" quickly gained popularity among the guests of the capital, gaining a reputation as a prestigious and exclusive hotel. By 2000, when the oldest hotel in Moscow solemnly celebrated its centenary, it could already be said that the project to revive the National was crowned with undoubted success.

December 9, 2003 became a mourning date in more than a century of history of the National Hotel. On this day, a terrorist act was committed near the hotel. The explosion of a Mercedes parked at the entrance to the hotel killed six people, including both terrorists - Chechen suicide bombers, and another twelve people were injured of varying severity. The blast wave broke several glasses on the first and second floors of the hotel. In June 2005, a memorial sign dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attack was unveiled at the National Hotel. A spark is carved on a black marble cube and the names of the victims are inscribed. The inscription on the monument reads: "Eternal memory to the victims terrorist attack December 9, 2003 ".

Today the National Hotel has firmly taken a place of honor among the best five-star hotels in the world. The National's achievements have been repeatedly recognized with an honorary diploma and the Diamond Star of the US Academy of Hospitality, the most prestigious award in the global hospitality industry. The National belongs to the group of the most luxurious hotels of the European hotel chain Le Meridien - A Royal Meridien Hotels, but at the same time it remains a 100% municipal hotel and is serviced exclusively by Russian personnel. The general director of the hotel, Yuri Podkopaev, who has been running the National since 1985, was twice awarded the title of one of the best hoteliers in the world.

03 In the 19th century, the Varvarinskoye Joint Stock Company of Homeowners bought out a corner plot for new development - soon several houses with cheap apartments appeared here, the first floors of which were given over to benches.

04 At the same time, the designers gave the corner ledge of the main building a semicircular shape, characteristic of Moscow architecture of the late 18th century.

05 In 1901, the new owners began construction of a luxury hotel designed by architect A. Ivanov.

06 The new architectural project provided for the preservation in general outline of the appearance of the previous building (the apartment house of the architect L. N. Benois), including the semicircular corner.

07 The building of the National Hotel, opened in 1903, is designed in the eclectic style with modern elements.

08 The National was originally conceived as a world-class luxury hotel. Expensive materials were used in the decoration.

09 The exterior decoration is marked by the use of a large amount of stucco; mosaic floors and stained-glass windows were used in the interiors.

10 The hotel was equipped with advanced technical innovations of the time: lifts were installed, and telephones, water closets and bathtubs appeared in the rooms.

11 In 1918, after the Soviet government moved to Moscow, the hotel building was occupied by government units of the new government (and occupied for the next 15 years); the hotel was named the First House of Soviets.

12 For several days in March 1918, the head of the Soviet state, V. I. Lenin, with his wife N. K. Krupskaya and sister M. I. Ulyanova lived in a two-room suite 107-109.

13 In 1932, the building was restored to its hotel status.

14 In 1985, the reconstruction and restoration of the "National" began.

15 The restoration lasted until 1995, during which time the decoration of the National was restored to the smallest detail.

16 The newly opened hotel was awarded the highest category - 5 stars, and at the same time was assigned to the monuments of history and culture of federal significance.

17 Since 1995, the second life of the hotel begins: some of the rooms have been furnished with antiques, a new service has been introduced - living in a room with interiors of the early 20th century.

18 The hotel is now part of the Le Meridien elite hotel system, which has awarded the National the status of a royal hotel.

19 At the same time, the hotel is still a hotel-museum, where even the first persons of states get lost.

21 Over the years, H. Wells, W. Churchill, Kofi Annan, Javier Solana, the Swedish princess Brigitte, Prince Michael of Kent, Placido Domingo, Mireille Mathieu, Pierre Richard and many, many others, whose portraits hang in the gallery on the second floor, lived here. hotels.

22 However, not only celebrities and millionaires stay at the National. This hotel is chosen by participants of various festivals, foreign businessmen and tourists, heads of large companies, and other VIPs.

23 Wonderful exposition with historical photographs of the hotel in different years

27 The National Hotel has 11 banquet halls with magnificent decor and a capacity of 6 to 150 people. Here you can not only hold an official meeting at the highest level, but also just relax in the company of old friends. Conference hall equipped with a full set of necessary equipment.

28 Restaurant "Moskovsky" - known for its excellent Russian cuisine performed by the famous chef Vyacheslav Brylov. The windows offer a unique view of the Kremlin and Manezhnaya Square. Live Russian music in the evenings.

29 "National" invites you to spend an unforgettable gastronomic journey in the "Moskovsky" restaurant, which offers an amazing view of the Kremlin.

30 Piano music in the evenings and the enchanting lights of the Kremlin architectural ensemble will set the right mood for both a romantic date and a business meeting.

31 At the Moskovsky restaurant, guests can enjoy traditional Russian cuisine (Tsarskaya Sterlet, Monastery-style sturgeon, Breast-feeding goose, Strelets-style boar roast), as well as a rich assortment of European cuisine.

32 Reviving the best culinary traditions of the centuries-old history of the National, the chef of the Moskovsky restaurant, Andre Martin, has created a menu of primordially Russian noble cuisine.

33 The ceiling paintings are impressive

40 Namely, while “relaxing” in the hotel restaurant on the basement floor, the artist Andrei Ioganson came up with the label of Stolichnaya vodka. It depicts the Moscow Hotel, just from the perspective that the artist saw from his place. The label is interesting from the "point of view" of marketing in that since its inception (approximately 1937-1938), it has hardly undergone any changes.

42 The National has 201 rooms, including 56 suites. In 2009, the complex reconstruction and renovation of the hotel was completed, during which the areas of living rooms and bathrooms were increased, dressing rooms appeared, and the latest technical solutions were introduced.

43 Suite Classic: Spacious two-room suites with living rooms and cozy bedrooms. In the design of the interiors of the "Classic" suites, antiques of museum value were used: furniture, musical instruments, floor lamps and lamps from Bohemian glass - all this gives rise to a unique, inimitable style of each room. The marble bathrooms are equipped with spa baths.

44 More than thirty suites have a picturesque view of the Kremlin and Red Square.

45 Presidential Suite: Luxurious three-room suites with panoramic views of the Kremlin and Tverskaya Street, consisting of a living room, bedroom and study with a separate shower. Antique furnishings and artwork combined with outstanding interiors give these rooms a special charm. The marble bathrooms of these rooms are equipped with a jacuzzi. Presidents of France Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac, President of Switzerland Pascal Couchepin, Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi, King of Spain Juan Carlos, Princess of the Kingdom of Sweden Birgitta, Prince Michael of Kent and many others preferred to stay in the Presidential Suites of the National.

50 The views from the National's windows have not always been so spectacular. Until the 1930s (before the clearing of Manezhnaya Square), from the window of the restaurant one could see the house opposite instead of Red Square.

A functioning museum that hosts guests in historical interiors. At the dawn of its more than a century-old history, the hotel welcomed distinguished guests of the last Russian tsar and representatives of the reigning dynasties of Europe. After the 1917 revolution, "National" became for a short period of time home to the Soviet government, which included Lenin, Dzerzhinsky, Trotsky in the hotel. Subsequently, the hotel was transformed into the First House of Soviets - a hostel for the nascent Soviet nomenclature. During the Second World War, "National" served as the residence of 16 foreign embassies and diplomatic missions. And these are just some of the milestones in the hotel's legendary history!

With all their diversity, many dramatic collisions of the fate of the National can still be summed up to a common denominator: for more than 100 years of history, the hotel was chosen by truly heroes of their time, bright and outstanding personalities.

Among the items of interior decoration of the modern "National" - personally owned by the royal family of Russia and perfectly preserved to this day, pieces of furniture and works of art from Tsarskoye Selo and Anichkov palaces. A rare hotel will be able to compare with the "National" in terms of the highly artistic historical interior, which has unique pieces of furniture and interior decor, rare examples of painting and applied art, as well as museum-level musical instruments.

Historical photo gallery

Interesting Facts

The doors of the hotel opened for guests on January 1, 1903. The original name of the hotel was "National"... As conceived by the creators, the hotel was intended to receive and serve high-ranking foreign guests and representatives of the Russian state and military elite.
The architecture of the constructed building combined the features of the Renaissance and Classicism with decorative motives of Art Nouveau. The facade of the building was designed in the classicism style. The interior of the hotel lobby was especially splendid, with the main accent in the form of a grand staircase, which has a design unique for the beginning of the 20th century. And to this day, white marble with molded gilded decorations of metal fences and harmonious mosaics of unique stained-glass windows on the main staircase attracts many admiring glances of the guests of the National. View photo front staircase .
In 1905, a metal canopy with griffins, banners, monograms and a sign with the date of the hotel opening - "1903" was erected over the front entrance to the hotel. For a long time there was a legend that exactly the same visor, installed in the middle of the facade of the building on Tverskaya Street, when opened, was destroyed by a grenade explosion during the revolutionary events in October 1917. However, photo images and documentary confirmation of this legend have not yet been found.
In 1903 "National" had one hundred and sixty numbers, among which the most expensive and luxuriously decorated were the apartments on the third floor of the hotel: room 101, until 1917 called "Living room of Louis XVI" and number 115 bearing the name "Living room of Louis XV"... To this day, we can admire the elements of the original interior decoration of the unique rooms: artistic painting in room 115 and a fireplace, faced with white marble, with a metal grate in room 101. The apartments were intended to accommodate high-ranking guests: governors, foreign diplomats and members of European monarchical families. Currently, these numbers have a self-explanatory name "Presidential suites" and are the real pride of the hotel.
In 1903 cost of living the hotel ranged from 1 ruble 50 kopecks up to 25 rubles per day... For comparison, at the beginning of the 20th century, zemstvo teachers and doctors received a salary of 10-15 rubles, which was a good income.
"National" highly valued its reputation. The service was hired only with a written recommendation from the staff already working in the hotel. Each employee valued his place, since being on the staff of such a hotel was very prestigious and profitable.
The main category of hotel guests from 1903 to 1917 were representatives of the Russian government. More than one thousand high-ranking officials stayed in "National". We can say with confidence that the history of the hotel guests is a chronicle of the last decade of the Russian Empire in individuals.
In 1913, the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, the grandson of Emperor Nicholas I, and the uncle of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II, lived in "National".
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 228 hotels in Moscow, and 10 of them were located on Tverskaya Street, next to the "National". In addition to the latter, the Dresden, Patchwork, Paris and Bolshaya Moskovskaya hotels were especially popular with visitors. However, all of the listed hotels were built in the 19th century and could not compare with the "National" in terms of the level of equipment and variety of services, which could truly be proud of technical innovations unusual for the beginning of the 20th century - elevators, a sophisticated ventilation device, an advanced heating system, telephone communications, taxi service, etc.
From 1903 to 1910, a series of postcards with the image of "National" was issued.
A special pride of the hotel owners and business card the hotel has always had its restaurant, which pleasantly surprised its guests with the variety and intricacy of the menu, especially the dishes of Russian national cuisine. The pinnacle of culinary art was, for example, the menu for a festive dinner at the beginning of the twentieth century. The list of snacks alone amazes the imagination: here are oysters, broth, and borshchok, and royal jelly, and creamy pigs, and different kulebyaki, and game pâtés with truffles, and Gatchina trout, and Siberian nelma, and Visland salmon, and sturgeon Kuchugurskaya, and roast beef, and ham, and veal, and corned beef, and Nezhinsky cucumbers, and turkey, as well as capons, Caucasian pheasants, Siberian hazel grouses and different salads!
Not only ministers, officials and diplomats preferred to stay in the "National". Among the hotel guests were many artists - the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, the French writer Anatole France, the English writer Herbert Wells. In 1903, one of the most famous guests of "National" was the author of the world famous now "Flight of the Bumblebee" - an outstanding Russian composer Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov.
In 1910, on the second floor of the hotel, to the left of the main staircase in the recreation halls, opened British club.
On the third floor, in the current room 177, there used to be a reading room. There was a large library, fresh newspapers and magazines at the guests' service in the reading room.
October Revolution of 1917 fatally changed the fate of "National". In 1918, the Soviet government moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and while the Kremlin premises that had been damaged by artillery shelling during street battles were being rushed for the Government, the National Hotel became a temporary refuge for Lenin, Krupskaya, Dzerzhinsky, Trotsky. , Sverdlov and other representatives of the Bolshevik elite. Lenin and Krupskaya lived for 7 days in room 107, which, while retaining its historical flair, is one of the best Kremlin suites modern hotel "National".
After the move of the Soviet government to the Kremlin, the hotel began to be called in the spirit of the revolutionary time, in a new way - "National", First House of Soviets.
During the use of the National as the House of Soviets, the condition of the hotel deteriorated sharply. The long absence of repairs led to the dilapidation of the building and the destruction of all life support systems. By the early 30s, it was decided to make the National Hotel again a hotel for receiving foreigners and acquainting them with the young Soviet state, but the stationary equipment and interiors of the hotel rooms by that time could no longer meet international standards. The overhaul of the hotel lasted from July 1, 1931 to December 31, 1932. Equipment reopening hotel rooms"National" was carried out from the reserve fund created after the October Revolution as a result of the "disbandment" of estates and palaces. Among the items of interior decoration in the "National" were furniture and works of art, including, from Tsarskoye Selo and Anichkov palaces.
In the early 1930s, the revived National was a kind of hotel-museum, which contained unique pieces of furniture, musical instruments, paintings and works of arts and crafts. Perhaps no other hotel in Europe or America could compare with the National for such a high "museum" level of "hotel equipment".
New large-scale a canvas with an area of 120 square meters, placed by 1932 on the facade of the newly opened National, depicting an industrial landscape- power transmission towers, factory pipes and tractors - everything that, according to the ideologists of Soviet art of the 1930s, better reflected the spirit of the times than the original antique plot in the spirit of fashion trends of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1933, "National" became part of the structure of the State Joint Stock Company for Foreign Tourism in the USSR - GAO "Intourist".
The Fatal Forties left a memorable mark on the fate of this unique hotel. They brought worldwide fame to the hotel. When German troops were on the outskirts of the capital, the "National" actually turned into a center that united the countries of the anti-fascist coalition. The hotel accommodated personnel of diplomatic missions of allied countries, leaders of the anti-fascist Resistance, representatives of neutral states and the international Red Cross.
In the late 1960s, next to the National, the Intourist building new hotel from glass and concrete. In 1983, Intourist and National were merged into a single hotel Intourist-National, and in 1989 by the decision of the State Committee, the single hotel complex Intourist-National was again reorganized and divided into two independent structures - the Intourist and National hotels.
From 1991 to 1995, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out in the National. May 9, 1995 hotel "National" reopened its doors for guests under the brand Le meridien, one of the largest hotel brands, uniting five-star hotels around the world.
Since 2000, as recommended by the company Le meridien, the famous hotel appeared under a new distinctive sign - Le Royal Meridien National.
On September 1, 2009, the National Hotel became the first and only hotel of the chain in Russia The Luxury Collection leaving the Le Meridien brand, also owned by the company Starwood Hotels & Resorts ... The Luxury Collection has over 60 hotels worldwide. All of them - exclusive hotels with a unique history and architecture, the highest level of service for the most demanding and respectable guests. For the transition to The Luxury brand Collection hotel it took a large-scale modernization of the entire room stock and guest areas.
For more than a century of history, "National" has gone through the "golden age" and devastation, visited the epicenter of wars and revolutions, survived all the troubles and shocks that befell the country. Today, among the guests of "National" are still leaders of states and prominent politicians, public figures and scientists, businessmen and writers, actors and musicians, therefore "National" is still in the center of public, political and cultural life countries and the world, receiving the heads of state of the Big Eight, guests of the Moscow International Film Festival, etc.

Moscow

(http://progulkipomoskve.ru/publ/doma/ gostinica moskva istorija stroitelstva_i_razrushenija / 39-1-0-1512) http://zyalt.livejournal.com/ 780468.html

Hotel "Moscow" in the city of Moscow is one of the largest in the capital of Russia. It was originally built between 1933 and 1935. The project was developed by a group of architects, which included Leonid Ivanovich (?) Savelyev and Oswald Andreevich Stapran, with the significant participation of Alexei Viktorovich Shchusev.

The hotel complex was dismantled in 2004, and a building was erected in its place, which was built according to the actual original drawings and almost completely reproduces the former forms of the previously dismantled (as the developers say).

The history of the construction of the first stage

Hotel "Moscow" entered the list of the first buildings of this type in Soviet Russia. Occupies an entire block, bounded by Okhotny Ryad Street and the Manezhnaya and Revolution Squares. The massive building became the dominant feature of the surrounding area.

Complex in its architectural plasticity, the building harmoniously entered into the surrounding architectural appearance, where the Historical Museum, the building of the City Duma, the Metropol and National hotels, and the entire Kremlin complex as a whole are located nearby.

It should be noted that the Okhotny Ryad area was considered at the beginning of the 20th century as one of the most unsafe in terms of sanitary conditions in the city of Moscow. Since this place was planned under the new government as a site for the construction of the Palace of Labor, the surroundings began to be cleared and brought into a more dignified form.

The excesses, which resulted in the demolition of the chapel in the name of Alexander Nevsky and the Church of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa in the 1920s, were not without. But at the same time, all the dilapidated shops were demolished here, most of which were located in the southern end of this area, and the local market was moved from the very center of the capital to Tsvetnoy Boulevard.

Due to financial difficulties, the project of the Palace of Labor was never implemented (maybe even for the better), and in the early thirties, the construction of the Mossovet hotel (the first project name) began here, the project of which was developed in the late 1920s.

The authors were architects Stapran and Saveliev... The future building was to be erected in the then fashionable style of constructivism, which clearly contradicted the architectural appearance of this area: massiveness and strict asceticism did not fit in here.

When the frame box of the building was almost completed, famous architect even the pre-revolutionary school of Alexei Shchusev. Why?

It is worth making a remark here.

The fact is that by the onset of the 1930s, the architecture of the country of the Soviets began to move away from the avant-garde style in the outline of buildings and turned to face the urban planning heritage of the past, that is, the classical style, which became a factor in the emergence of the so-called "Stalinist Empire".

So, Alexey Ivanovich had to correct the initial idea of his young colleagues.

It was no longer possible to make significant changes because of the already built monolithic box, but Shchusev managed to correct a lot, without prejudice to the pride of Savelyev and Stapran, and to create a laconic decor, executed in the spirit of neoclassicism.

So here appeared an eight-column portico with an open terrace, six stories high, numerous balconies along the facade and loggias-arcades from the side of the main entrance. Towers appeared at the corners of the building, and after all the innovations it itself received a certain plasticity, which helped to express the division into fragments of the entire facade.

The building of the hotel "Moscow" was originally supposed to be of different heights: the main facade from the side of Manezhnaya Square consisted of 14 floors, and the building along Okhotny Ryad - only 10.

Theater Square

Ukraine (http://www.ukraina-hotel.ru/history/section304/)

History

Hotel "Ukraine" is one of seven buildings known as "Stalin's skyscrapers". Standing out brightly with the architecture that perpetuated the era, they largely determine the appearance of the capital. This is the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square (1948-1953), the main building of the Moscow State University on Sparrow Hills(1949-1953), a residential building on Kotelnicheskaya embankment (1938-1940, 1948-1952), an administrative and residential building near the Krasnye Vorota metro station (1939-1953), the Leningradskaya hotel on Kalanchevskaya street (1949-1952) , a residential building on Kudrinskaya Square (1948-1954) and, of course, the Ukraine Hotel on Kutuzovsky Prospect (1953-1957). Soviet skyscrapers have become a memorable page in the history of our state and a visiting card of Moscow.

The 30s of the twentieth century are the time of major urban development projects. About 400 new cities and thousands of settlements were rebuilt in the country, many old cities were actively reconstructed. It was at this time that Moscow and the capitals of the Union republics acquired the main features of their current architectural appearance. In 1935, the General Plan for the Reconstruction of Moscow was adopted, which laid down everything that was carried out for decades: the creation of the Moscow-Volga Canal, the construction of metro lines, the construction of bridges, new highways (Novy Arbat), the reconstruction of the Garden Ring, mass housing development.

It was in the 30s that I.V. Stalin, the idea arose to erect " Soviet skyscrapers", Unfolding the panorama of Moscow along the river embankments, where high-rise buildings will emphasize the picturesque natural relief of the city, its historical radial-circular layout, Patriotic War... The construction of Moscow skyscrapers was completed after the death of the "leader of all peoples", and yet they are fully his brainchild and creation ( http:// retrofonoteka. ru/ skyscrapers/ moscow_ skyscrapers. htm).

Decree No. 53 of the Council of Ministers of the USSR "On the construction of multi-storey buildings in the city of Moscow" was signed by Stalin on January 13, 1947, the year of the 800th anniversary of the capital. On the day of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, 8 stones were solemnly laid to symbolize future buildings. And although the eighth skyscraper in Zaryadye, which was supposed to overlap with the vertical of the future Palace of Soviets on the other side of the Kremlin, was never built, this did not affect the colossal nature of the Stalinist skyscrapers project. They became the visible embodiment of the prestige of the victorious country, a symbol of the solidity, greatness and power of the young socialist state.

The architecture of the period of the 30-50s of the twentieth century is called “neo-traditionalism”, “neo-romanticism”, “neo-Renaissance”, “proletarian neoclassicism”. For Russia, "Stalinist classicism", "Stalinist" or "totalitarian" architecture, has long become an art and a subject of national pride.

The hotel "Ukraine" got its look thanks to a group of eminent architects: Academician of Architecture, President of the Academy of Architecture of the USSR A.G. Mordvinov, Design Engineer P.A. Krasilnikov, co-author on the project of residential buildings V.G. Kalisz and co-author of the stylobate project - Doctor of Architecture V.K. Oltarzhevsky, who studied skyscraper construction in New York and specialized in the design and construction of hotels. In total, more than two thousand people worked on various details of the project.

Options: the total area of the building "Ukraine" is more than 88 thousand square meters, the height is 206 meters, including a 73-meter spire.

The building is distinguished by compositional perfection: the central building with a tower with a spire balance the solidity and strict geometry of the wings. Corner turrets and flowerpots stylized as sheaves of wheat ears emphasize the palace architecture of the building, and the spire gives it sublime severity.

The Soviet symbols in the external decor of "Ukraine" - stars, sickles and hammers framed by wreaths - having lost their political pathos over time, have become its zest and a sentimental reminder of a bygone era.

Outdated morally and physically

According to GVA Sawyer, by the first quarter of 2010, less than half of the total room stock (44%, or 17.8 thousand rooms) accounted for the share of the high-quality supply of the Moscow hotel market, which is formed by hotels of the 3–5 stars category. A considerable part of them is occupied by reconstructed objects. The remaining 56% are divided between hotels that do not meet international standards, including both "Soviet" and modern hotels.

“There are 221 hotels in Moscow. Of these, about 35% are new or put into operation within the last five years. In general, the “legacy” of the 80s – 90s prevails on the capital market, which needs major repairs and reconstruction.

There are also many objects in the Moscow region that require some kind of renovation. Out of more than five thousand sanatoriums, boarding houses, tourist centers, rest homes, only 35% are in operation, 15% are idle or used for other purposes, and the remaining half requires serious reconstruction, "Kirill Irtyuga outlines the situation. general manager RosinvestHotel Management Company and VOYAGE Hotels & Resorts.

The capital market is dominated by the "legacy" of the 80s-90s, which needs major overhaul and reconstruction

In the regions, too, most of the Russian hotels are still represented by Soviet-built accommodation facilities. However, it is difficult to quantify the number of hotels in need of redevelopment and a new concept.

New life

If in the regions the reconstruction of hotels is a rather rare phenomenon, in Moscow such projects have been replacing one another since the mid-80s. First of all, the changes affected the iconic capital hotels. In 1985, the ten-year reconstruction of the National Hotel began (1903).

Subsequently, the hotel became part of the elite Le Royal Meridien group of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, and in 2009, after another renovation, it changed its brand to The Luxury Collection. In 1986, complex work began on the restoration and refurbishment of one of the oldest Moscow hotels - "Metropol" (1905). The work was carried out by Finnish and Austrian specialists, antique furniture was restored in the Hermitage. The renewed Metropol, which opened in 1991, was the first in Russia to receive the five-star status.

In 1989 the hotel "Bucharest" was closed for a three-year reconstruction. All communications in the hotel were replaced, the layout was completely changed, and only the facade remained from the old building. The total cost was about $ 85 million. In 1992, the reconstructed hotel opened under the new name "Baltschug Kempinski" and also received a five-star status.

The last reconstruction of the Savoy Hotel was carried out on a large scale (before the first reconstruction in 1987–1989, the hotel, which was part of the Intourist system, operated under the name Berlin). Large-scale changes in 2005 cost the owners a substantial amount (over $ 20 million). Italian specialists headed by the famous architect Leonardo Tonioni worked on the new design of the hotel. Hotel "Ukraine" (1957), after three years of reconstruction, opened this spring under the name Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow. It offers luxurious rooms and apartments, restaurants of various gastronomic traditions, a modern conference center and a wellness club with a 50-meter swimming pool.

Four-star hotels also for the most part "grew" from old hotels: the hotels "Sovetskaya" (1952), "Arbat" (1960), "Cosmos" (1979), "Orlyonok" (1976) were reconstructed. - now Korston Hotel Moscow, Mezhdunarodnaya (1980) - now Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Center. The hotels "Marco Polo Presnya" (1904) and "Peking" (1955) are under reconstruction. Three-star hotels are also being renovated. The most striking examples are the Izmailovo Group of Companies built for the Olympics-80 and the Astrus - Central Tourist House Hotel. The hotels Zarya (1956), Akademicheskaya (1976), Aeropolis (1980), Warsaw (1960), Belgrade (1973) also received a new face. "Baikal" (1976), "Hunter" (1980). The three-star "Leningradskaya" (1950) after reconstruction began to correspond to the category of "four stars" and was named Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya. This spring, Katerina Park (formerly Eurolux) opened. Not only long-livers, but also hotels built in the 90s (Renaissance Moscow, Iris Congress Hotel, Tsaritsyno) have undergone renovation.

In Moscow, which is the most interesting site for hoteliers, there are still hotels awaiting renovation. GOST Hotel Management plans to transfer Sretenskaya to the luxury segment; work should begin in 2011. Soon the hotel will be closed for reconstruction, which became one of the first in Russia for the hotel operator Radisson - Radisson SAS Slavyanskaya. MosCityGroup plans to acquire the Budapest hotel in order to turn it into the first Moscow 6-star hotel (this will require about $ 100 million).

As practice shows, most often the reconstruction and rebranding of a hotel is associated with a change in the management company. Of course, not all hotels in the capital were preserved - some of them were more expedient to demolish. So, instead of Intourist, the prestigious The Ritz-Carlton was built, and on the site of the legendary Moscow Hotel, construction of the operator's hotel began in 2003 Four seasons- the opening is expected at the end of this year.

Hit the mark

Each object has its own "lifespan" - the period during which its operation can be as efficient and profitable as possible. “For shopping centers this period is about 7 years, a little more for offices and hotels - about 10 years. After this period, design modernization, reconstruction and reengineering are required, - comments Dmitry Zolin, managing partner of LCMC. - But there is another reason - mistakes at the design stage of the hotel. The Russian market is still very young, and many projects created at the stage of its formation were implemented by inexperienced specialists, often with an incorrectly developed concept or without it at all. Such properties certainly need renovation, but sometimes it is enough for them to involve a competent hotel operator in order to adjust the zoning or change the brand. "

“Reconception can be associated with understanding the inconsistency of the previous concept, its non-repayment and inefficiency. Also, external factors can influence the reorientation of the hotel, - says Maria Vasilenko, Marketing Director of AZIMUT Hotels Company. “For example, a business hotel in the region, which was predominantly occupied by business travelers, may be reoriented in connection with the closure of a number of city-forming enterprises in the city, which generated the main flow of tourists.”

However, the update does not always give the desired results. According to experts, the main problem is the lack of a clear vision of the final result of working with the object. Repainting walls doesn't mean renovating or rebranding. In order for the hotel to function successfully in the future, it is necessary to change not only the external component, but also the internal logic. At the first stage, it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive study, including both an assessment of the object itself and its surroundings, and a description of the state of the real estate market on this moment.

The second stage is the definition and substantiation of the reason for reconception, the formulation of the problem, the proposal of various options for its solution and the choice of the concept. Next, it is necessary to carry out a detailed specification of the new concept, after which you can proceed directly to the implementation of the project. “First of all, you need to understand who your guests are, why the renovation is needed, what the costs will be compared to the expected return on profit, and whether this renovation will increase the cost of the hotel,” says David Jenkins, director of the DTZ hotel group in Russia and the CIS. - It is imperative to improve the quality of the rooms, as well as determine what functional spaces and services are needed to attract your customers. Understanding your market positioning will allow you to determine the required level of modernization in order to be competitive now and in the future. "

Price question

Funding problems are the main difficulty faced by the owner during the renovation of the hotel, and the main reason why the project turns into a long-term construction. Attraction of project financing is a serious obstacle in the way of the owner. As Kirill Irtyuga states, classical project lending is not profitable.

Attraction of bank funds at the existing interest rate is not economically interesting, since it seriously affects the profitability and payback of the project. According to him, projects are most often financed with the involvement of third-party investors who acquire a block of shares from the owner of the hotel. “It is very difficult to get funding. Banks are reluctant to finance hotel projects, and those requiring renovation are doubly funded. It is very difficult for bankers to explain why it is necessary to carry out certain actions in the process of work and what end result it will give, ”says Alexander Udalov. In this regard, the company "Yumako" created its own investment fund - "when you invest your own money, it is easier to attract others to finance."

As Dmitry Zolin notes, the new amount of income expected after the renovation can be calculated based on the object's reconception plan. The approximate payback period of a future project is calculated using the following formula: the total investment (taking into account the cost of reconception) must be divided by the difference between the amount of income that was before the reconception and the amount expected after it. In terms of profitability, the hotel business ranks fourth after warehouse, residential and retail real estate. To date, the payback period for a Moscow three-star hotel is 7–8 years. In the Moscow region, the period extends to 10 years.

Puzzle or hotel?

To make an existing business effective, a complete reconstruction is often required, which significantly increases the costs of investors, and, ultimately, can make the project economically unjustified. “First of all, reconception is advisable for hotels located in the central and historical areas of cities, as well as in areas of high tourist activity. Nevertheless, in many cases, the design features of existing hotels do not provide opportunities for effective rebranding, ”says Polina Kondratenko, Director of the Appraisal and Consulting Department at Colliers International.

Soviet hotels are characterized by very small rooms, low ceilings, which practically exclude the possibility of improving the weak air conditioning system. The next difference, which is completely uncharacteristic for world practice, is the vast public areas. In Russia, a hotel with three-star rooms and four-star functional rooms is quite common. One more detail to the "portrait": often many rooms are occupied by offices. And the final touch: the cost of such a major renovation can hardly be justified by the proceeds. “Of course, in regional cities, Soviet hotels often have the best, most advantageous, location, however, in most cases, the best solution is to demolish and rebuild,” David Jenkins is sure.

Reconstruction is often a more costly project than building from scratch, since the processes are complicated by a detailed analysis of the facility, utilities and an assessment of all available resources of the building. “Reconstruction makes sense only if the existing hotel can accommodate modern engineering systems, such as ventilation, air conditioning, and provide functionality in accordance with the current standards. Otherwise, it is better to demolish the building, as reconstruction will cost more, ”warns Alexander Udalov, President of Yumako Group. "An object of the Soviet type can be preserved if the hotel has some historical significance, is of interest precisely as a hotel of the era, for example, the Sovetskaya hotel, which is already a brand in itself." In order for the renovation work not to be wasted, the consultant and project executor must be a professional in their field.

The main criterion for choosing a project contractor is simple: successful work experience in this environment, and certainly in the Russian market, and a good reputation of the company. The criteria for evaluating the results include a stable high occupancy rate of the object, the successful functioning of the constituent parts of its structure, as well as the level of income in comparison with the indicators that appeared before the renovation.

Expert opinions

Dmitry Zolin, Managing Partner, LCMC

Objectively speaking, the hotels of the "Soviet type" are subject to demolition. Previously, they were converted into office centers, but by 2010 the requirements for office space had increased, and now it is very problematic to turn such buildings into offices. Due to the peculiarities technical characteristics similar objects, it is almost impossible to reconstruct them in compliance with modern requirements and standards. That is why it is quite problematic to implement a high-quality hotel project by reconstructing an old Soviet hotel.

Maria Vasilenko, Marketing Director, AZIMUT Hotels Company

A hotel of the "Soviet type" often requires redevelopment of rooms, exterior decoration, renovation of the facade, windows, replacement of plumbing and furniture. There is no need to change the name if the hotel has a positive reputation, has a large number of regular guests, a high degree of loyalty among local residents, as well as a good level of fame and recognition. The economic feasibility of a hotel reconstruction project is easily assessed: according to a typical model, it is calculated what the reconstruction will affect, how it will affect the room price, occupancy and revenue of the hotel. Usually, every 7-10 years, redecoration is done with the replacement of wall coverings, ceilings and textiles.

A complete renovation is recommended every 15 years. Renovation of our regional hotels (they were not closed, but only taken out of sale), took about 2-2.5 years. We are constantly renovating our facilities. The main tasks for the near future are to transfer two new hotels in Stavropol and the Moscow region under the AZIMUT Hotel Chain brand.

Kirill Irtyuga, CEO of Rosinvest Hotel Management Company and VOYAGE Hotels & Resorts

The need for reconstruction is justified, as a rule, by statistical data: indicators of reduced hotel occupancy, wear and tear of equipment, room stock and technical base. It is worth remembering that the task is not limited to updating the number of rooms. Reconstruction should affect everything - the quality and volume of services, the level of food, the professionalism of the staff, the attractiveness of the surrounding area. At the same time, the forecast of the return on investment in the renovation can only be a calculated figure. If the cost of room and food are specific amounts, then one of the key elements of profitability - expected occupancy - is a subjective value that no hotel management company can guarantee.

Alexander Udalov, President of Yumako Group

Unfortunately, in 90% of cases, the old laws of the hotel are preserved behind the renovated facade. It is not enough to do just a formal update, you need a well-thought-out internal logic for the object being changed. Here you need a sense of the spirit of the times and modern understanding hospitality... A suitable example is the Eurolux hotel. The previous owners made a major reconstruction of the facility: granite floor, a solid bar, reception, updated rooms, but forgot about such simple things as changing rooms, a dining room for staff or toilets on the ground floor for guests, which negatively affected the functioning of the facility in modern conditions ...

Polina Kondratenko, Director of Appraisal and Consulting Department, Colliers International

How successful the hotel will be after the rebranding depends on the professionalism of the management company. There are examples of an increase in the income of hotels after rebranding with entry into the international hotel chain by more than 30%.

David Jenkins, Director of the DTZ Hotel Real Estate Group, Russia and the CIS

One of the key reasons for the rebranding is the need to change the perception of the hotel by guests, both current and potential. However, it should be noted that the rebranding and renewal of the room stock are only the first steps, which should be followed by constant monitoring of the service. Obviously, the need for these measures is due to the market itself as a prerequisite for survival. For a hotel with a non-central location, conference facilities are of particular importance. Renovating them allows you to attract additional income from organizing events, increases the hotel's visibility as a venue, adding value to the product as a whole.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Shortly before the new year, we were lucky enough to shoot one of the oldest and most luxurious hotels in the city - "National".

The National Hotel was built in 1902-03 by the project of the architect Alexander Ivanov, the Varvarinskoye joint-stock company acted as the customer and sponsor. At the time of opening, it was the most expensive, prestigious, modern and technically equipped hotel.

In this publication, we will walk through the halls and rooms of the hotel, and also briefly tell about its history ->

At all times, the hotel has stayed the appropriate guests - government officials, important foreign gentlemen and celebrities. Endless governor-generals, leaders of the nobility's assemblies. But the most famous guest of the first years of the hotel is not an official at all, but a composer - Rimsky-Korsakov.

After the revolution, the hotel turned into the 1st House of Soviets, in fact, into a hostel for Soviet officials. During the 1920s alone, most of the furniture and the former splendor of the interiors were lost. Since the 1930s, it is again a hotel, now under the familiar name "National", hundreds of pieces of antique furniture, requisitioned from the rich palaces of the tsarist era, have been brought into its rooms. But large-scale repairs and restoration were carried out in it only in the early 1990s. During the restoration, all the premises of the hotel were brought as close as possible to their original appearance. Let's walk around the hotel and see what's inside, what has changed in 113 years, and who had the honor to live in its rooms.

Decoration of elevators in the main lobby of the hotel. The elevator for 1902 is an unprecedented luxury and innovation, the very first electric elevators in Moscow appeared a year before, in 1901.

It cannot be said that the National Hotel is an Art Nouveau building. Still, this is eclecticism, the architect Alexander Ivanov, who built it, even in the modern era remained faithful to the mixture of styles, this is the architect of the St. Petersburg school, he lived in northern capital and built more than 60 houses there, starting in the 1870s, and only in the 1890s came to Moscow. Even in the heyday of Art Nouveau, he used only the details of the newfangled style in his projects. The National Hotel is close to classicism in its composition, and in decor it is a bright mixture of classicism, baroque, French renaissance and modern. Most of all Art Nouveau is in the forged lattices of the balconies, the mosaic panel at the top of the corner of the building, and in the interior it is, first of all, the fences of the front stairs.

There were two main staircases: the main one - from the side of Mokhovaya Street. The Art Nouveau staircase railing, referring to the Franco-Belgian Art Nouveau, is the pride of the National, and one of the main symbols of the hotel.

We look from the stairs towards the entrance. The composition of the hall is reminiscent of Petersburg neoclassicism, many of the front rooms of St. Petersburg are decorated in a similar way, and with Atlanteans. The roots of the architect are making themselves felt. By the way, the wooden vestibule at the entrance is partially authentic.

A look up at the stairwells decorated for the New Year.

In the 1990s, they could not come up with a logo for the hotel brand for a long time. And suddenly they found a miraculously preserved wine glass with the hotel's monogram made of the interweaving of Russian letters and H and Latin N. The logo was ready, there was no need to invent anything new. As a result, the monogram of the early 20th century formed the basis of the hotel's new corporate identity, it is now everywhere - both on staff suits, and in advertising brochures, and on all signs.

A new café space on the ground floor emerged in the 1990s. Before the reconstruction, it was a courtyard-well, surrounded on all sides by the buildings of the hotel.

The floral decor of the main staircase is also a rather characteristic detail of the Art Nouveau era, but in composition it is nevertheless closer to classicism.

Another reason for joy is the preserved Art Nouveau stained glass windows from 1902, which adorn the windows of the main staircase. All of them are genuine, only lost in Soviet times central part windows. In St. Petersburg, there are still quite a few of these preserved in the ceremonial apartment buildings; for Moscow, alas, this is a great rarity.

One of the restaurant halls on the second floor of the hotel. Here, almost all of the decoration was lost during the Soviet era; in the 1930s, it was an ordinary dining room. On the basis of the traces that have survived, everything has been restored during the restoration process, including the colors of the walls and ceilings.

A local artifact - authentic heating radiators from the early 20th century.

The view that now opens from the restaurant from the second floor was initially not there. Until the 1930s, a whole block of old buildings stood on the site of Manezhnaya Square, including the five-story buildings of the Patchwork Hotel. It was she who blocked the view of the Kremlin from the National.

View of their upper floors of the "National" at the beginning of the 20th century. Between the houses is the narrow Tverskaya, and in the distance behind the roofs peaks Historical Museum and the sharp roof of the City Duma ( former Museum Lenin, now another building of the Historical Museum).

Before the revolution, the kitchen was on the sixth floor so that the smells of food would not spread throughout the hotel, and the dishes were transported to the restaurant on the second floor using a special lift - "a machine for lowering food."

In the window on the right you can see the newly built hotel "Moscow". It is believed that the artist Andrei Ioganson sketched the view of the hotel, sitting in one of the halls of the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel, later turning the drawing into a label for Stolichnaya vodka.

The hall on the second floor with windows towards Tverskaya is a monument of the Soviet era, the times of "developed socialism", 1975-76. The authors of the stucco molding and murals are the artists I.V. Nikolaev and M.M. Dedova-Dzedushinskaya.

The design clearly refers to the era of the Stalinist Empire, but here it is all specially made in a naive and childish way. And not just like that, here in the 1970s there was an idea to arrange a children's cafe.

Fragment entitled "Carnival" by Marina Dedova-Dzedushinskaya.

The adjoining corner room, decorated by the same artists, was occupied by the Petukhov brothers' fur shop before the revolution. A separate staircase led to the store from the first floor, from the Tverskaya side. Now it is the second front door of the National.

The halls and rooms of the "National" contain a huge amount of antiques. However, now it is difficult to say where each of the artifacts came from, this knight, for example. In the 1930s, thousands of units were requisitioned from pre-revolutionary lordly houses, estates of nobles and merchants. All this was distributed to Soviet hotels and institutions.

Second floor corridors.

The doors, their decoration and ornamentation with a number on the glass have been completely restored exactly as they were in 1903.

Some of the celebrities who have stayed at different times in the National are Catherine Deneuve, ballerina Anna Pavlova, footballer Pele, racer David Coulhard and Alain Dalon. The entire wall in one of the corridors is hung with portraits.

After the revolution, in March 1918, the Soviet government moved from Petrograd to Moscow. Lenin, Krupskaya, Maria Ulyanova and Bonch-Bruevich and his wife were on the first train. They were accommodated in the rooms of the "National". Party leaders from the second train were assigned to the Metropol. Before the arrival of the party elite in Moscow, all the guests were evicted from the hotel and guards were posted. Number 107, in which Lenin and Krupskaya were accommodated, was guarded by Latvian riflemen from Smolny.

This is the study and bedroom of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. The furniture in the room is antique, but not from the National, but, again, from palaces and estates, imported in the 1930s. Moreover, in this issue, some of the items are already from the royal palaces of St. Petersburg. The round table has the stamp of the Tsarskoye Selo palace administration, and the desk with drawers has the stamp of the Anichkov Palace. The original furniture from National, alas, did not survive the 1920s; a significant part of it was also used for firewood for heating.

Krupskaya and Lenin's sister Maria Ulyanova slept in this room.

Neoclassical ornament restored during reconstruction in the 1990s, restored following the traces found under several layers of Soviet wallpaper. Such ornamental belts adorned all hotel rooms, only their pattern is different in each room.

Each room has a different ornament.

In addition to the leader of the proletariat, in the former "National" they managed to live in those days: Sverdlov, Trotsky, Lunacharsky, Tsyurupa, Budyonny, Voroshilov and Stalin. On March 19, 1918, a week after their arrival, all the party leaders, together with Lenin, were moved to the Kremlin, which was quickly cleaned and patched up after the revolutionary battles.

The bathroom in room 107 is now new. The original bathrooms were small and uncomfortable by today's standards, but at the beginning of the 20th century they were unprecedented luxury. All these conveniences "National" and won over the rest, the leading hotels at that time. Patchwork, Bolshaya Moskovskaya, Paris, Louvre-Madrid, Dresden - all of them were built before the sewerage in Moscow, and in most cases did not have plumbing equipment and bathrooms. And only 13 of the most expensive rooms of the "National" had water closets and bathrooms. The rest of the guests shared 49 bathrooms on the floors.

Third floor corridor.

After the government moved to the Kremlin, "National" was renamed the 1st House of Soviets. All shops on the 1st and 2nd floor were closed, the restaurant turned into a dining room. The delegates to the congresses of the Soviets, who had arrived, as if, for a while, did not want to leave here. Members of the Communist Party of Finland, employees of the State Control apparatus, members of the Small Council of People's Commissars, it is possible to list their positions for a long time, but the names hardly tell anyone about anything in our time: Frumkin, Minkin, Galkin, Karamyasov, Roslavets and etc. Among famous people we can recall Molotov and Kaganovich. Gradually, the hotel rooms were overflowing, party leaders of lower ranks invited their relatives and friends, everyone wanted to stay here, as a result, the hotel turned into a continuous chaos and disorder.

Here is what a member of the commission G.P. Maureen: “Examining the 1st House of Soviets of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, its warehouses with groceries, pantries with inventory and the kitchen where dinner is prepared, I found and was downright amazed at all the mismanagement of the persons assigned to this institution. The kitchen where the food is prepared is, if you enter from 10 am to 1 pm, a continuous swamp or cesspool. On the floor, there is a solid mass of food waste, such as peels from peeling potatoes and leaves from cabbage, and all this is sufficiently saturated with dirt.
... carcasses of meat and fish lie in the open courtyard under a canopy, exposed to weathering and deterioration. The same fate befell potatoes, of which 1000 poods in bags are compiled into a common pile and represent a dump of spoiled products. "

And only in the 1930s everything changed, all the Bolsheviks were evicted, and the 1st House of Soviets again turned into the National Hotel.

Let's go back to looking at the best hotel rooms.

This is the 115th room, which before the revolution bore the name "Drawing room of Louis XV". Furniture made of Karelian birch, brought here in the 1930s, was made at the beginning of the 20th century at the famous factory of P.N. Schmidt. Initially, this room, as well as all the rooms on the third and fourth floors, had mahogany furniture from the Melzer factory, the trendsetter of furniture fashion in St. Petersburg and the supplier of the Imperial Court. On the fifth and sixth floors, there was furniture made of light and bog oak. The original wall decoration was restored with a damask - a fabric of pink tones. During the restoration, it turned out that the upper cornice was also a wooden structure for attaching a silk damask.

The most significant relic of the 115 number is a French vase from the early 19th century with images of Napoleon and his wife Josephine. Josephine looks to the corner and once every two weeks the vase is rotated 180 degrees to keep things fair. In the era of "perestroika", when property was taken out of the hotel, the legendary vase disappeared. The criminal investigation department threw all efforts in search of her, and soon the stoker of one of the Moscow boiler houses called the police. It turned out that his friend, a former hotel employee, was hiding this vase in his boiler room. The thief was caught, and the vase was returned to its place.

Now this room belongs to the presidential suite class. Before the revolution, such rooms were used by members of royal families, foreign diplomats, and ministers of the tsarist government. In 1913, Nicholas II's uncle, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, Felix Yusupov's father-in-law, lived here. And in 1918, it was in this room that Yakov Sverdlov, the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, one of the people who made the decision to shoot the royal family, was accommodated.

A 19th century grand piano from the German firm Rud Ibach Sohn.

The picturesque panel "The Triumph of Juno" has been preserved since 1902, and was restored in the 1990s.

And in the bedroom, the furniture is already modern, antique-styled.

During the Stalinist repressions, many numbers were tapped. Once the writer Mikhail Sholokhov became an accidental victim of wiretapping. Usually, when he came to Moscow, he stayed at the National. In 1938, a romance broke out between the writer and the wife of the "iron people's commissar" Nikolai Yezhov. Evgenia Yezhova visited the author of The Quiet Don in the rooms of this hotel. And the most interesting thing is that the wiretap recording through the security officers went straight to the People's Commissar Yezhov.

Another number worthy of attention is 177. The furniture is also all antique, brought from rich estates.

Contrast.

It is worth taking a closer look at the details of the bed.

Its backs are decorated with ram heads.

A bed with rams, and a wardrobe with swans in capitals.

Above is a belt of restored fragments of Art Nouveau decor. The dark rectangle is a cleared original painting, according to which all the others were restored. The original fragment has darkened from time to time, initially it was the same as everyone else is now - lighter.

Genuine and reconstructed fragments.

A table in the living room.

In the living room, the decor is represented by the suits of playing cards. And here, too, they preserved the original, darkened fragment.

Fourth floor corridor.

In 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy stayed in this room.

The painting "Bacchus on a Wooden Bicycle" refers to the original decoration of the hotel, recently restored.

Furniture details for room 210.

This is a three-room suite, on either side of the main corner room there are two more, with windows to Mokhovaya and Tverskaya. In the 1920s, the family of Comrade Kropotkin lived in the corner room and there were 10 beds.

A room with a window on Mokhovaya. Another family lived in this room. In fact, every room in the 1920s was a communal apartment.

And this one goes to Tverskaya. In such small rooms, during the time of the 1st House of Soviets, guards or subordinates of big bosses could live.

During the restoration of the National in the 1990s, 120 rooms were restored from the 3rd to the 6th floor, and they were brought back to their original appearance as much as possible.

The topmost stained glass window is different from all the others.