Published on: 2026-08-18
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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A comprehensive restoration is being completed in Moscow on a federal cultural heritage site — the building of sculpture workshops in Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane (house 27, buildings 2, 3, 4). From 1900 to 1932, the sculptor Nikolai Andreev lived and worked here, and his workshop was located in this building, where sculptural and graphic works were created. In particular, numerous lifetime portraits of Vladimir Lenin, which later became part of the sculptor’s famous Leniniana. Specialists have already restored the facades and roofing, and are now finishing the restoration of the interiors.
“The building was constructed in 1894 according to the project of the famous Moscow architect Alexander Kaminsky — the teacher of Fyodor Shekhtel, author of the Tretyakov Passage project and the first premises of the Tretyakov Gallery. Before the work began, the sculptor Andreev’s house was in unsatisfactory condition. In 2023, it was involved in the program ‘1 ruble per square meter per year’, and now the work is nearing completion. Specialists repaired the rafter structures and roofing, reinforced the brick wall masonry and treated it with a biocidal compound, repaired the plinth, and restored the historic color of the facades. Using archival photographs, they produced window and door fillings, as well as restored the interfloor staircase and recreated decorative elements in the building’s interiors,” said the head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage (Mosgornasledie).
During the work, specialists made several interesting discoveries. While dismantling the rotten floor, they found plaster heads, parts of statues and bas-reliefs of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Vladimir Mayakovsky, glazed tiles, books, pieces of furniture, and other items from the early 20th century.
The restoration is carried out within the framework of the preferential lease program for cultural heritage sites “1 ruble per square meter per year” based on approved project documentation and issued permits under the supervision of Moscow Heritage Department. After the completion of the work, they plan to create a multifunctional space here. Some of the discovered items will be returned to the historical interiors to preserve the building’s connection with its past and to showcase the features of the Moscow sculptural workshop of the early 20th century.
“The contract for the right to use the historic building in Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane for business purposes was concluded with the winner of the specialized tender in the summer of 2023 for 49 years. According to its terms, within the framework of the “1 ruble per square meter per year” program, to transition to a preferential rental rate, the investor must complete all restoration work no later than 2028. After that, they will be able to use the building at their discretion. Thus, the preferential rent program has a multiplicative effect: businesses gain the opportunity to save on one of the most costly expense items, and the city preserves its historic heritage for future generations and becomes more attractive for residents and tourists,” she noted
Ekaterina Solovyova, Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the city’s Department of City Property.
The building in Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane is an example of Moscow eclecticism from the late 19th century. Its architecture combines classical motifs with window and door openings designed in the Art Nouveau style characteristic of the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. Since the beginning of the 20th century, a distinctive sculptural commune operated here. Next to Nikolay Andreev’s workshop was Maria Sinitsyna’s workshop, where young artists worked, including Vera Mukhina, Lyudmila Gold, Sofia Rosenthal, and Ivan Rakhmanov.
In this building, Nikolay Andreev worked on the monuments to Nikolay Gogol on Nikitsky Boulevard and to Doctor Fyodor Gaaz in Malyy Kazenny Lane. After the revolution, monuments to Alexander Herzen, Alexander Ostrovsky, and Nikolay Ogarev were created here.
After the sculptor’s death in 1932, the residential quarters became communal, and the studios were handed over to other artists. Over the years, Andrei Drevin, Viktor Dumanyan, Oleg Tolstoy, Abram Malakhin, and Anton Lavinsky worked here.
Photographic materials and additional information about Moscow’s cultural heritage are available in the “Cultural Heritage” section of the city’s media bank “Mosfoto”.
A large-scale one appeared on the portal mos.ru special project, dedicated to the development of key areas of Moscow. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and the construction sector. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed in recent years, which initiatives aimed at making citizens’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its residents in the near future.
On the project page “Culture, Heritage, and Leisure Industry” You can learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital.
Moscow is the cultural center of the country and ranks among the leading metropolises in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. The city has established a film cluster, combining the Moskino film factory on Ryazansky Prospekt, the Gorky Film Studio, and the Moskino film park.
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