Bolshaya Morskaya ulitsa 24
Closed to public
Bus: 3, 22, 27
Tram: 5, 22
House of Faberge was the headquarters for famous family of jewelry makers of Faberge. Original house of Faberje was established in 1840 in a house just down the street at Bolshaya Morskaya Ulitsa 16- 18. Faberge or Faberje were descendants of French Huguenots (French Protestants) that left their homeland in France to escape persecutions by Roman Catholics. In Russia they established a dynasty that created intricate jewelry and exquisitely crafted objets d'art. Faberge Easter eggs became particularly famous and popular at the Russian Royal court and World wide. In 1900 Faberge company moved to a new house with a number 24. This much larger house was designed by Karl Schimdt and remained in the possession of the family until the Russian Revolution.
Before the modern house there was another mansion,
but it burned down in 1736. Bell master Ivan Foerster could not
build a new house for a long time. Only the Foundation remained of
it in the 1740s. After Foerster's death, the estate was owned by his
son, also a bellmaker. Under him, the house was finally built. In
1749, the house was sold to the tailor master Martin Kryger. An art
gallery was also located here. At the same time, the house was put
up for auction, but there were no people willing to buy it. In 1755,
the plot was purchased by the chief Secretary of the Senate,
Alexander Ivanovich Glebov, who at the same time married the owner
of the house number 20 on Bolshaya Morskaya street, Maria Simonovna
Choglokova. A month and a half later, she died, and in memory of
her, a house Church of equal-to-the-apostles Mary Magdalene was
built in house No. 24.
In 1760, the site belonged to the
translator of Lieutenant Franz Vernazobre. Then-to the adviser Maria
Ivanovna Kruse, who in 1764 sold it to a haberdashery manufacturer
(a jeweler) To Jean Pierre Adore. In 1774, a jewelry factory worked
here. Its co-owner was probably the jeweler Louis-David Duval, who
apparently lived here. In 1782-1884, the site belonged to the
goldsmith Ador, probably the son of Jean Pierre. His name was Ivan
Ivanovich. The works of Ador and Duval are now stored In a special
storeroom of the Hermitage.
By 1797, No. 24 was a three-story
building with a gate to its right. In the 1800s, it was owned by
Adora's widow Anna Abramovna. In 1822, Duval, a goldsmith, was one
of the sons or grandsons of Louis David. In 1836, the building was
managed by Mrs. Adams, who increased the height of the third floor.
In the 1830s, Luke Dixon's bookshop, which was extremely popular
among St. Petersburg residents, worked here. It was used by A. S.
Pushkin. In 1837, a relative of M. Y. Lermontov, Alexander
Vasilyevich Khvostov, who served in the Asian Department of the
Ministry of foreign Affairs, lived in house No. 24.
For some
time the plot was owned by the merchant Feigel. In the
1840s-merchant Anna Ivanovna Potselueva, owner of many St.
Petersburg houses. From 1850 to 1898, the plot belonged to the
Zolotov family. First - to the court adviser Pavel Sergeevich, then
to the captain of the guards Vladimir Pavlovich. For P. S. Zolotov,
the house was rebuilt by the architect P. zhako.
In 1898, for
407,000 rubles, the site was purchased by the St. Petersburg
hereditary honorary citizen, merchant of the 2nd Guild Karl Faberge.
At that time, Charles Faberge was an appraiser and supplier to the
Imperial court. In 1899-1900, the building located here was
completely rebuilt according to the project of Karl Karlovich
Schmidt, Faberge's great-nephew. The lower floor was intended for a
trading floor. The decoration of the facade was carried out by the
firm "KOs and Duerr". The facade is finished with a single red
Gangut granite. The stone is processed by different techniques,
which gives the impression of a variety of finishing forms.
Faberge company owned house No. 24 until 1917. In addition to the
sales hall, there was an accounting Department, a Studio of
designers and sculptors, a collection of models, and workshops. On
the top floor there was a 15-room apartment of the owners.
The Faberge house was equipped with a unique safe that was under
current and went up to the second floor at night. This did not
prevent him from being robbed in 1918.
Currently, a jewelry
store that belongs to completely different owners continues to
operate in the house No. 24. The old oak counters are preserved on
the trading floor.