Where is the National Hotel located? The unique history of the National Hotel. David Jenkins, Director of DTZ Hotel Real Estate Group, Russia and CIS

Outdated morally and physically

According to GVA Sawyer, by the first quarter of 2010 the share of quality supply hotel market Moscow, which is formed by hotels of the 3-5 star category, accounted for less than half of the total number of rooms (44%, or 17.8 thousand rooms). A significant part of them are 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 commissioned within the last five years. In general, the capital market is dominated by the “heritage” of the 80s–90s, which needs major repairs and reconstruction.

In the Moscow region, many objects also require one or another update. Of the more than five thousand sanatoriums, boarding houses, tourist centers, and holiday homes, only 35% are in operation, 15% are idle or used for other purposes, and the remaining half require serious reconstruction,” outlines the situation Kirill Irtyuga, General Director of the RosinvestHotel Management Company. and the hotel chain VOYAGE Hotels&Resorts.

The capital market is dominated by the “heritage” of the 80s–90s, which needs major repairs and reconstruction

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

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

In 1989, the Bucharest Hotel was closed for three years of reconstruction. All communications in the hotel were replaced, the layout was completely changed, and only the facade remained from the old building. Total costs were approximately $85 million. In 1992, the reconstructed hotel opened under the new name Baltschug Kempinski and also received five-star status.

The latest 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, led by the famous architect Leonardo Tonioni, worked on the new hotel design. The Ukraine Hotel (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 up” from old hotels: the Sovetskaya (1952), Arbat (1960), Cosmos (1979), and Orlyonok (1976) hotels were reconstructed. – now Korston Hotel Moscow, “Mezhdunarodnaya” (1980) – now Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Center. The Marco Polo Presnya (1904) and Beijing (1955) hotels are currently under reconstruction. Three-star hotels are also being updated. The most striking examples are the Izmailovo Group of Companies and the Astrus – Central House of Tourist Hotel, built for the 1980 Olympics. The Zarya (1956), Akademicheskaya (1976), Aeropolis (1980), Warsaw (1960), Belgrade (1973) hotels also received a new face. “Baikal” (1976), “Hunter” (1980). The three-star Leningradskaya (1950s) after reconstruction began to meet the four-star category and received the name Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya. This spring, Katerina Park (formerly Eurolux) opened. Not only the “long-livers”, but also hotels built in the 90s (Renaissance Moscow, Iris Congress Hotel, Tsaritsyno) underwent renovation.

In Moscow, which is the most interesting platform for hoteliers, there are still hotels awaiting renovation. GOST Hotel Management plans to transfer Sretenskaya into the luxury segment; work should begin in 2011. The hotel, which became one of the first in Russia for the Radisson hotel operator - Radisson SAS Slavyanskaya, will soon close for reconstruction. The MosCityGroup company plans to acquire the Budapest Hotel in order to turn it into Moscow's first 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 management company. Of course, not all the capital's hotels were preserved - some turned out to be more expedient to demolish. Thus, 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– opening is expected at the end of this year.

Hit the target

Each object has its own “lifespan” - the period during which its operation can be as efficient and profitable as possible. "U shopping centers this period is approximately 7 years, a little longer for offices and hotels - about 10 years. After this period, design modernization, reconstruction and reengineering are necessary,” comments Dmitry Zolin, managing partner of LCMC. – But there is another reason – errors at the hotel design stage. 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 attract a competent hotel operator to adjust the zoning or change the brand.”

“Reconception may be associated with an understanding of the failure of the previous concept, its unprofitability and ineffectiveness. Also, the reorientation of the hotel may be influenced by external factors, says Maria Vasilenko, Marketing Director of AZIMUT Hotels Company. “For example, a business hotel in the region, whose occupancy was mainly business travelers, may be reoriented due to the closure of a number of city-forming enterprises that 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 the walls does not mean remodeling 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 property itself and its surroundings, and a characterization of the state of the real estate market in at the moment.

At the second stage, the reasons for the reconception are determined and justified, the problem is formulated, various options for its solution are proposed, and a concept is selected. 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 renovation is needed, what the costs will be compared to the expected return of profit, and whether this renovation will increase the value of the hotel,” says David Jenkins, director of the DTZ hotel real estate group in Russia and the CIS. – It is extremely important to improve the quality of the rooms, as well as determine what functional areas 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.”

Question of price

Problems with financing are the main difficulty that the owner faces when reconstructing a hotel, and the main reason why the project turns into a long-term construction. Attracting project financing is a serious obstacle in the owner's path. As Kirill Irtyuga states, classical project lending is not profitable.

Attracting 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, financing of projects most often comes with the involvement of third-party investors who purchase a stake from the hotel owner. “Financing is very difficult to obtain. Banks are reluctant to finance hotel projects, and those requiring reconstruction are doubly reluctant. It is very difficult for bankers to explain why they need to carry out certain actions in the process of work and what the final result will be,” shares Alexander Udalov. In this regard, the Yumako company 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 renovation can be calculated based on the site’s reconception plan. The approximate payback period for a future project is calculated using the following formula: the total amount of investment (taking into account the costs of redevelopment) must be divided by the difference between the amount of income that was before the redevelopment and the expected amount after it. In terms of profitability, the hotel business ranks fourth after warehouse, residential and retail real estate. Today, 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 efficient, a complete renovation is often necessary, which significantly increases costs for investors, and ultimately can make the project uneconomic. “First of all, reconception is appropriate for hotels located in the central and historical areas of cities, as well as in areas of high tourist activity. However, in many cases, the design features of existing hotels do not provide an opportunity for effective rebranding,” says Polina Kondratenko, director of the valuation and consulting department at Colliers International.

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

Reconstruction is often a more expensive project than construction from scratch, since the processes are complicated by a detailed analysis of the site, utilities and assessment of all available building resources. “Reconstruction makes sense only if it is possible to install modern engineering systems, such as ventilation, air conditioning, in the existing hotel and provide functionality in accordance with current standards. Otherwise, it is better to demolish the building, since reconstruction will cost more,” warns Alexander Udalov, president of the Yumako Group company. “A Soviet-type object can be preserved if the hotel has some historical significance and is of interest precisely as a hotel of the era, for example, the Sovetskaya Hotel, which in itself is already a brand.” To ensure that the reconstruction work is not done in vain, the consultant and project executor must be a professional in his field.

The main criterion for choosing a project contractor is simple: successful experience in this environment, and necessarily in the Russian market, and a good reputation of the company. The criteria for assessing the results include the stable high occupancy of the facility, the successful functioning of the components 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 of LCMC

If we talk objectively, then “Soviet-style” hotels are subject to demolition. Previously they were converted into office centers, but by 2010 the requirements for office premises have increased, and now it is very problematic to turn such buildings into offices. Due to the peculiarities technical characteristics such 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 “Soviet-style” hotel most often requires remodeling 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 and has a large number regular guests, 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: using a typical model, it is calculated what the reconstruction will affect, how it will affect the room price, occupancy and revenue of the hotel. Typically, every 7–10 years, cosmetic repairs are made with the replacement of wall coverings, ceilings and textiles.

A complete reconstruction is recommended every 15 years. The renovation of our regional hotels (they were not closed, but only the number of rooms withdrawn from 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, General Director of RosinvestHotel Management Company and VOYAGE Hotels&Resorts

The need for reconstruction is, as a rule, justified by statistical data: indicators of a decrease in hotel occupancy, wear and tear of equipment, rooms and technical facilities. It is worth remembering that updating the number of rooms does not end the task. The 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 return on investment in renovation can only be an estimate. If room and board costs 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, behind the updated facade, the previous laws of hotel operation are preserved. It is not enough to make only a formal update; a well-thought-out internal logic for the object being changed is required. Here you need a sense of the spirit of the times and a modern understanding of the hotel business. A suitable example is the Eurolux Hotel. The previous owners made a major reconstruction of the facility: granite floors, a good-quality bar, a reception, updated the number of rooms, but they forgot about such simple things as locker rooms, a canteen 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 Valuation and Consulting Department, Colliers International

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

David Jenkins, Director of DTZ Hotel Real Estate Group, Russia and 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 rebranding and updating the number of rooms are only the first steps, which should be followed by constant monitoring of the service. Obviously, the need for these measures is determined by the market itself as a prerequisite for survival. For a hotel with a non-central location, conference facilities are especially important. Their renovation allows you to attract additional income from organizing events, increases the hotel’s popularity as a venue for events, adding value to the product as a whole.

But in the 19th century, the Varvara joint-stock company bought the corner plot for new development. At first, several houses appeared here with cheap apartments and shops on the first floors. But then the idea arose to build a luxury hotel.

At first the hotel was called “National”. Accommodation was not cheap - up to 25 rubles per day, but there was no shortage of clients. All thanks to the excellent finishing and technical equipment: marble stairs, stucco moldings, mosaic floors, stained glass windows, mahogany furniture. The majolica panels on the upper floor were made at the Abramtsevo plant especially for the National. One of the paintings depicted the god Bacchus on a wooden bicycle. The hotel was equipped with technical innovations of that time: elevators worked, and telephones, water closets and baths appeared in the rooms.

In Soviet times, after the capital was moved from Petrograd to Moscow, members of the Bolshevik government lived here for some time. The National Hotel turned into the First House of Soviets.

The hotel functions of the building were returned to the 1930s. The hotel was renovated, and the interiors were replenished with furniture from Anichkov and Tsarskoye Selo palaces. At the same time, an “industrial” panel by I.I. appeared in the corner part of the building. Rerberg. And during the Second World War, the residence of 16 foreign embassies and diplomatic missions was established in the National.

The renovated National Hotel opened on May 9, 1995, when Russia celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Today the hotel has 202 rooms, and each is a small museum. Antique vases from the time of Napoleon, gilded chandeliers, furniture sets made of Karelian birch send guests back to the times of Tsarist Moscow. In total, on the seven floors of the National there are 500 original antiques.

Hotel National is one of the oldest operating hotels in Moscow. Located in the very center of Moscow - on the corner of Tverskaya and Mokhovaya streets, next to Red Square, the Kremlin, and the Alexander 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 the whole of Russia.

Construction of the National Hotel began in 1900. The project of the hotel building, commissioned by the Varvara Society of Home Owners, 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 amazing - marble stairs in the lobby, stained glass windows, mosaic floors, figures of Atlanteans installed at the entrance to the elevators.

The hotel rooms were no less luxuriously decorated and furnished. The furniture for them was made to special order, from mahogany, light and stained oak, and other valuable species. The most expensive apartments of the National, such as the Louis XV Living Room or the Louis XVI Living Room, were located on the third floor and were intended for receiving high-ranking guests. The luxury of the setting was complemented by an exclusive range of amenities and hotel services. Many hotel rooms were equipped with bathrooms and water closets, and all rooms had safes. 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 at that time.

In addition to the rooms, the National building 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 pride of place among the best hotels in Moscow. Accommodation at the National was not cheap, but the hotel rooms were never empty. Rich merchants and large industrialists, foreign diplomats settled here; such prominent figures of Russian culture as Fyodor Chaliapin, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Ivan Bunin lived here at different times.

The changes that occurred in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917 also affected 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 by artillery 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 lived in room 107 for a short time. The room was furnished with upholstered furniture in green tones, on a massive desk covered with green cloth, there were black marble inkwells with paperweights, two bronze candlesticks and a bronze lamp with a green lampshade. The room was illuminated by a bronze three-armed chandelier. Some details of this situation have survived to this day.

After the Soviet government moved to the Kremlin, the National Hotel remained a hostel for the All-Russian Central Executive Committee for a long time. The consequences of this became clear in the early 1930s, when it was decided to return the hotel to its former functions. During the inventory, it turned out that most of the hotel interiors and furniture had fallen into disrepair, and engineering and technical communications were significantly worn out. The National building underwent a major overhaul. Changed appearance hotels: the lower floors, lined with granite, sandstone and red brick, were repainted to resemble granite, oak frames were replaced with aluminum frames, and instead of majolica panels, an industrial landscape in the spirit of the times appeared on the corner attic of the building. The furniture for the National's rooms was taken from the reserve fund created during the nationalization of noble estates. This is how furniture and art objects from the Anichkov and Tsarskoye Selo palaces appeared in the hotel environment. “National” turned into a kind of “museum”, which immediately affected the cost of living in the hotel - even one couldn’t afford to stay in its rooms foreign tourists. In subsequent years, the National acquired a reputation as an unprofitable hotel. Several times - both in the 1950s and 1960s - attempts were made to modernize and re-equip the hotel building, but they were not very extensive - repair of roofs and electrical wiring, restoration of individual antique furnishings, 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 - but not because its building was architectural monument in the Art Nouveau style, but because Lenin once lived here. The dilapidation of the building and the lack modern equipment practically deprived 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. Some of the antique furniture, recognized as a national treasure, was transferred to museums for storage, the rest was taken out for restoration, and then used in the design of the hotel’s interiors. Based on the results of a competition held in 1990, the general contractor was selected - 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.

Work to revive the National Hotel was carried out in three main directions - repair and redevelopment of the building, modernization of hotel equipment, renovation of interiors. Another floor was added to the northern façade of the building to house a 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 café with a winter garden was installed there. At the same time, Austrian designers developed furniture in the Art Nouveau style for National and designed interiors. New chandeliers were made, repeating to the smallest detail the design of the first, pre-revolutionary National lamps.

The revived National welcomed its first guests in 1995. In the same year, by presidential decree Russian Federation The hotel building was classified as a historical and cultural monument of Moscow of federal significance. Thus began a new stage in the history of 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 a carefully restored atmosphere of antiquity. Many rooms preserved the interiors of the early 20th century and were furnished with antique furniture; engravings and prints with views of old Moscow and paintings written in the spirit of Russian realism appeared on the walls of the hotel. The new National quickly gained popularity among guests of the capital, acquiring 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 an undoubted success.

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

Nowadays, the National Hotel has firmly taken its place of honor among the best five-star hotels in the world. National's achievements have been repeatedly awarded with an honorary diploma and a Diamond Star from the US Academy of Hospitality - the most prestigious award in the global hotel business. “National” is part of the group of the most fashionable hotels of the European hotel chain “Le Meridien” - “A Royal Meridien Hotels”, but at the same time remains a 100% municipal hotel and is served exclusively by Russian staff. The general director of the hotel, Yuri Podkopaev, who has led the National since 1985, has twice been awarded the title of one of the best hoteliers in the world.

Hotel "National"- a 5-star hotel in the center of Moscow. The hotel building occupies the corner of Tverskaya and Mokhovaya streets, being also an important component of the architectural appearance of Manezhnaya Square.

History of creation

In the place where the hotel is now located, from the end of the 18th century there were apartment buildings of the merchant Moskvin. In the 19th century, the Varvara Joint Stock Company of Homeowners bought a corner plot for new development - soon several houses with cheap apartments appeared here, the first floors of which were given over to shops. At the same time, the designers gave the corner protrusion of the main building a semicircular shape, characteristic of Moscow architecture of the late 18th century. In 1901, the new owners began construction of a luxury hotel designed by architect A.V. Ivanov. The new architectural project provided for the preservation in general terms of the appearance of the previous building (apartment house by architect L.N. Benois), including the semicircular corner. The building of the National Hotel, opened on December 29, 1902, is designed in an eclectic style with Art Nouveau elements. The National was originally conceived as a world-class luxury hotel. Expensive materials were used in the decoration. The exterior decoration is marked by the use large quantity stucco moldings; mosaic floors and stained glass were used in the interiors. The hotel was equipped with advanced technical innovations of the time: elevators were installed, and telephones, water closets and baths appeared in the rooms. Initially, the hotel was designed for 160 rooms, which were located on the four upper floors.

In 1918, after the Soviet government moved to Moscow, the hotel building was occupied by government units of the new government (and occupied it for the next 15 years); the hotel was named First House of Soviets. For several days in March 1918, the head of the Soviet state V.I. Lenin lived with his wife N.K. Krupskaya and sister M.I. Ulyanova in two-room number 107-109. The hotel’s involvement in revolutionary history is reminiscent of the majolica panel on an industrial theme, installed on the corner attic in 1931-1932 - one of the first examples of the implementation of Lenin’s plan for “Monumental Agitation and Propaganda.” In 1932, the building was returned to hotel status.

From 1991 to 1995, a large-scale reconstruction and restoration of the National was carried out.

Current state

Today the hotel is one of the most comfortable in Moscow. In 2006, the hotel, having received official name Royal Meridien National became part of the international hotel corporation Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. On September 1, 2009, after another renovation, the National Hotel changed the brand “Le Royal Meridien” to “The Luxury Collection”, which also belongs to the company “Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide”. From this moment on, the hotel bears the name “Hotel National, a Luxury Collection Hotel.” The hotel has 206 rooms, including 37 suites with views of the Kremlin, individually designed and furnished with antique furniture, as well. “National” has repeatedly been awarded the title “ Best hotel Russia in the five star category" and has "Royal status". Among the guests of the National are heads of state and government, show business stars, and famous cultural figures.

In December 2011, the hotel, previously owned by the Moscow government, was privatized. The winner of the auction was the structure of entrepreneur Mikhail Gutseriev, who offered 4.674 billion rubles for National.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing the National (hotel, Moscow)

On the night of September 1, Kutuzov ordered the retreat of Russian troops through Moscow to the Ryazan road.
The first troops moved into the night. The troops marching at night were in no hurry and moved slowly and sedately; but at dawn the moving troops, approaching the Dorogomilovsky Bridge, saw ahead of them, on the other side, crowding, hurrying across the bridge and on the other side rising and clogging the streets and alleys, and behind them - pressing, endless masses of troops. And causeless haste and anxiety took possession of the troops. Everything rushed forward to the bridge, onto the bridge, into the fords and into the boats. Kutuzov ordered to be taken around the back streets to the other side of Moscow.
By ten o'clock in the morning on September 2, only the rearguard troops remained in the open air in the Dorogomilovsky Suburb. The army was already on the other side of Moscow and beyond Moscow.
At the same time, at ten o’clock in the morning on September 2, Napoleon stood between his troops on Poklonnaya Hill and looked at the spectacle that opened before him. Starting from the 26th of August and until the 2nd of September, from the Battle of Borodino until the enemy entered Moscow, all the days of this alarming, this memorable week there was that extraordinary autumn weather that always surprises people, when the low sun warms hotter than in the spring, when everything sparkles in the rare, clean air so that it hurts the eyes, when the chest becomes stronger and fresher, inhaling the fragrant autumn air, when the nights are even warm and when in these dark warm nights golden stars constantly rain down from the sky, frightening and delighting.
On September 2 at ten o'clock in the morning the weather was like this. The shine of the morning was magical. Moscow from Poklonnaya Hill spread out spaciously with its river, its gardens and churches and seemed to live its own life, trembling like stars with its domes in the rays of the sun.
When I see strange city with unprecedented forms of extraordinary architecture, Napoleon experienced that somewhat envious and restless curiosity that people experience when they see the forms of an alien life that does not know about them. Obviously, this city lived with all the forces of its life. By those indefinable signs by which at a long distance a living body is unmistakably distinguished from a dead one. Napoleon from Poklonnaya Hill saw the fluttering of life in the city and felt, as it were, the breath of this large and beautiful body.
– Cette ville Asiatique aux innombrables eglises, Moscow la sainte. La voila donc enfin, cette fameuse ville! Il etait temps, [This Asian city with countless churches, Moscow, their holy Moscow! Here it is, finally famous city! It's time!] - said Napoleon and, dismounting from his horse, ordered the plan of this Moscou to be laid out in front of him and called the translator Lelorgne d "Ideville. "Une ville occupee par l"ennemi ressemble a une fille qui a perdu son honneur, [A city occupied by the enemy , is like a girl who has lost her virginity.] - he thought (as he said this to Tuchkov in Smolensk). And from this point of view, he looked at the oriental beauty lying in front of him, whom he had never seen before. It was strange to him that his long-standing desire, which seemed impossible to him, had finally come true. In the clear morning light he looked first at the city, then at the plan, checking the details of this city, and the certainty of possession excited and terrified him.
“But how could it be otherwise? - he thought. - Here it is, this capital, at my feet, awaiting its fate. Where is Alexander now and what does he think? Strange, beautiful, majestic city! And strange and majestic this minute! In what light do I appear to them? - he thought about his troops. “This is the reward for all these people of little faith,” he thought, looking around at those close to him and at the troops approaching and forming. – One word of mine, one movement of my hand, and this ancient capital of des Czars perished. Mais ma clemence est toujours prompte a descendre sur les vaincus. [kings. But my mercy is always ready to descend to the vanquished.] I must be generous and truly great. But no, it’s not true that I’m in Moscow, it suddenly occurred to him. “However, here she lies at my feet, playing and trembling with golden domes and crosses in the rays of the sun. But I will spare her. On the ancient monuments of barbarism and despotism I will write great words of justice and mercy... Alexander will understand this most painfully, I know him. (It seemed to Napoleon that the main significance of what was happening lay in his personal struggle with Alexander.) From the heights of the Kremlin - yes, this is the Kremlin, yes - I will give them the laws of justice, I will show them the meaning of true civilization, I will force generations the boyars lovingly remember the name of their conqueror. I will tell the deputation that I did not and do not want war; that I waged war only against the false policy of their court, that I love and respect Alexander, and that I will accept peace terms in Moscow worthy of me and my peoples. I do not want to take advantage of the happiness of war to humiliate the respected sovereign. Boyars - I will tell them: I do not want war, but I want peace and prosperity for all my subjects. However, I know that their presence will inspire me, and I will tell them as I always say: clearly, solemnly and grandly. But is it really true that I am in Moscow? Yes, here she is!
“Qu"on m"amene les boyards, [Bring the boyars.]" he addressed the retinue. The general with a brilliant retinue immediately galloped after the boyars.
Two hours passed. Napoleon had breakfast and again stood in the same place on Poklonnaya Hill, awaiting the deputation. His speech to the boyars was already clearly formed in his imagination. This speech was full of dignity and the greatness that Napoleon understood.
The tone of generosity in which Napoleon intended to act in Moscow captivated him. In his imagination, he appointed days for reunion dans le palais des Czars [meetings in the palace of the kings], where Russian nobles were to meet with the nobles of the French emperor. He mentally appointed a governor, one who would be able to attract the population to himself. Having learned that there were many charitable institutions in Moscow, he decided in his imagination that all these institutions would be showered with his favors. He thought that just as in Africa one had to sit in a burnous in a mosque, so in Moscow one had to be merciful, like the kings. And, in order to finally touch the hearts of the Russians, he, like every Frenchman, who cannot imagine anything sensitive without mentioning ma chere, ma tendre, ma pauvre mere, [my sweet, tender, poor mother], he decided that for everyone In these establishments he orders them to write in capital letters: Etablissement dedie a ma chere Mere. No, simply: Maison de ma Mere, [An institution dedicated to my dear mother... My mother’s house.] - he decided to himself. “But am I really in Moscow? Yes, here she is in front of me. But why hasn’t the city’s deputation been showing up for so long?” - he thought.

Category of historical and cultural significance

Federal significance

Object type

Monument

Basic typology

Monument of urban planning and architecture

Creation date information

Facility address (location)

Moscow, st. Mokhovaya, 15/1, building 1 (part)

Name, date and number of the decision of the government authority to place the object under state protection

Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR On the addition and partial amendment of the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR dated August 30, 1960 No. 1327 “On further improvement of the protection of cultural monuments in the RSFSR” No. 624 dated 12/04/1974

Description of the subject of protection

Urban planning characteristics of the building involved in the formation of the development front of Tverskaya and Mokhovaya streets, Manezhnaya Square; volumetric-spatial composition of the main building as amended in 1901-1903; composition and architectural and artistic design of the facades of the main building as amended in 1901-1903; four small polychrome majolica panels 1901-1903. on the 6th floor level; majolica panel with an industrial theme from the 1920s. at the 7th floor level; composition and architectural and artistic design of the facades of the courtyard of the main building in the original edition of 1901-1903; composition and architectural and artistic design of a fragment of the southwestern firewall, decorated in 1934 according to the design of Academician I.V. Zholtovsky in connection with the construction of the “House on Mokhovaya” on the neighboring site; the original function of the hotel. Space-planning structure and structures of the main walls of the main and courtyard buildings, 1901 - 1903. (basement - 7 floors); system of vaulted basement floors (the subject of protection of vaulted basement floors is specified based on the results of the design of the device). Initial architectural and artistic design and decoration of the interiors of the main building: window rollers and marble window sills; volumetric-spatial composition and decorative design of the main lobby of 1901-1903: stucco ceilings, a fragment of the floor made from the original Metlakh tiles; volumetric-spatial composition, decorative design and construction of the main staircase and elevator hall from Mokhovaya Street, 1901-1903. (1-6 floors): enclosing structures, stucco decoration of ceilings and walls, stained glass filling of window openings, fragment of the staircase floor (6th floor?), assembled from the original tiles, figures of Atlanteans, metal fencing of elevators no. XX century; volumetric-spatial composition and decorative design of the staircase from the side of Tverskaya Street of the former “Petukhov Brothers Ready-Made Dress and Fur Products Store”: figured enclosing structures; location and volumetric-spatial solution of the service staircases of the main building (basement - 7 floors) and the courtyard building (basement - 5 floors); location and decorative design of corridors and halls of the 2-6 floors of the main building; premises of the modern hall "St. Petersburg": decorative design and painting of ceilings, original mirror and heating radiators (2nd floor, south-eastern corner of the main building); premises of modern banquet halls "Suzdal" and "Kostroma": ceiling painting 1975-1976. , made by artists I.V. Nikolaev and M.M. Dedova-Dzedushinskaya (2nd floor, northern corner of the main building); the original structure of the rooms located along the main facades (3-6 floors); hotel room 178 (3rd floor): original planning solution, decorative ceilings, stained glass; hotel room 101 (3rd floor): stucco ceiling decoration with paintings, corner fireplace; hotel room 107 (3rd floor): in 1918 V.I. stayed in the room. Lenin and N.K. Krupskaya; hotel room 115 (3rd floor): artistic ceiling painting "Triumph of Juno" 1902, stucco ceiling decor; hotel room 207 (4th floor): fragment of the picturesque composition painting “Bacchus on a wooden bicycle”, stucco ceiling decoration; hotel room 201 (4th floor): painted frieze with fantasy masks in gilded vignettes on a blue background. The commission proposes to clarify the name of the object in the following wording: “Hotel “National”, 1901-1903, architect A.V. Ivanov.” 2. Subject of protection at the facility cultural heritage of federal significance is approved in accordance with the established procedure.