Fairy Palace on Yakimanka

There was a special program of studying the human brain for the purpose of explaining the phenomenon of genius to produce a superman. The scientists were looking for similar traits in the anatomy of those who were considered by the authorities to be the prominent specimen of humankind.

Later, the enterprise was enlarged. The mansion on Yakimanka became a place where the brains of more and more prominent people were collected. In 1934, according to “Pravda” newspaper, “the scientific team of the Institute has prepared and is already studying the brains of Clara Zetkin, Lunacharsky, Tsyurupa, Mayakovsky, Andrei Bely, member of the Academy of Sciences Gulevich”. Soon this unique collection was supplemented with the brains of Stanislavsky, singer Sobinov, Maxim Gorky, poet Bagritsky, Kalinin, Kirov, Kuibyshev, Krupskaya, Michurin, Pavlov, and Tsiolkovsky.

Eventually, the scientists were desperately out of space. The decision was made to give the Research Istitute another facility, which was more spacious. In 1938 the vacated mansion was transferred under the ownership of the French Embassy.

Bastille Day

The new owners did a major remodeling but they did not change the look of the mansion and its interior designs. Parisian architects, appreciating the beauty of the building, only thoroughly restored everything, selected expensive hangings, stylish furniture, and chandeliers. All of this allows Igumnov’s house to delight the eye of those passing by with the architectural uniqueness of the building, and guests of the Embassy — with the exquisiteness of old furniture and tapestry even up to this day.

Today former Igumnov’s mansion serves as the residence to the French ambassador. Regular receptions are held here with members of the diplomatic corps and the beau-monde of the Russian capital attending. The gayest celebration of all is the Bastille Day, when in the open air, under the tall chestnut trees numerous tables are laid and the sound of music can be heard blocks away from the embassy.

It seems now that Igumnov’s house has finally freed itself from the ghosts of the past. Nothing reminds today of the poor female dancer or the brain of the leader of the world’s revolution that used to be kept here. Though, the latter statement may not be that obvious. In 1979, near the Igumnov’s mansion the new office building of the Embassy was constructed — very modern, with folded plates, arrow-headed windows and many corners and edges. To an attentive eye, though, the obvious resemblance of this work of the modern architectural art to another famous construction — Lenin’s mausoleum on the Red Square, will not remain unnoticed. The same dark-red color of the facade, same step-shaped outline which form reminds you of a truncated pyramid.

It is worthwhile to mention one more legend in relation to Igumnov’s house. A long time ago, in the middle of the nineteenth century, a young man, who came to Moscow from province, for the first time saw Igumnov’s mansion and he was so struck with its beauty that he made up his mind to become an architect. The name of this young provincial was Alexey Shusev. It was he, after gaining the status of a recognized maestro of architecture, who designed the project for Lenin’s mausoleum, which was wooden at first, and then built with stone.

Such was the joining point of historical coincidences that brought together the manufacturer from Yaroslavl, the ghost of a hoity-toity dancer, the leader of the world’s proletariat and the fairy palace on Bolshaya Yakimanka.

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