Pushkin House

The Pushkin House (Russian: Пушкинский дом, Pushkinsky Dom) is the familiar name of the Institute of Russian Literature in St. Petersburg. It is part of a network of institutions affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences.

History

Establishment

The Russian Literature Institute began its life in December 1905 as the main centre for Alexander Pushkin studies in Imperial Russia. A commission in charge of erecting a Pushkin monument in St. Petersburg, led by Sergei Oldenburg and Aleksey Shakhmatov, suggested a permanent institution be set up to preserve original Pushkin manuscripts:

The idea won support from all sides and was welcomed by Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich. It was understood that the Pushkin House would be housed in a purpose-built Neoclassical edifice, or Odeon, but the idea failed to materialize owing to lack of funds.

In 1907 Vladimir Kokovtsov, Minister of Finance, came up with the proposal to acquire a huge collection of Pushkin manuscripts and memorabilia amassed in Paris by Alexander Onegin from 1879 onwards. The negotiations dragged on until Onegin's death in 1925, but the bulk of his collection eventually ended up in Russia. The most precious items had been presented to Onegin by Vasily Zhukovsky's son. The personal libraries and manuscripts of Ivan Krylov, Pyotr Pletnev, and Andrei Bolotov were acquired from their heirs soon afterward.

Pushkin House (disambiguation)

Pushkin House is the common name for the Institute of Russian Literature in St. Petersburg. Pushkin House may also refer to:

Pushkin House (London)

Pushkin House (Russian: Пушкинский Дом) is a Registered Charity owned and run by the Pushkin House Trust. It supports and promotes the splendour, richness and beauty of Russian culture in London and beyond.

The building

5 Bloomsbury Square as we see it today was built c.1703 as part of the estate of the Earl of Southampton. It was altered substantially by architect Henry Flitcroft in the 1740s; Flitcroft added the Palladian façade. In many respects, 5 Bloomsbury Square is a perfect example of Georgian architecture and retains the vast part of its original features.

From 1704 until his death in 1714, 5 Bloomsbury Square was the home of John Radcliffe, physician to King William III and Queen Anne.

For much of the nineteenth century 5 Bloomsbury Square was occupied by solicitors including Frederick Turner, Charles Ford and Abraham Moses Cohen. By 1888 it was occupied by the architect Arthur Beresford Pite (1861-1934). Pite became a renowned professor at the Royal College of Art and at the School of Architecture in Cambridge.