Image of Stoleshnikov Lane
To tell the truth, visiting the busy metropolis, a guest can lose the own way and head. But not only in the case of the “good riddance” provided in advance… Moscow receives the guests every day, and there are centres of hospitality all over the city. But there are very few really cosy and comfortable places. Let us speak on the history of hospitality.
An annoying companion is often seen off with a sigh: “Good riddance!” But the situation is quite different, when we wish “good riddance” for a traveller. Thus he is given as if a talisman, which eliminates all the hindrances by the way and provides cordiality and hospitality of the hosts.
It was not by chance that we referred to the “good riddance”, because our ride follows directly to Stoleshnikov Lane. Before XVII century, this was the residence of weavers, who provided table cloths for the royal court. This lane was named after the table cloth. It was not busy with trade or crowded but cosy and green. For these qualities, Stoleshnikov Lane caught the fancy of Dolgorukiy, Trubetskoi, and Kozlovskiy prince families. In XVIII century, the grand people got stylish residences here: their estates were stone palaces all surrounded with green gardens.
Not all the details survived, but the oldest building of this lane (stone palace of XVIII century) can be seen today. Let us look into the yard of building No. 9 (this is the most famous and popular address here). In the old days, this palace was rebuilt into the estate of Jean Lameral, the world famous and best dance teacher in Moscow. Later, the left part of his estates was purchased by Dmitriy Ivanovich Nikiforov, a metropolitan aristocrat, historian, researcher of Moscow and old resident of the city. There he built a rented apartment house and one of the tenants – Uncle Gilyai – should be known to everybody, who has visited Moscow at least once. Vladimir Gilyarovskiy, a master of hitting and stinging improvisations and exciting essays about Moscow, lived in this very house from 1889 to 1935, on the third floor. They say that the door of Gilyarovskiy was never closed, and his hospitable apartment was visited by everybody in Moscow.
Thinking about the history of hospitality of this place, we should pay attention also to the second half of the former estate of Lameral. Its right part was purchased by a family of wine merchants. Their they built a rented apartment house of O. P. Leve and one of the best wine cellars of royal Moscow (now this is building No. 7). According to the experts, the metropolitan gourmets and those, who invited their dear guests for dinner, preferred to purchase wine namely from the cellar (generous meal is a traditional sign of hospitality).
By the way, the traditions of hospitality industry are professionally developed here, in Stoleshnikov Lane. Lets us walk to building No. 11, which is deservedly considered as an architectural monument and one of the most expressive buildings. According to historians, architect Bogomolov designed this house for the family of merchant Karzinkin, and how it is held by Moscow City Architectural Society. Well, the experts of this respectable organization supervise development of the whole hotel and tourist industry of the city. Here, literally at the hand, small cosy Aquarelle Hotel occupies No. 12, building 3. The guests are received according to the best traditions of hospitality. This Hotel contains only 23 rooms of individual arrangement with original interior, pleasant atmosphere, and all the facilities, which are necessary in order to spent comfortable and useful time in the city.
In the morning, having enjoyed the flavour of coffee, it is so pleasant to walk from here to the pavement of one of the oldest lanes in Moscow, where, looking around, one can suddenly see a man dressed as Pierrot with thickly whitened face walking from the neighbouring house and going to Petrovskiy Lines… And imagine how it happened in the old days: Alexander Vertinskiy was walking to the theatre from Marseilles Hotel (building No. 15). According to the eyewitnesses, thus languishing walk of the actor dressed in his scenic costume with full makeup was invariably accompanied with a crowd of excited and admiring ladies. Today this theatrical act should be considered as a kind of sketch or rhyme to the present glamour of Stoleshnikov Lane… Now there are luxurious shops of the famous brands. The charm of wealth, chic, and dignified appearance of their windows are not less intriguing than the shocking walks of Vertinskiy in his age.
It seems that everything is possible today in the spectacular decorations of Stoleshnikov Lane! Here, in the former residence of weavers, who made tablecloths for the king, where gardens were blossoming, where Pushkin was walking to visit Baratynskiy and Chekhov and Tolstoi visited Gilyarovskiy, Rubinstein daily worked and sometimes played the piano with Wagner; everything is possible in the intertwining stories, names, events, and ages.
Probably the only impossible thing is breaking the code of metropolitan hospitality. Because cordiality and hospitality are literally bequeathed by everybody of those, who lived here before us. Visiting Moscow for your business, remember that the very first article of this code is the said old charming wish “good riddance” for every leaving traveller... Welcome! Your point of destination is Stoleshnikov Lane.