Library building

A special, beautiful, very modern and functional, well-equipped library building was erected in 1913.

The project of the library building was made by an architect of the Imperial court G. I. Lutsedarsky (photo) in February 1911. A majolica portal made by foremen of the Petersburg firm of P .K. Vaulin and oak doors with brass straps  were taken from the Russian pavilion on the international hygiene exhibition in Drezden, 1911 (Arch. Pokrovsky).

The main volume is represented by a rectangular four-floor depository with the attached oval reading room. The main facade ( the only symmetrical one ) is the most solemn, due to the portal and the majolic  arms on the pediment.

The park's facade is more soft, picturesque, diverse. Oval windows, plaster frieze with majolic plates, the contrast between the rough surface of the wall, glazed ceramics and granite socle gives it a romantic character.

The street facade differs from the other with the severity of it's forms and two contrasting geometrical volumes : rectangular depository and an oval reading-room. The later reminds of the old Russian temple, as well as unsymmetrical uneven windows without platbands, ceramic plates and the pinched endings of the walls.

Portal includes the door's platband, tympanum with flower ornament and birds, semi-arch based on two small columns, decorated with ornaments and crowned with capitals with Syrins.

Majolic arms with two-headed eagles are on the top of each capital. To the left and to the right of the columns there are charming images of a unicorn and a griffin.

Unfortunately, in soviet time one of the most attractive details of the facade was lost too : large Russian state arms, supported by two angels, as well as majolic plates over the windows with the names of famous scientists ( Aristotel, Magendie, Muller, Pasteur, Mendeleev, etc).  Photo on the right: the picture of the arms (1913)

In the lower part of the tympanum there used to be two marble plates with the inscriptions :

" Library of the Imperial Institute of Experimental Medicine opened February 21, 1913 in commemoration of 300-year anniversary of Romanov's House Reign" and "The building constructed in the time of trusteeship of H.H. Prince Alexander Petrovich Oldenburgdsky, the founder of the institute, under the directorship of V.V.Podvisotsky to the expenses of vice-director S.I.Vinogradsky".

Unfortunately, the plates were lost in the middle of the 20th century.

Majolica of the library building needs restoration today.

More - in the Russian version