Derozhinskaya mansion

Среди архитектурных памятников Кропоткинского переулка особняк Дерожинской выделяется своим утончённым стилем. Здание было построено в 1901- 1903 годах по проекту выдающегося зодчего Фёдора Шехтеля при участии его помощника А.А. Галецкого для наследницы текстильной империи Александры Дерожинской, дочери известного фабриканта Ивана Бутикова. В доме было паровое отопление, вытяжная вентиляция, канализация, водопровод, электричество, телефонная связь. Шехтель не только спроектировал само здание, но и продумал все интерьеры. По рисункам самого архитектора была заказана мебель, ткани, светильники, торшеры, двери, наличники и бронзовая фурнитура. Внутреннее оформление особняка поражало роскошью и оригинальностью. Парадный холл с огромным мраморным камином, библиотека с резными решётками и кабинет с античными рельефами.

После революции особняк использовался для нужд различных советских учреждений, а с 1959 года в нём размещается посольство Австралии.

A luxurious house in the Art Nouveau style, named after the hostess "Deroginsky's mansion," is located in the backyard behind an elegant metal fence. The facade of the mansion is given a restrained elegance combination of glazed ceramic tiles of light green color, white horizontal fringing bands, stucco moldings in the form of floral arrangements and garlands. The protruding part of the facade is occupied almost entirely by a huge arched window, above which two small round towers are mounted on the roof. The terrace of the main entrance is decorated with a female mascaron with whimsically scattered long hair. A plot of land in Shtatniy lane (the name of Kropotkinsky Lane until 1921) was acquired by Alexandra Derozhinskaya, the daughter of industrialist Ivan Butikov, the Old Believer from Rogozhskoe in 1901. Heir to the rich merchant, AIexandra Derozhinskaya decided to build a mansion for her and her second husband. Moscow-wide famous architect Fedor Shekhtel, whom she probably had known during the period of her first marriage to industrialist and Old Believer P.P.Ryabushinsky. Shekhtel did several jobs for Ryabushinsy at the time. The house was designed and built with the assistance of A. A. Galecky. It differed with the latest engineering technologies: steam heating, ventilation, drainage, central water supply, electricity, telephone. Fedor Shekhtel designed the building, interior concept and sketched furniture, fabrics, lamps, light fixtures , doors and trim, bronze fixtures. Geometric patterns "duplicated" in the details of the house. The interior design of the mansion is of particular interest. The first floor is designed for the social life of the family, consists of a central hall, living room, library, bedroom, study and dining room. All ceremonial rooms are grouped around a central hall. Fedor Shekhtel embodied the idea of ​​a large dominant space: the cyclopean dimensions of the rooms, doors, windows, fireplaces, lighting fixtures. A masterpiece of the hall - a marble fireplace with a high-relief depicting two human figures in one and a half of human height, "holding" the top heaviness of oak frame. Living room ceiling has different pattern – a set of small yellow light bulbs with variable light intensity, mounted in the cores of climbing flowers. "Forests” was an artistic theme of the library: choirs with bookshelves covered with graceful carved lattice pattern which develops the motif woven with cloud-like canopy of trees. The second outstanding fireplace is in the office - a huge white marble masterpiece with a relief of ancient horsemen galloping. After the revolution mansion was occupied by various Soviet institutions: Cultural and Educational Society of Ukrainian Rada, extra-school education department of the People's Commissariat of Education, and after 1921 there were various diplomatic missions. Australian Embassy resides in the Derozhinskaya mansion since 1959.