Melkonov-Yezenkov House

The Melkonov-Yezenkov House (Russian: Дом Мелконова-Езекова, tr. Dom Melkonova-Yezenkova) was an edifice in the center of Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The house was located at 71 Bol'shaya Sadovaya street (Russian: Большая Садовая улица, 71) at the intersection of Bol'shaya Sadovaya street and Bol'shoy Stolypinsky avenue (now Voroshilovsky avenue). Constructed at the end of the 19th century, until 1942 it housed commercial apartments. Melkonov-Yezenkov revenue house was destroyed during the Second World War.[1]

Melkonov-Yezenkov House (on the right), Chernov House (on the left)

History
Melkonov-Yezenkov House (on the right), Chernov House (on the left) in 1919

The revenue house was erected at the end of the 19th century. Its owner was famous Rostov and Nakhichevan merchant Gavriil Melkonov-Yezenkov. An urban legend originated from the construction of the building. Two merchants allegedly made a bet who which one of them are richer. They decided to build the revenue houses as luxurious as possible on Bol'shaya Sadovaya street across from each other.[2]

The Melkonov-Yezenkov House was to have three floors originally but due to incipient housing boom in Rostov-on-Don Melkonov-Yezenkov decided to erect the five-story building on the old foundation. The architect found an elegant solution to the increasing the height of the building: the five-story Beaux-Arts building is crowned with a round tower, which in turn is topped by a spire.[1]

The building was redesigned in the Art Nouveau style in the early 20th century. The facade was decorated with relief, columns, caryatids and a portico. It was recognized as a historical landmark, which, as per their decoration yield to the Rostov-on-Don City Hall only.[3]

Rostov-on-Don social club occupied the rooms in the Melkonov-Yezenkov House in the early 20th century. Being with tours in Rostov-on-Don a Russian symbolist poet Konstantin Balmont acted in this building. He gave a lecture on "Poetry like magic" in the social club. The Melkonov-Yezenkov House was a place of rest of urban intellectuals. Teachers, attorneys and clerks visited this place.

Cinema Kolizey occupied the house during the Soviet rule. Poet Sergey Yesenin acted in the cinema hall. Rostov oblast Executive Committee on radiobroadcasting and development of broadcast networks; different shops and cinema Udarnic were in the house. Dwellings were on the upper floors.[4]

Air bomb hit the Melkonov-Yezenkov House. It was exploded and left to burn in 1942. The building collapsed in consequence of the fire.[1]

References
  1. Черницына В. А., Есаулов Г. В. (1999). Архитектурная летопись Ростова-на-Дону. Rostov-on-Don. pp. 98–101. ISBN 5-8456-0433-8.
  2. "Ворошиловский проспект (а также Столыпина и Карла Маркса)". Archived from the original on 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  3. "Легенды Ростова: мошенник построил здание РИНХа" (in Russian). Rostov-gazeta. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  4. "Дом Мелконова-Езекова" (in Russian). Энциклопедия фонда Хайазг. Retrieved 2017-10-13.


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