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The House of Martyn Brothers is Reconstructed

The National M.A.Sholokhov Museum-Reserve carries on a reconstruction of the object of the Federal historical and cultural heritage “The House of Martyn Brothers” in Rostov-on-Don (125/ 69 Bolshaya Sadovaya Str.). There will be opened a Museum branch for an exhibition centre to demonstrate expositions and travelling exhibitions.

“The House of Martyn Brothers” is an old mansion built over a hundred years    ago. It has become one of the bright architectural sights of the main street of Rostov. It is still a fascinating sight with its original architectural and artistic character joining elements and motifs borrowed from the German and Russian Middle Age architecture. A white-stone front-façade decoration with a high pavilion mansard roof including a corner octagonal marquee reflects the style of the architect N.M.Sokolov. The house of the Martyns family became one of the best creations of the architect, who at the end of the 1880 – 1890-s designed and erected a number of big public buildings of the city at the same time having a broad private practice.

Initially the house and grounds were a property of Ivan Romanovich Martyn, the founder of the company “John Martyn and Co”. Before 1906, the owner of the house and grounds was Polina Ivanovna, the daughter of Ivan Romanovich. Before 1908, the owners were Polina’s brothers – Vasily and Georgy Martyn joined by the third brother, Ivan Martyn, before 1915.

Early in the 1920-s, the house and grounds were municipalized to house different institutions.

In March of 1994, by the Resolution of the head of the Rostov Region Administration the house got the status of a historical and cultural memorial of local importance, and in 1995, by the Decree of the RF President, No 176, of February, 20, it was included in the list of objects of historical and cultural heritage of federal importance. From 2003, the house belonged to the State Technical Commission under representation of the RF President in the South Federal District.

In April, 2007, the building, being in an alarm condition at that time, was transferred to the balance of the National M.A. Sholokhov Museum-Reserve. With a restoration of the lost architectural elements and details provided, based on the extant analogues and documentary photographs, in 2007-2008, a scientific project documentation was developed for repair and reconstruction work. By now, a great amount of work has been done to recover the historic character of the building.

In 2009, in order to eliminate the deformation of the house bearing structures caused by the nearby construction of a large-scale convention centre and the subsiding and soft soils the house itself was founded on, the work on installation of CFA piles has been done for strengthening the building foundations.

According to the work technology, in 2010 –2011, the wooden intermediate floors were replaced with reinforced concrete ones, and the wooden truss system was replaced with metal-bearing structures; the late window openings of the ground floor wing were bricked up in compliance with the original brickwork pattern; the wrought lattices were reconstructed; the systems of water supply, sewerage and heating were built up; the house operating engineering systems were established: a power supply, heating, ventilation, climate control, security and fire alarm, video monitoring and so on.

This year, an exit stair is being built, interior decoration, setting up floor, doors and frames are being carried out.

Following the reconstruction works, which are to be completed in 2014, the citizens and guests of the Don capital will be able to visit the exhibition centre of the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov, to see the original historic and architectural character of the magnificent memorial of the late XIX century.

Vladimir Shchebunyaev
Nataliya Shchebunyaeva