The building of the Synodal Printing House

The construction of the Synodal Printing House began in 1811 on the site of the dilapidated buildings of the Moscow Printing House . Initially, according to the idea of ​​architect Selikhov, it was planned to build a building on the model of old buildings and save the gate. But by order of the head of the Kremlin expedition, Valuev, who was in charge of the printing houses, architects Alexey Bakaryov and Ivan Mironovsky were appointed to prepare the project for the house. Due to the Patriotic War of 1812, the construction of the printing house was completed only in 1814. The buildings of the printing yard complex were perceived as a single architectural ensemble with towers and a wall of Kitai Gorod . During the 19th century, they were completed or remodeled several times in the “ Russian style ”. The facades of the Printing House from the side of the courtyard retained the Baroque appearance ^{[5] [6] [7]} .

In 1870, Mikhail Pogodin made a proposal to the City Duma for the purchase and reconstruction of the Synodal Printing House complex for retail premises ^[8] . A year later, the architect Mikhail Chichagov prepared a project for the reconstruction of the buildings of the printing house’s courtyard, which Nikolay Artleben substantially modified in 1872–1875 ^[9] . At the same time, the Pravilnaya Chamber ( Teremok ) was rebuilt in the pseudo-Russian style of the 17th century, a new porch was erected. Palekh masters worked on the interior painting ^[6] . Archaeologist Alexander Veksler dated underground structures under the building at the end of the 15th century, which gives reason to say that the cellars are one of the oldest in Moscow ^{[10] [11] [12] [13]} . The superstructure of the third floor and the design of the end faces of the side buildings were made in the 1890s by the architect S. S. Slutsky ^[14] . At that time, the book depository was restored by the architect Vladimir Gamburtsev ^[15] and, based on the results of the work, published “Notes on the repair of the Old Printing House at the Moscow Synodal Printing House” ^[16] .

After the revolution of 1917, the Synodal Printing House was closed, and the printing house of Goznak was placed in its walls. Later, the building housed the Unified Archival Fund, and since 1931 the complex was transferred to the Moscow State Historical and Archival Institute (since 1991 the Historical and Archival Institute of the Russian State Humanitarian University ) ^{[6] [17] [4]} .

In 2004, the Moscow Arbitration Court decided to transfer the buildings on Nikolskaya Street, which was occupied by the Russian State Humanitarian University, to the ownership of the Russian Orthodox Church . In April 2008, the bailiffs, accompanied by 20 people in Cossack uniforms, tried to comply with this decision and seal the classrooms ^{[18] [19]} . On June 20 of the same year, at a meeting of the Public Council, they presented a project for the restoration of buildings of the Zaikonospassky , Nikolsky Monasteries and the Synodal Printing House, according to which the Russian Orthodox Church was to become the owner of the complex. The building of the Synodal Printing House was planned to be given over to “socio-cultural” and “museum functions”, and a monument to the first printer Ivan Fedorov ^{[20] [21] [22] was} transferred to the courtyard. In 2011, the Arbitration Court confirmed that the building was owned by the state and the premises of the former Synodal Printing House were returned to the RSUH ^{[23] [24]} .

In November 2016, the Department of Cultural Heritage of the city of Moscow conducted an audit, as a result of which the buildings of the complex were recognized as in need of restoration and adaptation, and a security obligation was approved for the owner ^{[25] [13]} .

The street building was erected in a pseudo-Gothic style, which was used in the 19th century to emphasize the connection with Russian history. The old gates had to be replaced with new ones, because they did not correspond to the size of the new house, but the builders tried to maintain the appearance of the previous building. So, a sundial appeared on the sides of the central gate, and relief images of a lion and a unicorn , which are symbols of the coat of arms of the Moscow Printing House, appeared above the entrance ^[5] . Archaeologist Vasily Rumyantsev wrote about the bas-relief ^[6] :

The facade of the house is decorated with lancet windows, carved half-columns with ornaments and turrets. A double-headed eagle was located on the pediment of the building, which in Soviet times was replaced by the emblem of the USSR ^{[11] [7] [10]} .

On two sides of the main entrance there are commemorative plaques stating that the first building was built during the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty , and the second under Alexander I ^[6] .

Board on the left: “By the grace of God and the command of the noble and pious and Christ-loving great sovereign and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich, all Russia autocrat and the son of his sovereign and Christ-loving prince and great prince Alexei Mikhailovich, all Russia, these chambers and gates were made in the courtyard stamping in the summer of 7155 months of June on the 30th day. ”

Board on the right: “The foundation was laid for this building for printing spiritual books broken according to the decrepitude of the old, in the same place in the summer of Christmas 1811, and sharpened by the support of the Moscow Synodal Printing House in 1814 during the successful reign of Emperor Alexander I.”

1. Romanyuk S.K. Heart of Moscow. From the Kremlin to the White City . - Moscow: Tsentropoligraf, 2013 .-- 912 p.
2. Solovyov A. Gosudarev Printing House and the Synodal Printing House in Moscow . - Moscow: Synodal Printing House, 1903. - 104 p.
3. Shokarev S.Yu., Vostryshev M.I. All Moscow from A to Z. - M .: Algorithm, 2011 .-- 1064 p.