“A whisper of revolution hangs in the air” This is the Nobles Club. Built in 1780 by Matvei Kazakov for Prince Vasily Dolgoruky it became the headquarters of the Assembly of Nobles in 1784. Kazakov expanded the mansion adding the elegant Hall of Columns ballroom. The French invasion in 1812 brought destruction. Muscovites set fire to the city to stop Napoleon. The club was restored and expanded with a third story later.
The Hall of Columns is stunning. Twenty-eight Corinthian columns of tied logs clad in faux marble stand tall. In this very hall Tsar Alexander II made a significant speech in 1856. He declared it better to abolish serfdom from above than wait for its collapse from below. This was a warning to the nobility whose wealth depended on serf labor. This marked the beginning of the end of the nobility’s dominance.
After the revolution in 1919 Lenin seized the building transforming it into the House of Trade Unions. The building’s significance became even more apparent in 1924. Over a million people came to view Lenin’s body as it lay in state. Tragically in 1953 hundreds died in the crush of crowds mourning Stalin’s death. Stalin’s infamous show trials of enemies of the people also took place here in the Hall of Columns. The crystal chandeliers witnessed it all.
The building stands as a silent witness. It has witnessed grandeur decay revolution and tragedy. Its history is a microcosm of Russia’s tumultuous past. The Nobles Club a pastel palace once a symbol of privilege is now a testament to the ebb and flow of power. It continues to stand a powerful symbol of Moscow’s rich and complex history.