Melnikov’s house was empty for the sake of new life

The main stage of restoration has begun in the famous monument of constructivism

For more than a year, the Melnikov House has been closed to the public. But only now has the Department of Cultural Heritage agreed on all the nuances of the restoration project for the architectural masterpiece of Konstantin Melnikov, which he built for himself and his family in 1927–29. The delay is not surprising – the project to restore the monument has grown to 40 volumes. Now, in the house of unusual design, which is made up of two connected cylinders and decorated with diamond-shaped windows, the main work finally begins, where the main principle is maximum delicacy and minimum intervention.

Melnikov’s house was empty – all the utensils and furniture, paintings and graphics, books and interior items were taken from the building on Krivoarbatsky Lane to a special depository of the Shchusev Museum of Architecture. In total, this is 25 thousand storage units. After the monument was freed from its decoration, restorers again examined the building and, having reached hard-to-reach areas, made adjustments to the multi-volume restoration project. The go-ahead to begin the main stage of work was given on November 28. Although, in general, they hoped to coordinate everything faster, and the money, which is two million dollars, was allocated by a private investor a long time ago: they planned to complete the restoration by the end of 2024, but preparations were delayed. As a result, the deadlines were pushed forward indefinitely – now they say that the restoration will take at least two years. That is, they will finish, if they’re lucky, by the beginning of 2026. However, experts are in no hurry to force things: the main thing here is to do everything properly.

“Our main goal is to delicately extend the life of the monument with minimal restoration interventions,” says the new director of the Museum of Architecture, Natalya Shashkova. — And this approach requires the greatest amount of time and financial resources. The experimental residential building of Konstantin Melnikov is a landmark monument for Russian and world culture. We are well aware of our responsibility and the anxiety of specialists and the public about the upcoming restoration, therefore we have provided for the most open format for carrying out the work.

The progress of work can be tracked in a special section on the museum’s website, and every step is controlled by a supervisory board, chaired by Elizaveta Likhacheva, who headed the Museum of Architecture before her appointment as director of the Pushkin Museum. Pushkin and for many years was responsible for preparing the scientific restoration of the Melnikov House. The council also included the architect’s great-granddaughter Natalya Melnikova (as secretary) and four more of his descendants.

“The goal is in no case to make the house “like new,” Elizaveta Likhacheva is sure, but to solve all the main problems of this rather old structure, which in 6 years will be 100 years old from the date of completion of construction. Addressing the issues will help ensure your home has a longer life. The main principle of restoration is the preservation of everything that can be preserved, and careful work to replace what cannot be replaced.

They already tried to restore the constructivist monument in the 1990s, but the work carried out then did more harm than good. “Cosmetics” in this case are dangerous. This was shown by a survey that took place over two years, from 2017 to 2019. Moreover, Melnikov experimented a lot, used cheap materials available, and groundwater also flows under the house. All these factors need to be taken into account. The house has “genetic” problems that even the most delicate restoration cannot solve, but it can temporarily stop or slow down the destructive processes. But the consequences of previous inaccurate “cosmetic” interventions can be eliminated.

At the moment, we have already worked on the electrics: almost all the lamps, sockets and switches from the early 20th century have been repaired. Only a few have been replaced (or are about to be replaced) with authentic ones. At the same time, the boiler in the basement and other communications were put in order. The same principle of minimal intervention will be used with the finishing: the walls will be painted with the same paint that Melnikov used, and the floor will be covered with authentic mastic. This is probably the most thorough and transparent restoration that has ever been carried out in Russia. And it can become an example of how to work with particularly fragile masterpieces of architecture, such as the experimental Melnikov House.