The Romanov’s before the empire
The mansion is also known as the Chamber of the Boyars, a museum devoted to the Russian nobility lifestyle in the 16th century that also represents those times architecture. The street where the house is located is Varvarka Street (улица Варвака). Behind the house you would be able to observe some ancient buildings like churches, monastery and the first English embassy built in the same century.
The house passed throughout several reconstructions but the last one was ordered by Aleksandr II in 1856. Actually is a miracle that it wasn’t destructed during the revolution, even when they had plans to do it so.
In 1923, the place opened for the first time as a museum under the name of the house of the XVII century nobleman, to show the contrast lifestyles between servants and aristocrats.
In the house’s interior you can see how the rooms were divided between first and second floor and designated in that way for the men, women and children.
Everybody has heard about the Romanov dynasty, when they started to rule the country and how everything finished. However, I want to leave you an interesting fact regarding their life before some family member’s became tsars.
In those times, in order to refer to somebody who belonged to the aristocracy, they used the term boyar, also known as noble. So the Romanovs were nobles living in a distinguished neighborhood in Moscow, which is now the oldest district of the city, Kitay Gorad (Китай город).
This is definitely a museum worth to visit, meanwhile you are staying in or visiting Moscow, you can reach the place with the underground; the closest station is Kitay Gorod Metro Station. It’s opened daily from 10 am to 5pm and closed only Tuesdays and first Monday of the month.
