About the Embassy building

The building at the corner of Skaryatinsky Lane and Povarskaya Street always attracts the attention of Muscovites and visitors. It is also admired by people who live and work in Povarskaya Street as well as connoisseurs of Russian architecture who can appreciate its beauty. This building is one of the best and most well-known monuments of Moscow Art Nouveau.

The building has gone down in the history of Moscow architecture as “Mindovsky Mansion", since that was the name of its first owner. It turned its hundred years in 2003.

The mansion was designed by Lev Kekushev, a great name in Moscow Art Nouveau, and this building is considered as one of his best creations. After the Revolution the mansion was used for various official purposes, and currently is occupied by the Embassy of New Zealand.

The text and photographs are kindly supplied by Giraffe Publishers' under Sergei Tkachenko Architectural Workshop, and personally by Ms Irina Dolinskaya, Chief Editor. All rights reserved.

"Mindovsky Mansion. New Zealand Embassy", Moscow, Giraffe Publisher, 2003.

Text: Maria Naschokina

Photographs: Sergei Tkachenko