Shchudrovskaya Tent, Ivanovo

Shchudrovskaya Tent in Ivanovo, Russia is the oldest building in the city, having been built in pre-Petrine times at the end of the 17th century. It was the first brick structure in the town and as such stood out vividly amid the drab wooden buildings which were popular at that time. The home remains a unique architectural monument which has no analogues in either Ivanovo Region or the neighboring territories.

In its early days, the administrative center for the possessions of the princes of Cherkasy was located in two rooms of the building. The area was always crowded, for villagers gathered here not only to solve administrative and domestic issues but also to admire the unusual brick building. Shchudrov Tent also housed a village archive, a reception room for settlers and a manager's room. Government officials who visited Ivanovo were known to lodge here as well.

Shchudrovskaya Tent received its current name at the end of the 19th century when the building passed into the possession of the famous merchant Osip Shchudrov. The enterprising merchant established a small factory in the building at which colorful patterns were printed onto fabrics. An additional two floors were added to accommodate the factory, with a space for drying fabric organized on the upper floor. In the 1860s the top floor was dismantled and the building repurposed as residential quarters. In 1912, the Shchudrov family leased the building to a cotton wool production company, at which time the house became a storage facility.

In 1926, Shchudrov Tent was awarded the status of an architectural monument. Its restoration was planned before World War II but did not commence until 1964. By the time renovations were completed in 1988, the original shape of the roof had been restored and all but the first floor had been demolished.

Since 2010, Shchudrovskaya Tent in Ivanovo has hosted an exhibition of faience and porcelain sculptures and is currently one of the branches of the Ivanovo Museum of Local History.

Address: 10 August Street 39, Ivanovo, Russia