House of Scientists in Odesa
Take a look at the magnificent XIX-century piece of architecture now heavily damaged by shelling
Tolstoy Palace (1830)CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
The House of Scientists, known as The Palace of Count Tolstoy, is a beautiful example of classicism with Baroque and Renaissance influences. Built in the 1830s in the center of Odesa, the palace became one of the most significant and popular architectural sites of the city
Tolstoy Palace (1830)CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
The Tolstoy Palace was renovated three times to suit the likes and capabilities of its three owners. Captain Horvath was the original owner. Count Tolstoy bought it in the 1840s. Later on, in the second half of the century, his son took over the place.
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The Palace has 12 unique rooms. The Marble Hall is completely faced with artificial marble, invented and produced by local craftsmen. The Silk Hall is upholstered with intricately ornamented silk, and the Nutwood Hall with filigree carvings of nut wood doors and panels.
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The interior of the palace is richly decorated with marble stairs and columns, carved ceilings, wooden ornaments, Venetian mirrors as well as various tapestries. There is also a beautiful grand piano which is believed to once have belonged to the Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt.
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Up until the summer of 2023, the Tolstoy Palace had remained almost intact. Despite the change of owners and the hardships happening throughout its history, such as the Soviet overtake of power and World War Two, most of the original interior had been kept untouched.
On Sunday, July 2023, Odesa suffered a mass Russian missile strike. As a consequence, one person died, six residential buildings were ruined, and several architectural monuments were heavily damaged, including the Transfiguration Cathedral and the House of Scientists.
The palace building survived but still suffered all-encompassing damage. Every room was somewhat ruined. Almost all of the stained glass windows and doors were destroyed. The architectural monument became another cultural victim of the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine.
