House of Oparin (Дом Опарина) is a historical residence in a
Russian city of Gorokhovets. The house of merchant Oparin in
Gorokhovets is a striking example of a residential building of the
17th century. It stands on Naberezhnaya Street and is hidden from
the river by green spaces. At one time, this building was recorded
as Serin's house, as it was indicated in all textbooks on
architecture. But the merchant Oparin was considered its real first
owner. Opposite the house rise the stone vaults of the Annunciation
Cathedral, which was built with the money of another Gorokhovets
merchant, Semyon Ershov. It so happened that both entrepreneurs, if
we call them in modern language, were competitors and competed with
each other all their lives.
The litigation between the two
merchants was preserved even in the chronicles. Initially, Semyon
Ershov managed to get up. At the end of the 18th century, the Ershov
merchant family was one of the wealthy in the area, and the Oparins
lived poorer. But then windy fortune changed its favorites. And
years later, Klim Ershov asks Fyodor Matveevich Oparin for money as
security for his yard.
The peculiar struggle between two
merchant families was reflected in the architectural appearance of
the city. So, not far from each other stand the former house of the
Oparins and the Annunciation Cathedral, which was built with the
money of Semyon Ershov. The majestic church building, of course, was
larger and grander than Matvey Oparin’s home building. The
grievances received from the opponent were still alive, so the porch
of the house, looking at the cathedral, was specially moved to the
opposite side towards the river.
Both merchants died long
ago, their litigation was forgotten, and the efforts of human hands
still decorate the city of Gorokhovets. Oparin’s house today houses
the registry office and the city archive. The architecture of the
building is interesting. Restoration work has preserved the
appearance of the building, characteristic of town houses of the
late 18th century. It organically intertwined the traditional
features of the Russian mansion and the new trends of the Peter the
Great era.
The layout of the house, characteristic of the
buildings of Ancient Rus', received modern decor for its time. If
previously it was customary to decorate the windows and doors of
rooms in accordance with their purpose, then the architect of the
Oparin house was seduced by the uniformity and geometric pattern of
the composition. Of course, it is impossible to imagine the real
authentic appearance of the Oparins’ house. The porch was located on
the other side. The house also had attics made of wood, which later
disappeared.
The striking detail of the house is its massive
porch. These are not only steps leading into the room, they are an
integral part of the building, where on top there is a light room, a
living room for girls. The porch has powerful supports, somewhat
subtly reminiscent of the columns of the nearby cathedral. Perhaps,
with such details, Matvey Oparin wanted to at least partially
equalize his house with the grandeur of the Annunciation Cathedral.
The porch is pushed forward and represents a massive part of the
house.