At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Rostov-on-Don became a major trading center. The river port receives ships from all over the world. Export figures immediately skyrocket. Due to this, the lightning-fast development of Rostov as the trading capital of the south of the entire empire begins. The entire economic life of the port by the middle of the century is concentrated in the hands of particularly rich and far-sighted merchants. They are investing in the equipment of warehouse complexes, placing them on the coast of the Don. Immediately, it turns into the logistics center of the southern capital. These entrepreneurs included Elpidifor Paramonov and Pyotr Maksimov.
How warehouses became known as Paramonovskie
In the middle of the nineteenth century, the first warehouse complex was built according to the project of the architects Shulman and Yakunin. Toward the end of the century, their number reaches five. At that time, three of them belonged to the then well-known vowel of the city duma, the Rostov Cossack Pyotr Maksimov, and the rest to Elpidifor Paramonov. So why today this monument is called directlyParamonovskie warehouses? This happened due to the fact that Maksimov did not have the charisma, popular love and wide popularity that were characteristic of his colleague.
Elpidifor Paramonov was famous in Rostov! He was incredibly rich, but at the same time, every Rostovite took off his hat in front of him, meeting him on the street, since there was no more decent, more industrious, more disinterested than him in Rostov either before or after that. Rostov dynasty Paramonov gave hospitals and schools. Elpidifor was called the bread king of the country for the quality and volume of his flour turnover. He also owned steamships, mills, coal mines… The deepest mine "Elpidifor" annually produced about 35 million pounds of coal, which is a huge figure even for the 21st century! The rapidly growing city knew its heroes, and it did not care about Maximov. Consequently, in the people's memory, these structures took root as Paramonovskie warehouses.
Warehouse work
Work was hard at the port warehouses. Even overwhelming, exhausting. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Maxim Gorky, the famous proletarian writer (known among the loaders of Rostov as Lyokha Peshkov), worked in this place. Then he will complain to everyone about this hard labor. Here in the season they worked fourteen or more hours a day. Fatigue was the norm here. Accidents happened very often here: either someone breaks their back, or crushes someone with a stone anthracite … But at the same time, there was no shortage of workers. This place paid well, get onwarehouses in Rostov-on-Don was difficult. The working people devoutly hated any mechanization of labor introduced, since any mechanization, despite the fact that it facilitated the work of the workers, took away their bread along with the work! Due to this, hard workers tried to disable every new product.
Twentieth century
Paramonovskie warehouses at the beginning of Soviet power were transferred to the state. property, while not losing their purpose. During the bombing of the port in the Second World War, an air bomb hit this place, destroying the water cooling system. Although the buildings as a whole survived. Building materials, cement, etc. were stored here after the war. At the same time, the warehouses were destroyed not by bombs and wars, but by the irresponsibility of the managers and their ownerlessness. As well as marauders, fires and swamps of an invincible, impenetrable and viscous bureaucracy … In 1985, Paramonovskie warehouses received the status of a monument of culture and history of local significance, then federal. Despite this, they did not cease to be ruins, and no one began to guard them. At the same time, not everyone knows who Elpidifor Paramonov is at the moment.
So what's so great about these utilitarian buildings, albeit from the nineteenth century? Why does every Rostovite know about this place and can show where Paramonovskie warehouses are located? That's all the s alt! They can be called a monument three times.
Architectural monument
For starters, this is an architectural monument. Despite their own prosaic purpose, Paramonovskie warehouses are not without beauty. Rostov-on-Don has preserved many monuments, among which this one is one of the most significant. Warehouses are created in Russian brick style, have motifs of classicism and Romanesque architecture.
History monument
Paramonovskie warehouses played a big role in the economic development of the city. Through them, millions of tons of coal, grain, building materials were exported, and this, no doubt, gave impetus to the comprehensive growth and development of the Southern Capital.
Monument of engineering art
Warehouses have a highlight in that they do not require bulky and expensive refrigeration equipment. Shulman and Yakunin gracefully and competently took advantage of the natural feature of this place - springs that descend from the slope of the Don bank all year round. They collected this water in gutters, passing them through all the rooms. Here year-round constant temperature - 9 °C. This system in the warehouses maintained the conditions that are necessary for storing grain.
Until now, round holes could be preserved in the interfloor space on the facades of warehouses. They were used to transfer grain from the second floors through canvas sleeves to the level of the embankment. From here the grain was sent to barges. Such a system was incredibly convenient, since the second floor of the premises from the side of the city went to the ground level, while the first - to the embankment. Consequently, the owner's ingenious and simple solution reduced costs and accelerated and improved the movement of grain at times, due to which the Paramonov warehouses gained their fame.
Rostov-on-Don at the present moment cannot be proud of their condition, since all the buildings of warehouses are ruins, decorated with waterfalls and lakes of spring water, which continues to spring from the slopes of the Don. Due to the constant temperature of the springs, its own microclimate has developed here: grass grows in this place all year round. At the same time, an impromptu pool with flowing pure spring water appeared in one room. In the heat, there is no end to those who want to swim in it.
Paramon warehouses (Rostov-on-Don). New life
Because they were equipped with a spring cooling system, the premises will be converted into a real contemporary art center. It will include hotels, a spa area, and restaurants. At the same time, the historical appearance of the buildings will be preserved. They had been abandoned for many years before, despite being a historical monument.
Contemporary Art Center
Currently, the city authorities have found an investor who expressed his readiness to make a complete reconstruction of the object, while not changing its specifics, as well as to give the buildings close to the original historical look. Here, galleries of contemporary art will appear under a glass roof. In the same place where the springs beat, there will be a spa center.
Existing buildings will be combined into a common composition with a comfortable seating area. In addition to the spa center and gallery, there will be two hotels and a business center. Paramonovskie warehouses, photos of which can be seen in thisarticle, leased to the investor will be transferred for 45 years. At the same time, the object will be able to receive its first visitors only after a minimum of three years.
Refurbishment of warehouse and production facilities is a common practice in Europe and the USA. She is gradually coming to us, including in Rostov-on-Don. Industrial aesthetics, large areas and high ceilings in such rooms allow you to place large installations, thereby creating a special atmosphere. The combination of such galleries with business centers, hotels and spas is a sign of the times that reflects the triumph of the consumer society. This object for the city can become an excellent source of income, attracting numerous tenants and tourists. It will also be a new place of rest for the townspeople.
