Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk - a symbol of a bygone era, erased from the city map

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk was once the most popular object in the category of unofficial sights of the city. Today, this architectural masterpiece can only be seen in old photographs and souvenir postcards. The unique wooden "skyscraper" was demolished in 2008 by decision of the local authorities.

A big man needs a big house

Nikolai Petrovich Sutyagin 20 years ago was one of the richest people in Arkhangelsk. A talented entrepreneur tried himself in various fields, but he achieved the greatest success in the construction business. We alth and fame were brought to him by the organization OOO Severnaya Zvezda, which employed more than five hundred people. In the early 90s, Nikolai Petrovich decided to build a summer house in the suburbs of Arkhangelsk. According to the original project, the house was supposed to be two-story and stand out against the background of the surrounding one-story traditional huts. During construction, Sutyagin himselfwent on a trip. During the trip, he especially carefully looked at the local architectural sights. Inspired by Japanese pagodas and ancient towers in Europe, Nikolai Petrovich was dissatisfied with the dacha built. It was decided to complete another floor, and then another and another.

The history of the construction of Sutyagin's house

Nikolai Sutyagin himself admits that he built his legendary house spontaneously. The main motivation was the desire to have rooms with good views and stand out from the surrounding buildings. Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk did not have a single project. It’s just that at first one tower appeared, then it seemed “stupid” to its creator, after which it was decided to build more and more. In its final form, the building had thirteen floors, and its total height was 38 meters. However, the house was never completely finished. In 1998, Sutyagin was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Two years later, he was released early, but in the absence of the owner, no one was engaged in construction. Nikolai Petrovich himself, after his release, settled in his house on the lower floors and gladly led tourists on excursions to the towers.

Unrecognized world record

Despite the short period of its existence, Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk managed to become a local landmark. The skyscraper was visible from almost all parts of the city. The Arkhangelsk "skyscraper" became famous outside of Russia as well. The unusual home was voted Sensation of the Year at the annualconference "Wood construction in northern cities", held in Norway. The building was even planned to be included in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest wooden house in the world. The mansion was popular among journalists of domestic and foreign media. Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk had the following address: Vostochnaya Street, building 1. In the early 2000s, tourists could not only admire this unusual landmark from afar, but also get inside. Nikolai Petrovich was happy to conduct excursions for guests and talk about the design features of his brainchild.

Sutyagin's House in Arkhangelsk: photos and interesting facts

Journalists have repeatedly compared Sutyagin's mansion with the tower of a fairy-tale villain or the scenery for a horror film. Foreign media dubbed the unusual building Gangster's House or Wooden Skyscraper (wooden skyscraper). In the Russian press, Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk is usually referred to as the Solombala skyscraper. In addition to the high-rise hut, a four-story bathhouse was erected on the site of Nikolai Petrovich. Sutyagin himself claims that his house was built according to the ancient technology of wood and without nails. The skyscraper was never completed, but despite this fact, the owner regularly received guests inside. Photos of Sutyagin's house were printed on a series of souvenir postcards with views of Arkhangelsk. And even journalists could not accurately determine the architectural style of the building.

Myths and legends

Sutyagin's house calledgenuine delight and interest not only among tourists, but also among the inhabitants of Arkhangelsk. But the nearest neighbors of the wooden "skyscraper" have always been wary of him. This architectural masterpiece has always seemed insufficiently reliable to the inhabitants of the village. Locals were afraid of the collapse and fire of the building. Many different rumors circulated about Nikolai Petrovich himself. According to some versions, the "skyscraper" has a basement in which a real prison is equipped, which was even once used to contain the host's enemies. Residents of neighboring houses say that not only close comrades of Nikolai Sutyagin, but also the highest-ranking officials of the region once rested in the high-rise tower.

The story of the disappearance of a unique landmark from the city map

Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk remained unfinished, because after his release from prison, his owner lost his we alth, business and many useful connections. From the beginning of the 2000s, Nikolai Petrovich took care of his estate single-handedly and independently. In 2008, the authorities of the city became interested in the "skyscraper". In Arkhangelsk, it is forbidden to erect buildings higher than two floors without special approval. Sutyagin did not have such documentation, as well as the project of the resulting building. Accordingly, the local court recognized the wooden skyscraper as an illegal unauthorized construction and decided to demolish it. The owner refused to disassemble his offspring with his own hands and filed appeals. But despite all the effortsactions, in the same year the building was dismantled to a four-story building. In 2012, a fire broke out that destroyed the rest of this unusual mansion. Today, Sutyagin's house in Arkhangelsk is a story that locals are happy to tell tourists. You can see the miracle of modern architecture only in old photographs.