In the center of St. Petersburg within walking distance from the station Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor on Konnogvardeysky Boulevard at number 7 is the mansion Kochubey, which is often due to the shapes of oriental beauties adorning the facade grid, called the House of the Moors.

In the 18th century the area between the current Konnogvardeysky Boulevard and Galley streets were busy spinning the yard, which was under the command of the Admiralty Shipyard. Over time, the building of the spinning rope factory yard was converted into barracks for sailors. During the construction of the residence of Prince Nicholas of their destroyed. Another part of the spinning yard after its closure, divided into sections that are taken under the houses. In 1850, one of the sites acquired merchant Solodovnikov. He built a 3-storey stone house, which in 1852 bought the actual state councilor, member of the Board of Trustees, Prince MV Kochubey.

Last Kochubey has a long history. Considered the founder of the Crimean Tatar Kuchuk-Bey, the baptism in the 17th century. His descendants served at the court, played a prominent political role. During the reign of Nicholas I gave Kochubeev old princely title.

Following the acquisition of houses and land, Prince Mikhail V. Kochubei decided to rebuild and reconstruct the building. For this he turned to the well-known German architect Harald Bosse. Taking into account the refined taste of Prince Kochubey, the boss turned to the style of the early Italian Renaissance, making the draft elements of eclecticism. The draft was prepared in August 1853 and was approved personally by Emperor Nicholas I. Out of the construction of the mansion in 1857.

On the boulevard overlooking the two-storey facade of the house and the yard - three floors. The plinth of the building was granite, adorned the facade of balconies and pillars that held the iron canopy. The building had stove heating and running water. The original lattice with busts Moorish beauties that gave the house an exotic appearance, caused a sensation among the citizens. Great artistic interest is the internal department of the mansion. Some areas have survived on sketches executed Bosse caryatids, modeling. Contemporaries marveled at carving oak doors and fireplaces decor. The walls of the dining room were covered with oak. Great artistic value is painting the ceiling.

In 1867 the house was sold to the Prince Kochubey first guild merchant Fyodor Rodokonaki. He rebuilt the house according to your taste. The reconstruction project was made an academician of architecture KF Muller. In 1868, a wing of the courtyard was built on floor, new outbuildings. Winter Garden was converted into a formal dining room. However, despite the internal changes, the appearance of the mansion was left untouched by the new owner.

After the revolution in 1917, the mansion was nationalized. It has a military tribunal. Fully cemented vents and outlets wind furnaces were converted outbuildings and cellars.

In the 60-ies of XX century there was a new reconstruction of the building. Here are the Beauty Institute.

In 1987, the House of the Moors was taken under state protection as a monument of architecture, and the clinic moved to a different location. In 1990, in the first open competition for the best program on the use of the building won the staff of the "Icarus". In 1993, he began his restoration - the first in Russia, carried out not by the state. The mansion has been restored and became a cultural center of the city-wide to private. In 1994, the House of the Moors got the status of a monument of federal importance.

Nowadays, the mansion Kochubey is representative of a number of private and public organizations: UAB "Icarus" club "300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg" and others.