Widow’s House is a state charitable institution, opened in Moscow (near the Garden Ring) in 1803.
The building of the Widow’s House was designed in 1775 by the architect Ivan Gilardi. The widow’s house was opened in 1803 to house widows whose husbands had served in the military or civil service for at least 10 years. It was here that the first sisters of mercy appeared in Moscow.
After the Patriotic War of 1812, its creator, Ivan Gilardi, was engaged in the restoration of the destroyed building. In 1818-1823 his son, Domenico Gilardi, expanded the building and renewed the house church, which became very popular. The building was redesigned in the Empire style.
According to the charter of 1854, the number of widows living in the Widow’s House should not exceed six hundred people.
After the October Revolution, the Widow’s House was closed, and the building was transferred to the USSR People’s Commissariat of Health. Currently, the Russian Medical Academy of Continuing Professional Education is located here. The building of the Widow’s House is an object of cultural heritage.
Address: Barrikadnaya street, 2/1.
Nearest metro: Barrikadnaya, Krasnopresnenskaya.
Nearest attractions: Residential building on Kudrinskaya Square, Moscow Zoo, Moscow Planetarium.
See also Architecture of Moscow, Palaces and most historic buildings of Moscow.
