This was built in 1817 to the design of the engineer Betankur in honour of the victory over Napoleon. In 1824-25 it was decorated in the Empire style by the architect Bove. The building has strict lines with columns in the style of classical antiquity, and is decorated with military symbols. It was opened with great ceremony including a parade of soldiers who had just returned from the victory march to Paris.
The ManezhThe Manezh
The Manezh was used for military training, and it was so spacious that an entire regiment could manoeuvre within it. At one time it was used for horse-riding, and it was in the Manezh that the young Tolstoy had his first riding lessons, and later, in old age, he mastered the art of riding a bicycle here.
From the second half of the 19th century the clatter of horses' hooves was no longer heard in the Manezh, and Moscow's elite began to gather in the newly redecorated building. The hall resounded with the wonderful music of Berlioz and Saint-Saens, who conducted concerts here. It was also frequently the site of exhibitions of ethnography, flowers, birds and animals.
The revolution saw the Manezh selected for use as a garage, but after its reconstruction in 1957 it was once again the scene of cultural life. For example, the exhibitions by Soviet avant-garde artists and Ilya Glazunov attracted thousands of visitors who waited in queues more than a kilometre long.
The Manezh