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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
The "House with Elephants" is a new attraction in Samara, opened after restoration. This is the former summer residence of Konstantin Golovkin, a famous Samaritan, successful merchant, philanthropist, and renowned archaeologist, local historian, traveler, and even artist.
This architectural monument and an object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation was built in the Art Nouveau style in 1908-1909. The author of the project was Golovkin himself. Here is what the sculptor Vasily Petrovich Akimov, who served him at that time, told about his work:
"When he (Golovkin) was planning to build a dacha, he did everything himself; he drew sketches in pencil, cut dozens out of paper, repeatedly glued layouts, checking the proportions in the strictest way and endlessly rejecting until he achieved what he wanted. All the layouts that I saw from him were amazingly thought out and interesting in their own way. Many of them were destroyed and replaced with new ones. His efficiency was enormous."
Unfortunately, in the Soviet and "post-perestroika" time, the fate of this beautiful building was unenviable. At first there was a hospital here, then a kindergarten, and in 1929 the cottage was transferred to Vodokanal as a club for its employees. Due to illiterate alterations of the building, the foundation began to sag, cracks appeared. The interiors were destroyed. And only in the 2000s did the authorities take over this building, it was transferred to federal ownership, restoration was carried out, and now the house museum is working here.
🌐 Website: https://vk.com/club225809483
🕐 Working hours
From 10:00 to 21:00 on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Entrance to the territory is free, entrance to the house-museum – 300 rubles; pensioners, children from 7 to 17 years old, students and other beneficiaries – 100 rubles; children under 7 years old – free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
The house with elephants is located far from the historical center of Samara in an Industrial area on the banks of the Volga River at Sovetskaya Army str., 292 (Elephant house on the map). You can get there by minibuses No. 35 and 89.
And we also advise you to see ready-made excursions around Samara, with which it will be much more interesting to get acquainted with the city. You can find and book group or individual excursions around Samara from local residents on these verified sites with reviews: