The first owner of the expansive farmstead, currently located at Mryzovskoy and 4-th Syromiatnichesky lanes, was Life Guards Regiment Captain Melgunov, who sold it to his sister, Princess Catherine Volkonskaya. The noted Moscow noblewoman was known by the affectionate moniker "auntie-warrior," as she had significant influence over her nephew, Field Marshal Peter Volkonsky, Kutuzov’s Chief of Staff.
Many of the building’s decorative details have survived, and the appearance of the house itself has hardly changed. A terrace destroyed a century ago, has now been restored. It is to be found to the right of the entrance to "WINZAVOD." In the powerful, restrained center lies an exquisite portico, and in front – and unusual semi-circular protrusion.
In 1805 the estate was bought by the merchant Monin, and four years later it was sold again, this time to Nikifor Prokofiev, who opened the Medo brewery on site.
In early 1821 the manor passed to the second guild merchant Revel Frederick Danielson, who attached a two-story wing containing the brewery and malt house, to the residential section of the estate.
On the other side of the lane a large warehouse was built to store malt. To this day the intricately intertwined monogram of his son Ludwig Fridrihovich can still be seen in the tympanum of the house’s main portico, surrounded by lush designs. Elegant empire-style decor focuses on the garden facade.
In the forties, the concern’s new owners were first guild merchants William Watson and Peter Dreier. Under them this enterprise became Moscow’s second largest, after "Trekhgornaya" - producing 57 thousand rubles’ worth of beer a year.
In 1855 the vast estate and factory were owned by the famous "otkupschitskiy king" Vasily Alexandrovich Kokorev. He made a fortune on wine repurchases, was involved in banking, was one of the pioneers of the Russian oil industry, founded several industrial companies and became one of Russia’s richest men. To the authorities’ displeasure, Kokorev also took an active role in public life, but he had very little room for maneuver in these activities.
Kokorev collected paintings and was a patron of the arts. The gallery he opened in 1861 comprised over 500 paintings, including work by Bryullov, Levitsky, Borovikovsky, and Kiprensky. Some pieces went on to be acquired by Mr Tretyakov after the owner went bankrupt. For a time the site hosted a plant owned by Mr Mamontov that produced wax, pitch and stoppers, which moved to its own premises near Presnenskaya Gate in 1856, where were it started producing oil gloss lacquer.
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