Булатова Зинаида

Peter’s House

People of Vologda used to call this monument "Peter's House". It gives a special charm to the architectural appearance of the ancient town. Its story is just as interesting as the history of Vologda.
The house is located on the bank of the Vologda River. Peter I stopped in the house several times during his trips around the North. The sovereign's interest in the Vologda region was due to the trade routes and the fleet. During his visits to Vologda, tsar Peter I watched the development of the fleet, measured the depth of the lakes, he was interested in the crafts of the Vologda residents and the stock of timber suitable for shipbuilding.
The Gutmans settled in Russia in the 17th century. Peter I established wide business relations with their trading house. Above the entrance to the house, a stone plaque depicting the Dutch coat of armsis embedded in the wall. There are letters H, R, S, at the top of the sign, denoting the Dutch Republican States, and at the bottom of the coat of arms there is a ribbon with the year "1704". In 1702, the tsar granted the Gutmans the right to duty-free trade - for the profit that they contributed to the sovereign's treasury by trading pharmaceutical goods.
After the Gutmans, the house on the bank of the Vologda was passed from one owner to another several times. The architecture of it was also changed along with its owners. In the 18th century, the voivodship office was located in the house. After the fire in 1773, the house fell into disrepair. In 1872, the authorities created the first memorial museum in the region and Vologda in it!
Vologda is one of the few towns in Russia where the Petrovsky house-museum exists. The northern town and its people keep the memory of Peter I as a major statesman, commander and reformer of Russia.