Consulate General of France, Saint Petersburg

Consulate-General of France in Saint Petersburg
Генеральное Консульство Франции в Санкт-Петербурге
General'noe Konsul'stvo frantsii v Sankt-Peterburge
Consulat Général de France à Saint-Pétersbourg
LocationSaint Petersburg
Address15 Moika River Embankment
Coordinates59°56′32.67959″N 30°19′24.2106″E / 59.9424109972°N 30.323391833°E / 59.9424109972; 30.323391833

The Consulate-General of France in Saint Petersburg is the diplomatic mission of France in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation. It is located at 15 Moika River Embankment (Russian: Набережная реки Мойки, дом 15) in the Tsentralny District in Saint Petersburg.[1]

History of the building

The first references to 15 Moika River Embankment in the Central State Historical Archives of Saint Petersburg indicate that a neo-classicism three-story stone house was on the site, when in 1858 the owner, Major-General Seyffarth, commissioned architect A.C. Kolb to reconstruct the existing structure and add an additional floor. The symmetrical facade with the balcony on the second floor and pediment were kept in the redesign, although a portico in classical Corinthian order style was removed. The facade was redesigned to match the architectural style of the 18th century.[2]

In the 1860s, poet of the Golden Age Prince Pyotr Andreyevich Vyazemsky lived in the house,[3] and in the 1890s, painter Arkady Alexandrovich Rylov was reported to have called the house home. French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac also lived in the house for a period.[4] In 1911 Countess Fekla Pavlovna Stackelberg purchased the house and kept the design unchanged,[2] and rented out the apartments.[4]

In 1970 the building underwent extensive renovations which saw a one-storey building in the north-west quadrant being built and yard constructions being dismantled.[2] In 1972 the consulate-general of France occupied the building and has been located in it since.[4]

Role of the consulate-general

The consulate-general is attached to the Embassy of France in Moscow and services the Northwest consular district, which includes Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Republic of Karelia, Murmansk Oblast, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Pskov Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Vologda Oblast and Novgorod Oblast.[5] The consulate-general offers consular assistance to citizens of France, whilst promoting trade and cultural ties between the French people and businesses and their counterparts in Saint Petersburg.[6]

References

  1. ^ Наши координаты (in Russian). Embassy of France in Moscow. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  2. ^ a b c "The history of the Consulate General building". DipInfo News Agency. Retrieved 2008-08-11.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Moika, river". Encyclopaedia of Saint Petersburg. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  4. ^ a b c Историческая справка (in Russian). Embassy of France in Moscow. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2010. ( at WebCite
  5. ^ Консульский округ (in Russian). Embassy of France in Moscow. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  6. ^ "Consulat Général" (in French). Embassy of France in Moscow. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-11.

External links

  • (in Russian and French) Consulate-General of France in Saint Petersburg
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