The house in which the family of designers Varquulevich lives, is attached to the wall of the Carmelitsky Monastery. Apartment for almost 120 years. She is located in the very center of Grodno. Inside a lot of books, a collection of old bottles and paintings by Grodno artists. Cisser hrodna.life, as living in a house with history and who helps Grodnots find "their" apartments.
In the project "My House in Grodno" hrodna.life collects the most unusual stories of people, their apartments and houses.
Bridge, 37: Monastery, barracks and hostel
In the center of Grodno, the family of Varquulevich moved in 2004. Prior to that, they lived in the trick on the nine. To live in the center decided after during the three-day snowfall, the nine was poured so that it was impossible to get to the store.Many Grodno Bridge, 37 are associated with the current building of Priorbank - the former Carmelite Church. Even taxi drivers do not always know that a residential building is hidden behind the facade of the bank.
Between 1738-1765, a building in the style of Late Barochko was built in this place - a church and a carmelite monastery. On the left side of the church there was a monastery with 26 cashels. Under the building of the monastery was located basements. In 1843 the monastery was closed and passed the building to the military department. In 1903, the construction of the Military barracks of the Grodno fortress battalion began. The church was then dismantled to the most basements. Later, the barracks were rebuilt into the hostel, and in the Soviet years - in a two-quartered residential building. During the reconstruction in 1995, two large apartments turned into 18 small.
"The apartment was insanely terrible ..."
"I started looking for apartments and went into this. She was incredibly terrible, completely with monstrous wallpaper, blinds ... But when I saw a vehicle, just jumped to the ceiling, "Irina Varquulevich recalls. - There are no bearing walls in the apartment and they were not on the project, it was the first house with monolithic floors. There are two carrying columns on which the beams are lying, and they have already ceiling. " This attracted the design. The family exchanged a three-room apartment in a sleeping bag on a two-room in the center without thinking.
Apartment area - 84 square meters, ceilings height - 3.20 meters, wall thickness - 60 centimeters.
Now I have 20 apartments in the historic part of Grodno. The difference in prices is very big. There is an apartment at a large Troitskaya for $ 52,000 overlooking the synagogue and a three-story apartment on Karl Marx for $ 390,000. The price is affected primarily by the location of the house and the apartment area.
Housing in the historic center of the city is buying creative people or people with unusual professions. For example, designers or artists. Such apartments love and young people. Often buyers are foreigners.
The planning of the apartment designers changed. Three small rooms were separated: bedroom, son and bathroom. When the son grew up and left, his room became the working office of Irina. The rest of the space is divided among themselves an entrance hall, a living room and a kitchen. There are no walls between them. Spaces are separated by book racks.
At the entrance to the apartment on the left there is a facade wall of the Carmelitsky Monastery. It is composed of old handmade brick. When the apartment was bought, there was a built-in wardrobe at this place, and the plaster hid the wall. When the cabinet was dismantled, niche appeared. Most likely, in this place was the window of one of the keys of the monastery. The thickness of this wall is 120 centimeters. "Most likely, bombs fell into this wall, because part of the masonry was repaired by another brick," says Irina Varquulevich.
The wall of the Carmelitsky Monastery in the apartment of the Varquulevich family. Photo: Ivan Tsyrkunovich
The old laying is so durable that it was not easy to shoot the plaster. According to one of the legends, for strength builders, raw eggs were added to the solution. "I no longer know, this wall is in yolks, or not, but there is a legend," says Irina.
Find a buyer for real estate, it's how to find a connoisseur for a good picture: can buy a week, but can not buy years. Unusual apartments have always been. But now some people are leaving due to the difficult situation in the country. Therefore, there are many interesting places on sale.
"I'm still pulling old"
Irina lives in a historical place and fills his house with stories.
"Everything is pulling some kind of old. Moreover, the old thing itself is very attracted itself, "says Irina about the things and elements of the decor in the house. Most of the furniture in the apartment Irina restored herself. At the entrance, the large wardrobe of the XIX century is immediately striking. Such a wardrobe was bought before a young Jewish family, as a symbol of the beginning of their family life and the first personal thing.
Irina firmly believes that old things carry positive energy. Because they remain the soul of the Master, who did them. Photo: Ivan Tsyrkunovich
She often calls and say that some old thing appeared. So it was with the frame of the XIX century from Germany:
- You need?
"Of course you need," usually Irina answers.
So come in the apartment new old things.
In the frame at the bottom - part of the collection of bardekels. Photo: Irina Varquulevich
Bottle from "That Himself" Kabak
Across the road from home was once a zabak. He burned down in 1903, when the Russian army built a barracks. Then the fire just buried. Bottles with beer remained in Cabacket basements. They were found only in the 90s, during excavations.
"I had to make a gift to my husband. So I found in the advertisement and bought the first bottle - from the very bar, "says Irina. Over time, new specimens were added and a whole collection was gathered. Most of the bottles are German and Czech, but there are several Grodno. Guests and friends of the family know - an old empty bottle for Irina - always in joy.
"As one of my acquaintance said: the house without a collection is a diagnosis. So we have a "reverse" diagnosis. We have everything in collections, "says Irina. In the apartment on the pavement there is a collection of bardekels (stands for beer mugs), beer caps and labels, jugs, collectible toys, old printing machines, cameras and books.
Collections of Irina Varquulevich
View from the window and paintings: "Watch instead of the TV"
In the apartment of Varculevichi many paintings of Grodno artists and no TV. In his place - the work of Alexander Baldakov. "I bought a picture, put it in front of the TV and thought: I turned on it for the last time 2.5 years ago." According to Irina, with the picture instead of the TV, it became better: "He was a black stain."
All windows of the historic apartment overlook the road and the old bridge. In the morning, the dawn is visible from the windows.
Other neighbors windows overlook Neman, Cleaner Park, old and new castles. "I do not complain about my own kind, there is less happening than here. When I become an old woman and I can not descend from the third floor, I will sit by the window and watch instead of the TV. "
"I'm all the time in the center of events. Everything happens in the city, I see from the window, "says Irina. In the house on the pavement, 37 are only 18 apartments. Some tenants bought apartments specifically, others live since they settled after the reconstruction of 1995.
"This place and energy are amazing, whatever tragic events take place here. It is clear that there were enough deaths due to the defense of the city, due to military events, simple deaths. I think the same thing here was life. "
"Unusual apartments have always been and have"
Today you can buy accommodation in the center of the city at some grandmother at the price of an apartment in Olshanka or Nine - for 80 - 100 thousand rubles. I know people who buy several neighboring apartments and unite in one big one. I think that in a few years such apartments will be elite expensive housing.
When I take objects in the old town in the work, I always find out what kind of housing, to whom it belonged and what is his story. Sometimes I myself do not notice how I fall in love with these walls. We certainly want such apartments to find our customers who will appreciate the uniqueness of the new housing in the old house.