Volkonsky House

Volkonsky was the maternal grandfather of Leo Tolstoy, and is believed to be the prototype of Prince Bolkonsky in War and Peace.

In Soviet times, the building was occupied by several organizations, including the People's Commissariat for Naval Affairs, the editorial offices of "Peasant Newspaper" and "History of the Civil War" and others.

In 2013, despite numerous objections by politicians and cultural figures, the building was reconstructed, increasing the height from 2 to 4 stories, and rebuilding the dome.

[1][4] The building, according to Reuters, is owned by the Centre for the Development of Inter-personal Communications (CDIC), which is controlled by Lyudmila Putina, the former wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

[5] The CDIC's offices are in the building, but it is mainly occupied by commercial tenants, including VTB Bank, Sberbank, Severstroygroup - a construction company, a sushi restaurant and a Burger King.