Enlarge the map

Former Merchant Bank and Astoria Hotel

The building was designed by architects N. Vasiliev and A. Rzhepyshevsky and built in 1910–1913. The ground floor was occupied by a bank and the upper floors — by Astoria Hotel. This is a unique monument of architecture, a striking example of the Northern Modern — one of the first buildings in the city to be constructed with cast concrete and frame structures. It now houses various institutions and organisations.

The opposite side of the square, indeed the whole ward, is occupied by the Palace of Labour (former lodging house of the ‘Russia’ Insurance Company (designed by I. Pretro, 1910), the building which is quite big even by today’s standards. The designated purpose of the building has not changed: the lower floors house boutiques, whilst the upper floors are occupied by the offices of various companies, NGOs and trade unions. The Palace of Labour connects two squares of the city — Rosa Luxembourg and Konstytutsii Squares.