Ivan Valkh house, Literary heritage building in St. Petersburg, Russia
The Ivan Valkh house is located at the intersection of Griboyedov Canal, Rimsky-Korsakov Avenue, and Srednyaya Podyacheskaya Street in Saint Petersburg. The building reflects the urban development of its district through its visible layers of renovation and expansion over generations.
The original two-story stone building with a raised basement was built in 1800 by factory owner Ivan Valkh on land purchased from architect Giacomo Trombara's wife. The structure grew significantly during the 19th century through repeated renovations and additions that expanded its capacity and changed its appearance.
The house is linked to Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel Crime and Punishment, where it may have inspired the setting for the pawnbroker's residence. This literary connection draws readers and scholars to see the place where a famous fictional character might have lived.
The building is located at 104 Griboyedov Canal Embankment and displays a commemorative plaque marking its protected cultural heritage status. Its position along one of the city's main canals makes it easy to find while exploring the neighborhood on foot.
The structure underwent dramatic expansion and reached seven stories by 1902 when engineer N.I. Poleshko added multiple new floors and a mansard to the canal-facing side. This transformation reveals how urban property values and building codes pushed owners to expand vertically rather than horizontally.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
