Geer Almshouse, Cultural heritage site in Krasnoselsky District, Russia
The Geer Almshouse sits on Verkhnaya Krasnoselskaya Street as a Neo-Byzantine structure with ornamental facade details and careful proportions. The building was designed to house elderly residents in separate quarters while providing common rooms for shared activities.
Construction of this almshouse began in 1899 and provided shelter for more than 100 elderly residents until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The upheaval that followed brought dramatic changes to its purpose and function.
The building reflects how wealthy merchants of the 1800s showed their care for elderly residents through design and resources. The detailed exterior and interior spaces reveal how social responsibility was expressed through physical comfort and dignity.
The site is located in an active downtown district with good access to multiple metro stations and train connections nearby. The area is busy with traffic and urban activity, so viewing the building is best done from the street level.
The building forms part of a larger estate complex that still retains its original architectural character from the Russian Empire period. Such privately funded welfare projects were uncommon, making this complex a rare example of how wealthy merchants invested in social care before the revolution.
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