Покровские казармы, Military barracks in Basmanny District, Moscow, Russia
The Pokrovsky Barracks is a three-story classical building featuring a symmetrical layout, eight-column entrance portico, and double-headed eagle decoration. Located at Pokrovsky Boulevard 3, the structure now houses office spaces for Lukoil.
Emperor Paul I of Russia founded the barracks in 1798 as the first purpose-built military quarters in Moscow. Local residents funded the construction, making it a significant development in the city's infrastructure of that era.
The building housed a chapel dedicated to the Prophet Hosea on its third floor from 1890 to 1919, marking the imperial family's survival of a railway accident. This religious use shows how the site carried meaning beyond its military purpose in Moscow's spiritual life.
The barracks stand at Pokrovsky Boulevard 3 in the Basmanny District and are accessible during business hours from 10:00 to 20:00. Since the building now serves primarily as office space, it is helpful to confirm beforehand whether the location is open for visitors.
The construction of these barracks allowed Moscow residents to avoid the common 18th-century obligation to quarter soldiers in their homes. This arrangement served as a practical solution to a widespread urban burden of that time.
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