The project "Architecture of Odessa" and "1000 doors of Odessa" have completely reconstructed the door in the courtyard of Balashev's tenement house. Photo by "Architecture of Odessa" and "1000 doors of Odessa"
The most representative tenement house of Luteransky Lane was built in 1899 according to the project of the original and outstanding architect Konstantin Popov.
The courtyard facades are traditionally laconic and the aesthetic side of their design is based on simple window frames without keystones, borderless pilasters, rounded corners, and balconies with forged openwork fences.
Mid-overhang Avant-corps emphasize the axes of the location of the entrances to the entrances.
By 2020, the carved door sagged and decayed, the wood under the layers of paint fell into dust, some of the carved wooden elements and the left-side forged grille were lost, the glass of the transom and sash disappeared.
In that state, few could see the beauty of the door and the overall picture of the facade.
The residents of the house raised funds and turned to the "1000 Doors of Odessa" project to restore the historic door to its pristine beauty, conceived by the architect Popov.
Of the eight entrances, only two have retained the front doors, and both were in poor condition. Fortunately, thanks to the remaining doors, the project's team simulated all the lost elements and restored the door to its original form. In the future, this will allow the return of doors to other entrances.
Reconstruction of the historic door is possible thanks to €4000 contributed by 3 families.
Recreating the lost forged lattice was difficult because Odessa craftsmen do not work according to old technologies. The craftsmen were found in Lviv. He came to Odessa to forge the gratings.
The work on the door lasted five months and was done with great care and love.
Now, approaching the entrance, the door is admired not only by the residents of this building, but also by their neighbours and children in the yard. Everyone is drawn to the beauty, and the tenants have a desire to restore the doors and other entrances of the house.
Let's hope that all of Odessa will be inspired by this example, and our historic houses will be decorated with beautiful doors, not flat metal canvases.
