Description of the attraction
In 1861, at the corner of Sobornaya Street and Gimnazichesky Lane (now Kotovsky Passage), opposite the Lipki Park, the merchant PF Tyulpin built a two-story house and handed it over to the Merchant Club.
The Merchant Club, founded in 1859, at first consisted only of merchants, traders and industrialists, occupying temporary premises in Gotovitsky's house. But over time, people began to come to the club, engaged in other types of commercial and profitable activities, as well as wealthy citizens, and in 1870 the club was renamed the Commercial Assembly. Every year the number of members of the Commercial Assembly grew and the problem of the lack of premises became more and more urgent. In 1892, the meeting decided to buy out Tyulpin's house and build on the third floor, but this did not solve the whole problem, until in 1909 they decided to make an extension with the design of the facade. For this, the Saratov architect M. G. Zatsepin was invited and in 1914 the expanded three-story building with a refined appearance appeared before demanding owners.
The main facade of the building in three tiers was decorated with pictorial rows. On the first floor there is a row of keystones with leaves and lion mascarons, between the second and third floors - a row of medallions and wreaths, a little higher - a bas-relief on the themes of Bacchic festivities. Zybin's creation has survived to this day in its original form (building facade).
In 1918, the People's House was established in the building, where political and social events were held. In 1932, the house was transferred to the military department, first calling it the "House of the Red Army", and later - the garrison Officers' House, which is located in the building today.
