Description of the attraction
The Economic Building, or the Chambers of the Treasury Prikaz, was erected in 1659 and was a two-story building with a mezzanine, located not far from the bell tower, and on the right side of the main entrance. The building of the Economic Corps is the first stone structure located in the Bishops' House and dating back to the 1650s. This building was finally completed in 1659.
The architectural composition of the chambers is based on a simple scheme, which is especially typical for wooden folk architecture: two spacious rooms united by a passage. The active influence of wooden structures is felt in the volumetric construction of the premises. The mezzanine is made of a particularly original form, which is rarely seen in ancient Russian ward buildings. A picturesque note to the building was given by the porch originally built in the central part of the facade "for two descents", which led to the second floor. The thickness of the walls of the lower floor reached 1.75 meters, which is not very typical for buildings of that time due to its great thickness and raises suspicions about the earlier appearance of this part of the building (17th century). In general, we can say that the architecture of the Economic Building is austere and simple, because it lacks the lush and memorable patterns that are so characteristic of Moscow buildings of this period of time. Simple cornices, smooth wide blades at the corners of the volume and two arched openings framed by a roller - all this constitutes the main decoration of the facades. On the second floor there are large windows that give the impression that they are cut into the very thickness of a heavy massive wall and are completely devoid of platbands.
The interior of the Kazenny Prikaz possesses amazing expressiveness with preserved closed vaults and memorable stripping over door and window openings. The chambers served not only for business purposes. In addition, ceremonial and festive receptions were held there, as evidenced by the decorative ornamental painting made at the beginning of the 18th century in the premises of the Judgment Chamber. Ornamental painting consists of large flowers in colorful flowerpots, most typical for folk art, as well as stylized herbs, made in a free brush manner without preliminary degrading. Beautifully executed curved stems with blue-green, pink and reddish flowers and green long leaves. Flower shoots, framed in interesting peculiar platbands, look festive. It is this manner of a little rough painting, most likely, performed by local Vologda masters who were trained by passing mural painters. The painting clearly resembles the richly decorated secular and church interiors of the 17th century, which were painted by herbalists-ornamentalists.
Other no less important details of the decoration of the premises of the Economic Building can be judged based on the inventory of 1663, which describes and lists in detail not only objects, but also icons of the interior decoration, for example: “Painted grass curtain, iron stove barrier, large table, a lattice bench, a copper washstand with a cover. " As for other details of the interior decoration, we can mention here the painted furniture, similar to that supplied by the 17th century, belonging to the type of "ledge cabinets". It is a significant architectural structure, which consists of two parts, and the twisted columns emphasize the profiled architrave. The doors are enriched with images of birds and animals, expressed in brown tones. The two figures of a man and a woman, depicted on the inner doors and so naively and humorously expressed in the interior, look especially beautiful.
The architecture of the Kazenny Prikaz speaks of the directions that became so widespread at the turn of the 17th century during the construction of a choir and chambers, and especially on the periphery of the Russian state. On the one hand, they are expressed in the desire to emphasize the serf character of the building, and on the other hand, in the desire to give as much decorativeness and splendor as possible to the interior interior.
