While continuing our walk along the Lesnoy Prospekt, let's observe more intently the blocks from here to Litovskaya St. (where Lesnoy crosses railroad). This is the area of Alexander Matrosov Street, Diagonal St., and Novolitovskaya St.
This album will focus on one side of the street only, since the opposite side contains just the greenery of the Karl Marx Park (1927-1928).
Folk wall art (anti-military-draft slogans) along the Lesnoy Pr. The presentation format is obviously copied from regular street ads. :-)
Diagonal Street.
It's not only diagonal by name, but also by its relative position to other streets in the neighborhood.
Along that street we go inside the residential area.
Most of these buildings, and building below belong to so called "Bateninsky residential array". It was built in 1930-1933 for people who worked on factories of Vyborgsky Side.
One of those workers who got an apartment here was Leonid Nikolaev. From this place he walked to Smolny on Dec.1'1934 to kill Sergey Kirov.
The name "Bateninsky" is coming from old name for the nearby Alexander Matrosov Street: Batenina St.
The building is designed by G.A. Simonov, T.D. Kanzenellenbohen, V.R. Solomonov (same architects who designed the "Professional's House" from the previous album).
Another source says that "M.I. Kitner ... built Ekaterininsky Residential Complex (Lesnoy, #39) in 1930s", which somehow contradicts what I wrote previously.
Obviously these buildings were not repaired for very long, same as many other buildings in the city. And different additions/improvements were done in rather sporadic manner.
This photo shows how natural gas(?) lines were later added on the outside.
But once (1920-40s) this place - as you could see here -- looked quite respectable.
Simultaneously with apartment buildings they have built department store "Vyborgsky", public baths (which are known up to now as "Batenisky Baths"), laundry, kindergarten and nursery school.
Interesting detail: the numbering. Buildings inside the block have "street numbers", and the apartments are numbered sequentially for each one: bldg 1 / apts 1-100; bldg 2 / apts 101-200, and so on). The same type had Vodokanal apartment complex on Shpalernaya St, 60, which was recently leveled.
One of the significant buildings of the area.
Same, from the back.
Here is the view outwards, from the Lesnoy Pr. Right ahead are after-WWII constructions. Make a note: even in that difficult time the buildings were placed not randomly, but to correspond to two older buildings we just saw. They say there is a plan now to push in a new 24-storie building right here.
Central building, zoomed in.
Research Institute for medical instruments. Most likely this is late-60s.
Take a look to the right.
The burned school building at Novolitovskaya Street.
As my readers report, it is bestowed to a Jewish community for reconstruction as a Jewish school.
Further to the right:
Late-Stalin era house and Novolitovskaya Street toward Lesnoy Pr.
Same house facing the Lesnoy Pr.
The opposite building across Novolitovskaya Street, 1930s.
The corner of the very same building, and another building on the left which is going up to Lesnoy Pr.
Here it is again, but as seen from the Lesnoy.
Maybe you could explain to me how come that on this side of Lesnoy Pr. #59 goes next to #39? (Alexander Matrosov St. is between them)
Also, #59 and surrounding buildings are known as "Textile-worker's Village". They were designed by N.F. Rybin and erected in 1927-34.
Now, if we turn 90 degrees to the right, we can see Litovskaya St., #4.
It is likely the manufacturing facility of joint-stock company "Tornator", 1907, architect A.K. Spigel.
It worth mentioning that the names of Litovskaya and Novolitovskaya streets are coming from Leib Guard Litovsky regiment, which had stayed in this area.
And even more to the right is railroad bridge over Lesnoy Prospekt. That's where we will be heading in the next album.
