The castle of Tikhon Bulychev

The castle of Tikhon Bulychev

A wonderful castle with iron fence is a house built for the merchant Tikhon Bulychev by an architect Ivan Apollonovich Charushin in 1911.

Tikhon Philippovich Bulychev belonged to the aristocracy of Vyatka merchants. His great-grandfather, Yegor Nikititch Bulychev led the trade through the port of Arkhangelsk, having direct contact with London-based trading firms at the end of XVIII century. Philip Bulychev, the father  of Tikhon Bulychev, became the founder of the Severodvinsk Steamship Company in 1858. He bought his first vyatskiy boat in 1863 and named it "The Citizen".

Tikhon Bulychev studied in Arkhangelsk, he was a mayor in Orlov, and after moving to Vyatka he devoted himself to the affairs of Steamship Company. In 1874 he opened the passenger traffic between Kazan and Vyatka with the help of  two steamers - "F. Bulychev "and "Honorable". In 1876 Tikhon Bulychev was the owner of the largest Shipping Company in the Vyatka River, he had seven self-propelled vessels. By the early twentieth century Bulychev had 19 ships and soon declared himself a millionaire. Then he was called the "Master of Vyatka."

Unusual, mysterious and romantic building with a double-headed eagles on the roof and gargoyles above the entrance portal - a wonderful example of Gothic architecture, a real castle, designed with extraordinary ingenuity and at the same time strictly designed in the Gothic style. The architect Charushin was very proud of his creation, a picture "House of the palace" hung in his office. 

a double-headed eagle

At the beginning of XX century, this building struck not only by external decoration: a novelty was the fact that on all floors were baths with showers and hot water heating with heat regulators on batteries. Also, there was electricity and phone - a real luxury for the time. The interior was just the king's mansion. There were tiled floors, a wide staircase  and an elevator. A massive balcony, supported by columns, stands above the main entrance. Although a merchant built this house for his daughter, Bulychev sold it to the city.

The Bulychev Castle At Night

In 1915 a shelter for orphans and disabled named after T.F Bulychev was located in the house. After the revolution, there was the headquarters of III Army of the Eastern Front, and then - Military Emergency Commission (NKVD, KGB). Now the Office of the Federal Security Service of the Kirov region is situated here.

Today Bulychevsky house looks great thanks to the restoration, while remaining true jewel of the city.