Solovyov house.

There are lots of art nouveau buildings in Moscow. This style was mostly used for construction private houses and commercial apartment building. The domestic architecture of the early XXth century in Moscow was created by famous architects F. Shekhtel, L. Kekushev and W. Walcott.
But my favourite mansion was built by S.U. Solovyov. The building, completed in 1902, was designed by architect Sergey Solovyov as his private home. It was a part of an upper-class new development area on the northern side of Povarskaya Street. The architect, who worked mostly for public charities and colleges, was usually constrained by his clients, and his own home was his only venture into pure decorative art.
This house is full of nice details and symbols.
The decoration uses sculpture and ceramic tiles.  All the sculptures were designed by famous Russian artist Nikolay Andreev. He used animals and birds in decoration of the building. For example, owls were particularly used in northern Europe Art Nouveau (called National Romanticism) because of the large place of owls in northern mythologies and legends.

 

Owls are also connected with night, the time of mystic and miracles. Bats are night animals too.

The bat is a symbol of mystery and secrets. That's why Andreev's bat keeps a mailbox here.
Exotic animals are rather seldom, but not lions. The lion is a very old symbol of manhood, bravery and security.

The bat and the lion flank the doorway.

The windows have got their own decorations. For examle, this unknown creature:

Or four female images, the symbols of four kinds of arts

 

Music

Painting

Sculpture

Architecture

They are under the patronage of Athene, the goddess of civilization, wisdom, crafts and skill. Ahene is also accompanied with an owl, her totem.

 Even beautiful tondos with the date of building don't make the decoration complete.

The last interesting detail is a picturesque pannel "The Night" by M. Yakunchikova, which is situated above Athene.

Among the many other houses of architectural interest built during the two decades before the revolution, that of the architect Sergei Solovev ranks as one of the period's most distinctive — a self-conscious mixture of classicism and the Romanesque.

All the photos (except the last one) were taken from oredredred's photostream