In 1898, a St. Petersburg insurance company purchased and began renovation of a hotel in the centre of Moscow on Teatralnaya Ploschad, or Theatre Square. Muscovites called it "Tchelishi" after its ex- owner, the builder and Merchant of the First Guild Paul Tchelishev. The rights to refurbish the building and run the hotel were acquired by the Northern Building Society, founded by the famous entrepreneur and patron of the arts Savva Mamontov.

The Metropol was typical of his grandiose schemes. His plan was to completely reconstruct the old hotel and create a magnificent new cultural centre in downtown Moscow next to the Bolshoy and Maliy theatres.

The construction of Metropol Hotel took six years and a half. Muscovites were quick to call the hotel "Tower of Babylon" of the 20th century. Indeed, the building stood out not only thanks to its original architecture but also had what was then state-of-the-art equipment: electric elevators, hot water, refrigerators and a special ventilation system.

There are no buildings in Moscow to match the Metropol Hotel with its abundance of sculptural and mosaic ornaments, which was built in the late 19th century. The centre piece of the facade overlooking Teatralnaya Ploschad is taken by the mosaic panel, "Princess Gryoza" (Princess of Dream) created on the basis of Vrubel`s famous painting. (Continue)