Exploring Kuznetsov and Morozov: A Glimpse into Noginsk’s Industrial Architecture
Last weekend, a group of architects was taken to Noginsk to study the work of the influential Russian designer Alexander Kuznetsov. Before the trip, Noginsk and Kuznetsov were unfamiliar to them, yet trust in seasoned colleagues proved well founded, as the visit revealed.
Kuznetsov stands as a pillar of early Russian industrial architecture. Alongside Vesnin, he helped form a training tradition in Moscow and supervised the construction of TsAGI. He conceived the first sketch of what later became VDNKh, and his influence extended to Petersburg and Berlin. He taught at VKhUTEMAS and at the Moscow Architectural Institute, shaping generations of Soviet architects. The Novotkatsky plant in the village of Glukhov near Bogorodsk, now Noginsk, marked Kuznetsov’s first major triumph.
The 1907 factory building remains, though its surroundings have grown cluttered with outbuildings, dumped materials, and idle workshops. Its greatness lies in the abundant daylight channeled through trihedral lanterns on the roof. Unlike typical multi-storey factories that rely on side light, Kuznetsov designed a single-story, expansive space lit from above, enabling long hours of daylight work. Inside, the glass lanterns resembled crystalline forms, their rhythmic arrangement guiding the flow of factory movement.
The air purification and filtration systems Kuznetsov introduced were crucial innovations. They shielded workers from direct sun while preserving a sense of elegance in the building. Functionally constructive and visually modern, the design features gracefully curved concrete canopies above ventilation pipes, reminiscent of Gaudí’s Barcelona fantasies.
Alongside the factory, Kuznetsov incorporated amenities rarely seen at that time, including dressing rooms with individual lockers and spacious lobbies. He also designed a women’s gym building in Bogorodsk. The main patron was Arseny Ivanovich Morozov, owner of the Novotkatskaya factory, who funded a residence for a prominent Old Believer family later known through Serov’s portraits.
Morozov immersed himself in the factory, supervising every detail with a disciplined yet fair management style. An American correspondent once described the enterprise as a blend of industrial revolution and feudal remnants, where a modern factory coexisted with medieval sensibilities. The owner’s country house, although modern in appearance, carried a sense of old-world grandeur in its treatment of servants and staff.
Forty years of wealth and influence fueled Morozov’s cultural patronage. He funded luxurious four-story dormitories for workers, described by an American journalist as housing that offered bright, clean rooms with shared facilities. Most apartments included small gardens, large chests, and shelves for belongings. Communal kitchens and coal stoves with chimneys filled the air with a homey scent, while windows often framed flowers. Residents could reach a pine forest within minutes, providing a rare blend of factory life and natural beauty.
Today, the former factory district hosts a psychiatric hospital, a narcology dispensary, and dormitories. Although the buildings show signs of neglect—boards over windows, peeling walls, and lingering odors—the window frames, door sills, and cast-iron railings still convey a certain elegance.
Morozov also contributed notable buildings for a vocational school to train skilled workers, a maternity hospital, and a pharmacy. Local lore credits him with supporting women who worked in the factory while giving birth in a palace-like hospital, merging practicality with care.
Morozov’s passion extended beyond architecture toward the religious and social life of the community. He sought to legalize the Old Believer faith in Russia after a 1906 decree and financed a spacious prayer room in Kuznetsov’s stylish residence. Clergy gathered there, awaiting the construction of a proper church in Rogozhskaya Sloboda, while the Morozov choir performed znamenny chanting. Morozov published religious journals and engaged in social initiatives, funding fifteen rural churches in the county. He lived with austere respect for his workers, and after a revolution, the factories were nationalized yet he endured without exile or execution. He passed away in 1932, soon after his son Sergei.
Sergei Arsenyevich, alongside the revolutionary Nogin who gave Noginsk its modern name, helped restore weaving production in the new Soviet Russia. In 1930, Sergei faced arrest in the Industrial Party case, spent years in camps, and died in Siblag. A second son, Peter, moved to the United States during World War I, facilitating the supply of American arms to the Russian army through the Moscow Military Industrial Committee, never returning to Russia. The Leader Hotel now sits on the foundation of the house built for the Morozov sons.
The Morozov residence later housed a kindergarten, with the overall building preserved. In the 2010s, a State Duma deputy acquired the property and initiated restoration, leading to a private museum opening on the site. The Morozov family house is open to visitors, with guided tours priced at 1000 rubles per person. Weekend admissions do not differ, and advance phone registration is required. Inside, authenticity has faded; German stove tiles endure while most furniture consists of modern items or locally sourced pieces, though one authentic relic remains—a copper bath found in a basement that survived the years.
Today the museum showcases more modern mannequins in stylized clothing than historical artifacts. The house bears the marks of time, yet its history remains a potent reflection of industrial progress and social life. Orthodox icons from the 19th century hang in the Old Believer room, while the Morozov family tree is not visible, with curtains drawn and chandeliers dim in Kuznetsov’s former home, where natural light was a central design principle.
Despite changes, the museum endures. The house stands intact, visitors walk the halls, and the memory of Arseniy Morozov persists. The contents and furnishings capture a moment when industry and culture intertwined, leaving a lasting impression on Noginsk and its architectural heritage. [Citation: architectural history records, Noginsk cultural archive].
The writer notes a personal perspective that may differ from editorial positions.