The spirit of loyalty to the Palace of marriage, or a house Engelhardt

Engelhardt — an ancient noble family, is renowned for its ambitious deeds and achievements. The best known are: the director of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum first — «Pushkin» release Egor Antonovich Engelhardt (1775-1862), professor of the Dorpat university in the first half of XIX century Otto Moritz Engelhardt (1779-1842), the eminent biochemist — Academician Vladimir Engelhardt (1894-1984).

One of the branches of an old family Engelhardt – Smolensk brunch. Their family tree is beginning from Robert Engelhardt, who, during the Livonian War in 1558 was captured and with children removed to Russia. Grandson of Robert Werner Engelhardt, in the Time of Troubles in the early XVII entered the Polish service and was granted estates near Smolensk. They were among the Smolensk brunch Engelhardt and his heroes, faithful to their Homeland and love.

Colonel Pavel Ivanovich Engelhardt, Diaghilev Porechsky landlord hamlet district of Smolensk province, during «the war with Napoleon,» was arrested after being denounced in his own house, and sent with a strong escort to Smolensk, and on October 3 sentenced «to the shooting». The French were slow to executions, trying by all means to persuade them to join the colonel in the service, but to no avail. October 15 Engelhardt was shot. Of the 18 charges two bullets went in the chest and one in his stomach. Unhappy was still alive when one of the soldiers shot him in the head and stopped his pain…

These events are depicted on an engraving of the French artist Zhaze «Military penalty. The shooting of Colonel P.I. Engelhardt in October 1812″.

Faithful to duty and love was Alexander Rakhmanov Engelhardt, who from 1877 to 1887 held the post of mayor of Smolensk. During the period of office, he has done a lot for the development of urban economy, culture and education: when it was built in the city water, city council building, plant dyes, opened three new elementary schools, three schools, the Smolensk Mariinsky female grammar school, Historical and Archaeological Museum , introduced free access to the district hospital. He was actively involved in raising funds for the creation and opening of Smolensk in 1885 the monument to M.I. Glinka. He was elected a member of numerous community organizations, including the Smolensk Charitable Society, Smolensk Relief Society Young, president of the Agricultural Society, and others.
In the 1878-79 for. for A.P. Engelhardt was built a house in an eclectic style and shapes pseudo- baroque, author of the project was the architect J.J. Konoplyansky. Today it is a house with number «4» on the street Glinka. The building faces the main eastern facade of the red line of the street. From the south, adjacent to the house is richly decorated three-span arched gate with a strong silhouette. At low altitude house stands out among the surrounding buildings beautiful composition and elegant decoration. For the estate for many years later stabled the name of the city mayor Engelhardt.
Sooner widower, Alexander Rakhmanov remained faithful to the memory of his wife, brought up his son Alexander alone and to the end of his days never married.
Currently, House Engelhardt is the object of cultural heritage and serves as the Wedding Palace.