Architect Boris Iofan
Born Boris Iosifovich in Odessa in 1891 to a Jewish family, he adopted the Russified first name “Boris” to navigate pervasive antisemitism. After studying in Rome under Mussolini’s favored architect Armando Brasini, Iofan returned to Moscow to design the infamous House on the Embankment (1928-1931)- a 505-apartment complex for Soviet elites that became synonymous with Stalin’s purges. Many Jewish residents were arrested from these apartments, making it a site of particular significance for understanding the political leadership
House on the Embankment
Government House, Serafimovich Street (1928-1931)
05/23/1998 00:00:00; GOVERNMENT HOUSE (“HOUSE ON THE EMBANKMENT”), SERAFIMOVICH STREE
LEFT: UDARNIK (SHOCKWORKER) CINEMA WILLIAM C. BRUMFIELD MOSCOW
07/09/1994 00:00:00; GOVERNMENT HOUSE (“HOUSE ON THE EMBANKMENT”), SERAFIMOVICH STREE
LEFT: KREMLIN MOSCOW WILLIAM C. BRUMFIELD
06/01/1992 00:00:00; GOVERNMENT HOUSE (“HOUSE ON THE EMBANKMENT”), SERAFIMOVICH STREE
06/01/1992 00:00:00 MOSCOW WILLIAM C. BRUMFIELD
06/04/1996 00:00:00; GOVERNMENT HOUSE (“HOUSE ON THE EMBANKMENT”), SERAFIMOVICH STREE
WILLIAM C. BRUMFIELD MOSCOW
07/09/1994 00:00:00; GOVERNMENT HOUSE (“HOUSE ON THE EMBANKMENT”), SERAFIMOVICH STREE
RIGHT: 19TH-CENTURY HOUSE, BERSENEV EMBANKMENT (DEMOLISHED FOR PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE); LEFT: KREMLIN MOSCOW WILLIAM C. BRUMFIELD
Sources: Wikipedia (translated via Yandex); Sudjic, Deyan. The Life and Career of Boris Iofan. Royal Academy of Arts, 2022.