Whilst in Almaty, I found myself lunching at a rather agreeable German establishment called ‘Frau Irma’. The beer is quite respectable, and the sausages and horse-meat ribeye are nothing short of magnificent. Yet, the real attraction lay beyond the plate: from the terrace, one commanded a splendid view of a charming emerald-hued mansion across the way. Quite piqued by the sight, I found myself unearthing a chapter of history concealed behind its eclectic façade.
The Cobbler and the French Connection
The building is known as the house of Tit Golovizin, an honorary citizen of the city of Verny-Almaty and a proprietor of cobbling workshops. The mansion was constructed between 1905 and 1908. While the name of the architect remains a subject of minor academic uncertainty, there is a prevailing theory that it was the work of the Frenchman Paul Gourdet, whose handiwork graces many of the city’s structures from that era.
In the nascent years of Soviet rule, the mansion served a variety of utilitarian purposes: a nursery, communal apartments, and even a polyclinic. However, its status underwent a dramatic transformation when it was converted into the hotel for the Council of People’s Commissars—later the Council of Ministers—of the Kazakh SSR. It was in this capacity that the mansion served as the residence of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev during the years 1955–1956.
From Ilyich to Ilyich
At this juncture, I felt compelled to delve into the biography of the ‘second’ Ilyich.
There is old adage regarding Anastas Mikoyan, the so-called ‘father of Soviet sausages’: “From Ilyich to Ilyich, without a heart attack or paralysis.” Indeed, Mikoyan managed to carve out a glittering career, beginning under Lenin and concluding under Brezhnev.
Speaking of Brezhnev himself, I was aware that he had once presided over Soviet Moldavia. His Kazakhstan period, however, proved to be quite a revelation to me. Yet, it was far from a mere ‘posting’; it was a veritable launchpad to the highest echelons of power.
Eyebrows, Virgin Lands, and Baikonur
Whilst scouring Wikipedia, I stumbled upon a photograph of Brezhnev’s father Ilya. It is immediately apparent that the son inherited his father’s full head of hair, though the provenance of those celebrated eyebrows remains a mystery. Either the son did not take after his father in that regard, or Brezhnev Sr possessed a far more disciplined approach to grooming than the future General Secretary!
(Photo from https://www.e-reading.mobi/chapter.php/91018/72/leonid-mlechin-brezhnev.html)
Brezhnev’s career trajectory, in its own way, rather impressive: post-war Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts, followed by Moldavia. Following the demise of Stalin, he oversaw the political organs of the Navy and the Ministry of Defence, and even participated in the arrest of Lavrentiy Beria.
He was dispatched to Kazakhstan by Khrushchev—and his mandate was, quite literally, of cosmic proportions: the cultivation of the Virgin Lands and the construction of Baikonur. Later, in Moscow, Brezhnev continued to supervise the space programme and was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labour for his role in the preparations for Yuri Gagarin’s flight. It is quite logical to assume that the nuclear programme (the uranium for which was mined in Kazakhstan) also fell under his purview as a Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU responsible for the military-industrial complex.
The Final Step Before Olympus
Thus, this quaint merchant’s house, which became part of the ‘Reception House’ complex, proved to be a place where epoch-defining decisions for a vast nation—and indeed the world—were reached. For Brezhnev, it was the final, tranquil stepping stone before his ultimate metamorphosis into the ‘leader of the Era of Stagnation’ in Moscow.
Occasionally, behind a stern façade, one discovers a history that would put many a palace to shame. Should you find yourself in Almaty, do pop into Frau Irma’s for a tipple—or, more accurately, for some horse meat with a view of history.
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