Origin Story

In 1793, the diplomat Dmitry Golitsin bequeathed money and land for the construction of a public hospital complex. The complex was built by the Russian architect Matvei Kazakov, and is considered to be one of his finest works. The rotunda church is at the center of a composition of three story hospital wings. An impressive collonade frames the entrance to the hospital and its circular church, which has three layers of inside balconies. The church’s lower level offers access directly to hospital rooms, which permits patients to come and go without disturbing services.

Emperor Alexander I himself attended the consecration of St. Dmitry’s on September 22, 1801, along with the entire imperial family. Less than one year later, on 22 July 1802, the Golitsin Hospital (50 beds) was opened. At the beginning of 1803, the hospital’s services were made free for all patients. At the same time, a shelter for the poor was opened.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the hospital (which also had French doctors) cared for wounded solders, both French and Russian. In 1832, the hospital opened a nursing school for the sons of serfs. It continued to heal the sick throughout the 19th century, weathering two national epidemics, one each of typhus and cholera. By 1886, the hospital could accommodate 120 patients.