Musa Nagiyev’s house
Walking around Baku, you involuntarily get the feeling that you are somewhere in Europe. Venice, Paris, Vienna, each in its own indescribable shade, but sometimes you just pass by. Of course, we are talking about architecture and the people behind it. Oil industrialist Musa Nagiyev, one of the most significant figures in Azerbaijan at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, planned huge amounts of money for the construction, improvement and public life of his beloved Baku. Thanks to his efforts, 98 large buildings appeared in the city, including residential buildings, hospitals, hotels and even a German church. At the same time, these buildings, different in purpose and appearance, created a holistic image of the city, thanks to the architect Joseph Ploshko.
According to the purpose and external appearance of the building, a complete image of the city was created, thanks to the architect Joseph Ploshko.
The four-storey tenement house of Agha Musa Nagiyev
At the beginning of the 20th century, Pole Joseph Ploshko had already lived in Baku for several years, where, thanks to his talents, he became the chief architect of the city administration, and also became friends with the generous Nagiyev. The patron patronized the architect and sent him to Europe for inspiration and knowledge.
In most of his projects, Ploshko used aglay (natural facing stone from limestone). Aglay, mined in quarries in the mountains of the Absheron Peninsula of Azerbaijan, was widely used in the architecture of Baku for finishing facades and became unique symbols of Azerbaijani architecture in the style of the 19th and 20th centuries. The color and texture of the stone are intertwined with systematic forms to create a true Baku look. By order of Nagiyev, Proshko designed several buildings, including the house on May 28th. Here the architect adopted the Art Nouveau style, very suitable for that time, with its rich and expressive plasticity.
Ismailiya, Baku, the famous Azerbaijani millionaire, oil industrialist, philanthropist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Musa Nagiyev, in memory of his son Ismail, who died of tuberculosis, decided to build an unusual palace in the center of the city. He sent the famous Polish architect Joseph Płoshko to Italy, where he was to choose an architectural style as a model. In 1907, Nagiyev approved the project and construction began, which was completed in 1913. The sayings of Imam Ali were inscribed on the pediment of the building: “A person rises and achieves what he wants only through his work. From birth to death a person must learn. Muslims! Your century is dying with you, prepare your children for the new century!”
Experts consider these houses to be among Ploshko’s masterpieces: completed in 1911, the residential complex consisted of two houses facing the street, and another building located on the pedestrian Lev Tolstoy Street, opposite the Theater for Young Spectators and the Opera and Ballet Theater founded by Mila Askerova. The gallery owner has been involved in Azerbaijani art since 2003, and Gazelle has been an important international cultural institution for many years. Franz Ackermann, Michelangelo, El Anatsui are some of the international celebrities whose works are exhibited at Gazelli Art House by local artists. The gallery was one of the first to launch a digital platform demonstrating art. VR art is now an integral part of the global art scene, but eight years ago turning to VR art was a bold move. As it turns out, it was also a forward-thinking move. After all, without a connection with the past there is no future. The rich history of the house on Lev Tolstoy Street, 172 is the basis for the development of galaxies, which predetermines the world of Azerbaijani art. The building and its contents are a point of attraction for tourists and citizens, as well as a significant element integrated into the modern cultural landscape of the city.
Gazelli Art House
Hotel New Europe, Baku, the six-story hotel building was built in 1913 in the Art Nouveau style by architect Joseph Ploshko at the expense of Baku oil industrialist Musa Nagiyev.
Another house built by Ploshko in 1912 on Molokanskaya Street.