Tomsk to use year-end funds for 7 million lantern house repair
Renovation work on the historic house commenced in 2025 with initial budget allocations.
For the repair of the historic house with a lantern at Kuznechny Vzvoz, 6, authorities plan to allocate over 6 million rubles (about $66,700 at current rates).
Further restoration phases, including the balcony, are scheduled to begin in 2027.
The historic residential house at Kuznechny Vzvoz, 6 began repairs in 2025. About 12 million rubles (approximately $133,300) were allocated from the Tomsk budget for this purpose. To date, the roof, drainpipes, and plinth have been repaired, window fillings replaced, and the frieze and window surrounds restored. In 2026, funds in the required amount for continuing the work were not allocated, but authorities promised to return to discussing this issue at the beginning of the year.
Funding for balcony repairs has not been secured for the current fiscal year.
Nikita Kirsanov, chairman of the Committee for the Preservation of Historical Heritage of the Architecture Department of the Mayor«s Office, explained that due to technogenic soil ruptures, the ground at the base of the house is deteriorating, so there is a possibility that the historic building could slide down the slope.
The lantern is a distinctive architectural feature of the house on Kuznechny Vzvoz.
«While the house is still standing straight, and the foundation is not yet covered, we urgently need to strengthen the ground base in conjunction with repairing the retaining walls,» he said.
For these works, according to Kirsanov, about 6.6 million rubles (about $73,300) are necessary.
Tomsk Mayor Dmitry Makhinya promised that deputies will discuss allocating money for these purposes during the nearest City Duma session.
«There are funds that we will propose to allocate tomorrow [at the City Duma session]. These are, so to speak, the revenues from the last working day of last year, when funds came in outside of operational days. We couldn»t distribute them earlier, so we will propose that deputies direct the funds to this house,« the mayor explained.
At the same time, he did not rule out that these are not the last money this year that could be allocated for other city needs.
The allocation of money for the house repair has already been supported in absentia by City Duma Speaker Sergey Sechenov.
«We perfectly understand that if we do not allocate money now to strengthen the foundation, we will completely lose the entire house and the money we invested in 2025 to bring its external part in order. I think deputies will definitely support it,» he said.
It should be added that for the full completion of works, it is necessary to restore the balcony and dome with the lantern, as well as repair the stairwell vestibule. These works can only be undertaken in 2027.
