“Aseev House” 1918–1921: “in a state of great neglect”

We trace an episode illustrating the humanitarian component of the social cataclysm. On the basis of partially for the first time entered into scientific circulation archival documents, we consider destructive economic and cultural manifestations of the revolution period and civil war on the example of the city estate of M.V. Aseev which was in the beginning of the 20th century one of architectural and cultural dominants of the governorate center. After nationalization, it was assumed unrealized adaptation of the “House of Aseev” under the orphanage, which led to its actual abandonment. The transfer of the estate to the use of the emerging state university implied a dual purpose: the elimination of homelessness and the formation of the material base of the higher education institution, which can count on centralized funding. The development of the revolution into a large-scale civil war made it impossible to implement it. We trace the bureaucratic red tape with the transfer of the estate to the Agronomical faculty of Tambov State University, which lasted until the beginning of 1919, and increased the neglect of buildings and territory. The lack of funds at the disposal of the university and local authorities did not allow to stop the destruction of the estate. The data, which we give, characterize the increasing destruction – desolation of premises, land, water supply systems, heating, electricity, sewerage.