According to legend, in 1707, Peter I stayed in Tver, in the Volga region, with the merchant Alexei Arfaev.
The owner honored him with berry soup, and the king gave him a ladle with eagles as a parting gift. There is no documentary evidence for this visit. But since then, in the house that the Arfaevs built for themselves after another fire in Tver, a hint of the highest position remains - a stucco double-headed eagle on the ceiling of the central hall.
The merchant did not put such a mark on his head, and it is still considered indirect evidence that the legend about Peter did not arise out of nowhere.
The two-story stone house was built from 1762 to 1768.
The reason for the long-term construction was Catherine II's ban on building stone houses outside the city center. So the Arfaevs first had to build another house in the city part, and only then return to the Trans-Volga. And five years after the house was completed,
The Volga area has been redeveloped, and the house now stands at an angle to the street, which is younger than it. It is considered the oldest civil building in Tver.
Now, under the plaster arches of this house, the exhibition "Beauty and Benefits" has unfolded. In the showcases - gold turzhuk embroidery, kaliazin lace, navel embroidery on towels, painted spinning wheels, carved ladles, folk costumes.
On the ground floor, the symbol painter's house has been restored: a half-living workshop.
And behind the weaving house you can take a picture.
But in general, the building itself is worth a visit. Where else can you see such beauty?
Address: Tver, Museum of Tver Life, House of Merchants Arfaev on the street. Nahimova, 21/3.
A story collector.