Residential building of Leo Martin de Boer
The building of the Azerbaijan State Museum of Art (Lion Martin de Boer's Palace).
Work on the construction of the house began in 1889. The author of the project was the German architect Nikolai August von der Nonne (16.06.1835 – 13.08.1908).
However, on August 12, 1889, at the age of 49, the owner of the building under construction, Lev Martin de Boer, died. The family of a millionaire sold the house to Pavel Osipovich Gukasov, head of the «Caspian Partnership». In this regard, the architect Nikolai August von der Nonne had to make some changes to the project. Therefore, the original project of the house was changed: instead of one, two main entrances with balconies were built in the front part.
The house of the «Caspian Partnership» on Sadovaya (currently Niyazi) Street was finally built by 1895. On the building there was a medallion with the letters «KT» («Caspian Partnership»), which was later destroyed during repairs in the 1930s.
In 1918-1919, the building housed the Headquarters of the British Command, headed by General William Thomson.
On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed. The mansion housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
In 1921, a year after the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, the Council of People's Commissars (government) of Azerbaijan was located in the building of the «Caspian Partnership».
In 1951, the building was transferred to the Azerbaijan Art Museum.