RESTAURANTS AND TAVERNS IN SHEVCHENKO’S STORY “THE ARTIST” (FROM THE NEW COMMENTARIES)

Abstract

Besides specifying or clarifying the current address of the restaurants and taverns mentioned in the story, it appeared necessary to give a minimum description of this or that eating-house as most of the relevant names and cases of comparing and contrasting some of them say little to a common reader and sometimes to a specialist as well. The study of these restaurants and taverns adds many new details to Shevchenko’s biography. Based on the information of the author’s contemporaries (mostly from the 1830s—1840s), descriptions in the fiction ot the time, as well as city guides and directories, the paper presents characteristics of St. Petersburg restaurants and confectioneries of Alexander, Delli, Dume, Klee, Saint Georges, the Roman cafes Lepri and Greco.
 The paper proves that Madame Jurgens’ eating-house was located not on the sixth line of Vasilyevsky Island, but the third one, near the Great Avenue, not far from the wine cellar of Ja. Vochts on the second line. It refutes the erroneous localization by M. Morenets who believed that Jurgens canteen worked in a house at the modern address 6 Buzky Lane / 7 the 6th line. In fact, there was a tavern “The Golden Anchor”, which is also visited by the characters of the story. There is evidence that allows assuming that the tavern “Berlin” mentioned in the story as one in the corner of the 6th line and Academic Lane was located at the modern address 3 6th line / 10 Academic Lane, because since the early 19th century there was a wine shop in this particular building, and not in the one at the opposite corner.
 When not lacking money to pay, Shevchenko and his Academy classmates had lunch mostly in Madame Jurgens’ eating-house. If they could afford it, getting paid for a portrait or something, they visited the restaurant Klee. K. Bryullov could sometimes invite them for dinner at Delli’s confectionery or Alexander’s restaurant. Shevchenko also knew some other aristocratic eating-houses and, of course, just heard of Roman cafes from others.