In the first half of the 19th century, the Nizhny Novgorod Fair became the center of day-to-day life in the city. And it was there that the first branch of the State Bank was located.
The bank office moved from building to building until it finally found its way to Rozhdestvenskaya Street. In 1868, a permanent branch of the State Bank was opened in the house of merchant Blinov.
However, the bank started needing more space over time. Therefore, in 1910, it was decided to build a separate, designated bank building on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street. In 1910, an all-Russian competition was held to choose a design for the building. Famous Russian architects Fyodor Osipovich Schechtel, Alexey Viktorovich Shchusev, and Vladimir Alexandrovich Pokrovsky, as well as city architect Nikolay Mikhailovich Veshnyakov from Nizhny Novgorod took part in it. The project of Vladimir Alexandrovich Pokrovsky won.
The ensemble of bank buildings recreated the image of pre-Petrine chambers of the 17th century. The wall paintings were based on the sketches of artist Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin. The rooms were furnished with custom-made tables, chairs, carved doors and panels, which have survived to this day. The architecture and all adornments of the building glorified Ancient Russia and also created a comfortable and safe working environment for the bank employees.
The bank featured storerooms and vaults that ensured the safety of valuables. In anticipation of a possible war, the State Bank organized secure vaults in those Russian cities that were situated far from the border areas. And Nizhny Novgorod met these requirements.
At the laying of the foundation stone on July 24, 1911, according to the long-standing tradition of the State Bank of the Russian Empire, “Let the bank stand firmly on money, on gold!”, five 10-ruble gold coins with the relief portrait of Nicholas II were placed under the foundation.
The building of the State Bank was erected in 1913 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov. 75 rubles were allocated from the budget to bank officials for new uniforms — double-breasted coats and caps with white covers. On May 14, 1913, the new building was consecrated, and on May 17, the bank was visited by Emperor Nicholas II and his wife.
