Millionka

Completed: 2019

Location: 1d, Semenovskaya st. Vladivostok

Area: 425 м2

Photographer: Alexander Hom

Millionka is a restaurant situated in an of the same name square in the historical centre of Vladivostok which is noted by its unique history. The place got such a name because it was tightly populated by Chinese people in the end of the 19-th - the beginning of the 20-th centuries. Millionka was the only Chinatown in the history of Russia. It was a labyrinth of intricate and secret passages, alleys and deadend patios. The story of the place where 100 years ago there were profitable houses, small places for eating, thives' lairs, casinos, bawdy-houses, pads, now is a city legend which became a reason for creating a concept for the restaurant.

The principle of the unique interpenetration of two cultures Russian and Chinese was taken as a base for the interior of the restaurant. We compared two artistic traditions through interaction of stylistic elements up to their temperamental integration. The artistic picture was found in combination of opposite artistic methods. They are a traditional Chinese cabinet disposed on a Siberian carpet, floral compositions in Chinese style on Tula samovars, a replica of the picture by Kustodiev implantated into Chinese screen, floral ornament of Zhostovo trays on Oriental wall panels, Russian chairs from the 19-th century situated by octahedral Chinese tables with marble inlays, filigreed carving on wood in Chinese screens neighbours with raw and naive tradition of decorating main details in Russian nobility houses.

Projections of changing pictures of people and streets of Vladivostok of the beginning of the 20th century show the interpenetration of cultures of Russia and Asia.

The image of the restaurant is formed with original objects such as symbolic decorative everyday ancient things from Russia, Japan and China. The entrance is decorated with antique carved wood works which were found in Chinese province Guandun. For the wall panels we used entrance doors, shutters, headboards of beds, doors and borders of cupboards.

The palette of umber shades reflects dusky mood of the exotic mode of life. It is complimented with dim shimmering streams of gold on raw stone walls. The glazed reflectors of lamps of yellow metal make to gleam tabletops made of Sayan marble encolouring visitors' faces in pearl-pink. For making decorative textile devisions and for furniture overcast we used the Chinese silk, the old one and made in accordance with the samples of the past century.