Bolshaya Morskaya
Bolshaya Morskaya Street (referred to as Herzen street in 1920-1993 after Alexander Herzen), located from the General Staff Arch to Kryukov Canal, was constructed in the early XVIII century, in Morskaya settlement (hence the name).
Until the middle of XVIII century, the section up to Nevsky Prospect, with only its left side built up, remained a part of Bolshaya Lugovaya Street that ran from Millionnaya Street to Nevsky Prospect. In the 1760s, its right side was built up. In 1834, this lot was added to Bolshaya Morskaya street.
After fires of 1736-37, the main part of the street from Nevsky Prospect towards St. Isaac's Square was called Bolshaya Gostinnaya street due to the project of Gostiny Dvor construction. In 1755-67, the street between Nevsky Prospect and Kirpichny Lane was blocked up with the temporary wooden Winter Palace. In the early XIX century, the name Bolshaya Morskaya street became firmly established again.
In the second half of the XVIII century, the informal name of the ground beyond St. Isaac's Square was Malaya Morskaya Street. When the system of numbering was introduced, buildings beyond Pochtamtsky Lane got numbers along Moika River Embankment. This lot was again added to Bolshaya Morskaya Street in 1887. In 1902, on account of Malaya Morskaya Street renamed Gogolya Street, the whole street was referred to as Morskaya.
The Hotel Building (25) was famous for Lerche restaurant, opened in 1843 by Ministry of Defence Official G.V. Lerche (1787-1876) in his own residence (in literature, the Lerche House; 25 Bolshaya Morskaya Street /11 Gorokhovaya Street; rebuilt in 1838, architect P.P. Jacot with participation of K.I. Reimers). Lerche Restaurant, popular for officers' rouses, was mentioned in Nekrasov's "Talker".
From the late 1840s to 1917, the building was owned by the Eliseevs.
Herzen Alexander Ivanovich (1812-1870) also known as Iskander - revolutionary, publicist, writer, philosopher - settled at the House of Lerche (Hotel building) in 1840 with his wife and son, and lived there untul his exile to Novgorod in June 1841. Later on Herzen's name was given to the Russian State Pedagogical University in 1920.