The bustling Tver Street is one of Moscow's main avenues, connecting to Red Square. As a core area where nobility and wealthy merchants gather, the street is lined with stone buildings that are not particularly tall but are exquisitely decorated, blending late 18th-century Russian classicism with the European style that followed the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
The façade of the Herzen Mansion at No. 25 Tver Street is painted in pale yellow, with white stripes adorning the edges, simple yet elegant. The windows are tall, with some carved patterns on the frames. Above the main door hangs an iron lantern, whose orange light casts a warm glow on the winter snow.
Arthur's sudden visit clearly pleased Herzen, perhaps due to the quietness of the Shrovetide festival at home, Herzen also hoped to bring some warmth to the house.
He didn't have time to change clothes, wearing a dark wool robe, a simple scarf tied around his neck, and plush slippers as he personally came to welcome the guest.
