Central Journalists' House
The Central Journalists' House (Domzhur) is Russia's oldest professional media venue, a cultural and information centre of the Union of Journalists of Russia in central Moscow.
Last updated September 26, 2026
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Overview
The Central Journalists' House (Russian: Центральный дом журналиста, abbreviated ЦДЖ or 'Domzhur') is a historic cultural, professional and information venue in Moscow operated by the Union of Journalists of Russia. It occupies a mansion at Nikitsky Boulevard 8a in the Presnensky District of the Central Administrative Okrug, about one kilometre from the Kremlin. The building itself dates back to at least 1736, when it belonged to the Gagarin princes; it was later rebuilt and owned by figures such as Anastasia Shcherbinina, Countess Golovina and the merchant Alexander Pribylov before being nationalised after the October Revolution. In early 1920, People's Commissar for Education Anatoly Lunacharsky transferred the building to journalists at the request of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, and on 3 March 1920 the House of the Press (Дом печати) opened there. Mayakovsky served on its board until his death. During the 1920s the House of the Press became a celebrated literary and artistic stage: Valery Bryusov, Sergei Yesenin, Alexander Blok and the Imaginist poets appeared there, and in 1922 the country's first literary auction was held to aid famine victims in the Volga region. In 1938 the institution was reorganised as the House of the Journalist under the Central Committee of the Print Workers' Union, soon popularly shortened to 'Domzhur'. During the Soviet era entry was by membership card only; today it is open to the public. In the post-war decades Domzhur functioned as a professional club for the press, running lectures, seminars and exchanges for journalists, including a two-year journalism course for young specialists and a photo-reporting programme. In 1993 a monument was unveiled beside the building honouring journalists who left from Domzhur for the front in 1941. Today the Central Journalists' House presents itself as a modern multicultural centre. It hosts festivals, round tables, master classes, concerts, exhibitions and theatrical performances, and since April 2018 has run regular photo exhibitions featuring Russian and foreign news agencies accredited in Moscow. It also houses the Vladimir Mezentsev School of Journalism, whose classes and master classes are taught by faculty of Moscow State University's journalism department and the Higher School of Television, as well as by journalists from central publications. A coworking space called 'Domzhur' brings together representatives of various new-style professional communities for negotiations, lectures, master classes or everyday work. The venue offers six halls with capacities from 30 to 200 people for events; at the time of the official website's latest notice, the halls and the restaurant were closed for restoration and repair works.
History
The building that houses the Central Journalists' House was constructed no later than 1736 for the Gagarin princes. The Gagarin estate was built at the end of the 18th century; during the 1812 fire of Moscow it burned almost completely, with only the stone wing surviving. In the 1820s the wing was restored and rebuilt as the main house, owned by Anastasia Shcherbinina, daughter of Princess Ekaterina Dashkova, president of the Imperial Russian Academy. On 20 February 1831 Shcherbinina held a ball at which Alexander Pushkin and Natalya Goncharova appeared together as husband and wife for the first time. In 1836 financial difficulties forced Shcherbinina to sell the house to Countess Golovina. In 1872 the building passed to the merchant Alexander Nikiforovich Pribylov, one of the 'calico kings'. In 1877 it was rebuilt to a design by architect Alexander Vivien; the new façade decoration and the cast-iron fence along the Nikitsky Boulevard line survive to this day. The Pribylov descendants owned the building until the October Revolution, after which it was nationalised and the former owners, Alexander Semyonovich Makeyev and Sofia Alekseevna, were allocated several rooms. In early 1920, People's Commissar for Education Anatoly Lunacharsky, at the request of Vladimir Mayakovsky, transferred the building to journalists. On 3 March 1920 the House of the Press (Дом печати) was installed in the former Pribylov estate. Mayakovsky was a member of its board from the first day of operation until the end of his life. Moscow writers, poets and actors performed at the House of the Press, and musicians gave concerts there, including international competition winners Lev Oborin and David Oistrakh. On 2 December 1921 Valery Bryusov presented his play 'The Dictator', discussed by famous Moscow playwrights and directors of the time; on another occasion Bryusov delivered a report on mysticism and irrationality in life and literature. In 1921 the House hosted a discussion on the origins and fate of Imaginism with representatives of that literary movement — Sergei Yesenin, Rurik Ivnev, Anatoly Mariengof and Vadim Shershenevich. On 7 May of that year, three months before his death, Alexander Blok read poetry at the House of the Press for the last time, and on 25 September 1925 Yesenin gave his last performance there. On 19 February 1922 the House of the Press held the country's first literary auction: poets read verse and sold books, with proceeds going to aid the starving population of the Volga region. The poster for the performance and auction stated that Vladimir Mayakovsky would 'make a sensational announcement in the course of the action'; at the event Mayakovsky declared that no one would leave the House of the Press without his permission, and that permission would be granted only to those who donated to the starving Volga region. In the late 1920s Rina Zelyonaya was invited to help organise the Theatre of Reviews at the House of the Press. The theatre was nominally to be run by an artistic council — chief director Viktor Tipot, artist Kirill Zdanevich, composer Matvey Blanter and others interested in its work — but in practice the board of the House of the Press was the master of the theatre. Among the theatre's authors were the writer Valentin Katayev, the playwright Vladimir Mass, the satirist Viktor Ardov and the humorist writer Leonid Lench. In 1938 the House of the Press was reorganised as the House of the Journalist under the Central Committee of the Print Workers' Union. The official name was quickly shortened in popular usage to the laconic 'Domzhur'. In 1941 journalists left the Domzhur building for the front; in their honour a monument was erected beside the building in 1993. In the post-war years the House of the Journalist ceased to be the capital's cultural centre, as new venues for art workers appeared in Moscow, but it remained a distinctive professional club for press workers. For the fortieth anniversary of the October Revolution in 1957, Domzhur organised meetings with old Bolsheviks, participants in the revolutionary events and veterans of the Bolshevik press, and held remembrance evenings such as 'The Kremlin in October 1917' and 'The First Days of Soviet Power in Moscow'. The Domzhur press office prepared methodological guidelines for newspaper and magazine workers, for whom meetings were also held with school directors, Chamber of Commerce officials and ministers of light and textile industry. Domzhur ran a two-year lecture course in journalism for young specialists, with practical work in Moscow newspaper editorial offices and group and individual consultations on newspaper genres. In the course for photo reporters, students studied the basics of photography. According to a work report, in the mid-1950s the House of the Journalist held seminars for exchanging experience and consultations for editorial boards, leading journalists of the Soviet press spoke, and creative meetings and encounters were held with publishing workers as well as with journalists and artists from Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, the Arab East, Latin America and Mexico. In the post-Soviet period the Central Journalists' House continued as a public centre of the Union of Journalists of Russia. According to its official website, it is the country's oldest professional venue (founded 1920) and today a modern multicultural centre located just one kilometre from the Kremlin, a cult venue for professional and creative meetings. It regularly hosts festivals, round tables, master classes, concerts and exhibitions, and provides its stage for popular theatrical performances. For several years it has housed the Vladimir Mezentsev School of Journalism, where classes and master classes are conducted by teachers from the journalism faculty and the Higher School of Television of Moscow State University and by journalists from central publications. The 'Domzhur' coworking space unites representatives of various new-style professional communities. Since April 2018 the Central Journalists' House has held regular photo exhibitions, with participants including not only Russian photographers and news agencies but also colleagues from foreign news agencies accredited in Moscow. The venue offers six halls with capacities from 30 to 200 people for events; at the time of the website's latest notice, the halls and the restaurant were closed for restoration and repair works.
- 2018
From April the Central Journalists' House begins holding regular photo exhibitions.
- 1993
A monument is erected beside the building honouring journalists who left for the front in 1941.
- 1957
For the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, Domzhur organises meetings with old Bolsheviks and press veterans.
- 1941
Journalists leave the Domzhur building for the front.
- 1938
The House of the Press is reorganised as the House of the Journalist under the Print Workers' Union Central Committee.
- 1925
On 25 September Yesenin gives his last performance at the House of the Press.
- 1922
On 19 February the country's first literary auction is held to aid starving Volga region victims.
- 1921
Bryusov presents 'The Dictator'; the Imaginism debate is held; Blok reads poetry for the last time at the House of the Press.
- 1920
On 3 March the House of the Press opens in the former Pribylov estate after Lunacharsky transfers it to journalists at Mayakovsky's request.
- 1877
The house is rebuilt to a design by architect Alexander Vivien.
Products and positioning
Russia's oldest professional media venue and a modern multicultural centre for journalists and creative professionals, located one kilometre from the Kremlin.
Event halls (6 halls, capacity 30–200)
Coworking space 'Domzhur'
Vladimir Mezentsev School of Journalism
Photo exhibitions (since April 2018)
Concerts, festivals, round tables, master classes and theatrical performances
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