Who will hold official meetings in the Palace of Happiness?

Yesterday after overhaul and reconstruction, the Baku Palace of Happiness opened. The famous architect Joseph Ploshko, commissioned by the millionaire Murtuza Mukhtarov, designed this building in the early twentieth century. The oil tycoon decided to donate the house to his wife Lisa Tuganova, who enjoyed a similar building in the Gothic style in Venice.

    When the Bolsheviks came to expropriate the building, Murtuza Bey demanded that the Red Army soldiers not stain the parquet floor with their dirty boots. This remark caused a skirmish, during which Murtuza Mukhtarov was shot by the Bolsheviks.

    In the Soviet period, this building was used as the Palace of Wedding Parties. In 2007 the building was closed for repairs. The general restoration and reconstruction of the building were carried out under a project with French and Italian experts.

    As stated in the official report, the restoration included dividing the building into two parts. The first part is intended for business meetings and official receptions, and the second one is for the organization of wedding ceremonies. However, it is unclear who will conduct official meetings and to whose balance the building was transferred.  It is also unknown how much money was spent on the repairs and from what sources it came from. We only know that all the repair work was directed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. -02D-