Mikhail Eisenstein

Who was Mikhail Eisenstein?

Mikhail Osipovich Eisenstein, was a Russian architect and civil engineer of Baltic German descent. His paternal grandparents being German Jews, had converted to Orthodox Christianity, and his maternal grandparents were thought to be Swedes. He graduated from the Institute of Civic Engineering in St. Petersburg in 1893. He was the designer of a number of Art Nouveau buildings in Riga. He built several apartment buildings for State Counsellor A. Lebedinsky, including the ones at Alberta iela 4, 6 and 13, and at Elizabetes iela 10b. His projects were characterized by decorative, odd-shaped windows, often with large female head shapes, bright glazed brick or ceramic plates, glass and metal tiles etc.

Because of the Russian Revolution Mikhail Eisenstein emigrated to Berlin, where he died in 1921. He lies buried at Berlin-Tegel Russian-Orthodox cemetery.

His son Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein became a well-known Soviet film director.