What did Simon Worcnzow stone plaque do at 22 Woronzow Road?

The Story

# Simon Worcnzow's Legacy at 22 Woronzow Road Standing at 22 Woronzow Road, you're standing in the shadow of a Russian diplomat's most enduring gift to London—not the grand embassies or state functions that defined his career, but the modest almshouses that rose at the very corner of this street. When Count Simon Worcnzow chose to make his home in nearby Marylebone during his decades as Russian Ambassador (1784-1806), he became woven into the fabric of this neighborhood, witnessing its transformation from rural village to fashionable district. At his death in 1832, at the remarkable age of 88, he could have left his fortune to distant relatives in Russia, but instead his bequest funded the St Marylebone Almshouses—a practical compassion that gave shelter to the parish poor and ensured his name would forever mark this road with gratitude rather than grandeur. Today, standing before this plaque, you're not just reading about a forgotten ambassador; you're standing at the precise corner where one man's quiet generosity created a haven for vulnerable Londoners, making this ordinary address a monument to the kind of legacy that truly lasts.