Russian architecture of the 18th century features. School Encyclopedia

The main features of the development of architecture of the XVIII century in Russia

XVIII century - important in the history of Russian architecture, the flowering of architecture in Russia:

Three trends are characteristic, which manifested themselves consistently over the course of the century: baroque, rococo, classicism. There is a transition from baroque (Naryshkin and Peter the Great) to classicism of the second half of the 18th century.
Western and Russian traditions, Modern times and the Middle Ages are successfully combined in architecture.
New cities appear, architectural monuments are born, which today belong to the historical and cultural heritage of Russia.
St. Petersburg becomes the main center of construction: palaces with facades and parade structures were built, palace and park ensembles were created.
Special attention was paid to the construction of civil architecture objects: theaters, factories, shipyards, collegiums, public and industrial buildings.
There is a beginning of the transition to the planned development of cities.
Foreign masters are invited to Russia: Italian, German, French, Dutch.
In the second half of the 18th century, palace and park buildings became attractions not only in the capital, but also in provincial and district cities.

The development of the architecture of Russia in the 18th century can be divided into three time periods, each of which accounts for the development of a particular direction, namely:

First third of the 18th century. Baroque.
Middle of the 18th century. Baroque and Rococo.
End of the 18th century. Classicism.

Let's take a closer look at each period.

The main architectural styles of the 18th century in Russia

First third of the 18th century is inextricably linked with the name of Peter I. The cities of Russia during this period are undergoing changes in terms of architectural planning and in the socio-economic aspect. With the development of industry, the emergence of a large number of industrial cities and towns is associated. Great importance is given to the appearance, facades of ordinary buildings and residential buildings, as well as theaters, town halls, hospitals, schools, orphanages. The active use of brick instead of wood in construction dates back to 1710, but it concerns, first of all, the capital cities, however, for peripheral cities, brick and stone belong to the forbidden category.

Along with the development of civil engineering, considerable attention is paid to the improvement of streets, lighting, and trees are planted. Everything was affected by Western influence and the will of Peter, which was expressed by the issuance of decrees that revolutionized urban planning.

Remark 1

Russia occupies a worthy place in urban planning and improvement, thus catching up with Europe.

The main event of the beginning of the century was the construction of St. Petersburg and Moscow's Lefortovo Sloboda. Peter I sends domestic masters to study in Europe, inviting foreign architects to Russia. Among them are Rastrelli (father), Michetti, Trezzini, Leblon, Schedel. The predominant direction of this period is baroque, which is characterized by a simultaneous combination of reality and illusion, pomp and contrast.

The construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress in 1703 and the Admiralty in 1704 marks the beginning of the construction of St. Petersburg. Thanks to the well-coordinated work of foreign and Russian masters, Western architectural features merged with native Russian ones, eventually creating the Russian Baroque or Baroque of the Petrine era. This period includes the creation of the summer palace of Peter the Great, the Kunstkamera, the Menshikov Palace, the building of the Twelve Colleges, the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The creation of the ensembles of the Winter Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, the Stroganov Palace, and the Smolny Monastery took place in a later period. The churches of the Archangel Gabriel and John the Warrior on Yakimanka are architectural creations in Moscow, the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Kazan.

Figure 1. Admiralty in St. Petersburg. Author24 - online exchange of student papers

An irreparable loss was the death of Peter I for the state, although in essence it had no effect on the development of architecture and urban planning in the middle of the 18th century. The Russian state has strong personnel. Michurin, Blank, Korobov, Zemtsov, Eropkin, Usov are the leading Russian architects of the time.

Rococo is a style that characterizes this period, a combination of baroque and only emerging classicism. Gallantry and confidence are the main features of that time. The buildings of that time still possess pomp and pomp, while at the same time showing strict features of classicism.

Rococo period coincides with the reign of Peter's daughter Elizabeth and is marked by the work of Rastrelli (son), whose projects fit very organically into the history of Russian architecture of the 18th century. Rastrelli was brought up in Russian culture and well understood the Russian character. His work kept pace with his contemporaries Ukhtomsky, Chevakinsky, Kvasov. Dome compositions have become widespread, replacing the spire-shaped ones. In Russian history, there are no analogues of scope and splendor inherent in the ensembles of that time. The high art of Rastrelli and his contemporaries, with all their recognition, was replaced by classicism in the second half of the 18th century.

Remark 2

The most grandiose projects of the period are the new general plan of St. Petersburg and the redevelopment of Moscow.

In the last third of the 18th century in architecture, the features of a new direction begin to appear - Russian classicism - as it was later called. This direction is characterized by ancient rigor of forms, simplicity and rationality of designs. Classicism most manifested itself in the Moscow architecture of that time. Among the many famous creations, the Pashkov house, the Tsaritsyn complex, the Razumovsky palace, the Senate building, the Golitsyn house should be noted. At that time, the construction of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the Hermitage, the Hermitage Theater, the Academy of Sciences, the Tauride Palace, the Marble Palace was taking place in St. Petersburg. Kazakaov, Ukhtomsky, Bazhenov are famous and outstanding architects of that time.

The changes affected many provincial cities, among them: Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Arkhangelsk, Yaroslavl, Oranienbaum (Lomonosov), Odoev Bogoroditsk, Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin).

During this period, the economic and industrial centers of the Russian state are born: Taganrog, Petrozavodsk, Yekaterinburg and others.

Associated with the work of the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (1700-1771).

Buildings built in this style are characterized by extraordinary splendor and elegance. The walls of palaces and temples are richly decorated with bizarre stucco, sculptures, columns that do not support anything. There are practically no horizontal lines in the architecture. The baroque ideal is a smoothly curved curve. The line of the façade is dynamic: the projections of the buildings are continually replaced by depressions. The unique charm of the Baroque buildings was given by the multicolored coloring: the tops of the columns and the sculpture shone with gilding, and the snow-white columns clearly stood out against the blue, turquoise, yellow or pink surface of the walls.

The interiors of baroque palaces were distinguished by special splendor. The walls of the halls were covered with silk fabric, decorated with mirrors, carved gilded stucco. The floors were finished with parquet with a complex pattern. The ceilings were painted by skilled painters. Crystal chandeliers, exquisite door handles, intricate fireplaces, clocks, vases, luxurious furniture complemented all this magnificence. The palace premises were built in a long row of passage rooms and halls so that the doorways were located along the same axis. Such a layout corresponded to the theme of parade processions, which certainly manifested itself not only in the famous “exit of the monarch”, but also in all rituals, even dances.

urban planning

During the reign of Catherine, a grandiose urban development program was carried out. New cities were built and old cities were rebuilt. Settlements were founded in the Urals, in Siberia, Novorossia. Petersburg with its regular layout served as a model of urban planning art.

In 1762 was created Commission on the stone structure of St. Petersburg and Moscow. It was supposed not only to deal with the urban planning problems of the two Russian capitals, but also to develop master plans for provincial and district cities. By 1775, the Stone Construction Commission approved plans for 216 cities. It should be noted that when rebuilding old cities, the architects tried to preserve the monuments of ancient Russian architecture: temples, bell towers, fortifications.

In the second half of the XVIII century. the number of public (non-residential) structures erected in cities has increased significantly. Buildings are being built for institutions of city self-government (city dumas, meetings of the nobility, etc.), hospitals, schools, guest yards, public baths, and warehouses. In large cities, in addition to palaces and mansions, the first profitable houses appear in which apartments are rented out.

Classicism

The architectural style is changing: the lush baroque is being replaced by classicism. "Noble simplicity and calm grandeur" - this is how the new style, which was established in Russia at the end of the 18th century, is characterized. It is dominated by straight horizontal and vertical lines. All parts of the buildings are symmetrical, proportional, balanced. Columns not only serve as decoration, but also have a constructive purpose - they support ceilings. Roofs are flattened. Architects prefer to paint the facades of buildings in discreet colors - yellow, coffee, gray, fawn ... material from the site

Representatives in St. Petersburg

The largest architects of classicism in St. Petersburg were Jean-Baptiste Vallin-Delamote(Academy of Arts, Gostiny Dvor on Nevsky Prospekt), Ivan Egorovich Old(Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Tauride Palace), Charles Cameron(Pavlovsk Palace, Cameron Gallery of Tsarskoye Selo), Giacomo Quarenghi(Hermitage Theatre, Assignation Bank), Nikolai Alexandrovich Lvov(Petersburg Post Office, Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Church "Kulich and Easter").

N. A. Lvov (1751 - 1803) was known not only as a talented architect, but also as an outstanding scientist, writer, graphic artist, and musicologist. He created the first art salon (circle), which included outstanding writers, composers, and artists. Lvov was revered as a genius of taste.

Representatives in Moscow

Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov (1737/1738-1799) (Pashkov's house, the Tsaritsyno palace complex) and Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov (1738-1812/1813) worked in Moscow (the buildings of the Senate in the Kremlin, the Noble Assembly - now the Column Hall of the House of Unions, the Golitsyn Hospital - now 1st Gradskaya).

Pictures (photos, drawings)

Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1750-1762
Cathedral of the Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1748-1764
The Great Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1752-1756
Picture Hall in the Grand Peterhof Palace. Watercolor by L. O. Premazzi. 1855
Enfilade of ceremonial rooms in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1750s
Main staircase in the Winter Palace. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. Watercolor K.A. Ukhtomsky. 19th century
Plan of Petersburg 1776
The building of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Architects A. F. Kokorinov and Jean-Baptiste Vallin-Delamot
Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. Architect I. E. Staroe

I.M. Schmidt

The eighteenth century is the time of the remarkable flourishing of Russian architecture. Continuing; on the one hand, their national traditions, Russian masters during this period began to actively master the experience of contemporary Western European architecture, reworking its principles in relation to the specific historical needs and conditions of their country. They have enriched world architecture in many ways, introducing unique features into its development.

For Russian architecture of the 18th century. characteristic is the decisive predominance of secular architecture over religious architecture, the breadth of urban planning plans and decisions. A new capital was erected - Petersburg, as the state strengthened, the old cities expanded and rebuilt.

The decrees of Peter I contained specific instructions regarding architecture and construction. So, by his special order, it was prescribed to display the facades of newly built buildings on the red line of the streets, while in ancient Russian cities houses were often located in the depths of courtyards, behind various outbuildings.

For a number of its stylistic features, Russian architecture of the first half of the 18th century. undoubtedly can be compared with the baroque style prevailing in Europe.

However, a direct analogy cannot be drawn here. Russian architecture - especially of Peter's time - had a much greater simplicity of forms than was characteristic of the late baroque style in the West. In its ideological content, it affirmed the patriotic ideas of the greatness of the Russian state.

One of the most remarkable buildings of the early 18th century is the Arsenal building in the Moscow Kremlin (1702-1736; architects Dmitry Ivanov, Mikhail Choglokov and Christophe Conrad). The large length of the building, the calm surface of the walls with sparsely spaced windows, and the solemnly monumental design of the main gate clearly testify to a new direction in architecture. Quite unique is the solution of the Arsenal's small paired windows, which have a semi-circular ending and huge external slopes like deep niches.

New trends also penetrated religious architecture. A striking example of this is the Church of the Archangel Gabriel, better known as the Menshikov Tower. It was built in 1704-1707. in Moscow, on the territory of the estate of A. D. Menshikov near Chistye Prudy, by the architect Ivan Petrovich Zarudny (died in 1727). Before the fire of 1723 (due to a lightning strike), the Menshikov Tower - like the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, which was built soon - was crowned with a high wooden spire, at the end of which there was a gilded copper figure of the archangel. In height, this church surpassed the bell tower of Ivan the Great in the Kremlin ( The light, elongated dome of this church, which now exists in a peculiar form, was made already at the beginning of the 19th century. The restoration of the church dates back to 1780.).

I. P. Zarudny. Church of the Archangel Gabriel ("Menshikov Tower") in Moscow. 1704-1707 View from the southwest.

The Menshikov Tower is a characteristic of Russian church architecture of the late 17th century. a composition of several tiers - "octagon" on the "four". At the same time, compared with the 17th century. new trends are clearly outlined here and new architectural techniques are used. Particularly bold and innovative was the use of a high spire in the church building, which was then so successfully used by St. Petersburg architects. Zarudny's appeal to the classical methods of the order system is characteristic. In particular, columns with Corinthian capitals, unusual for ancient Russian architecture, were introduced with great artistic tact. And already quite boldly - powerful volutes flanking the main entrance to the temple and giving it a special monumentality, originality and solemnity.

Zarudny also created wooden triumphal gates in Moscow - in honor of the Poltava victory (1709) and the conclusion of the Peace of Nystadt (1721). Since the time of Peter the Great, the erection of triumphal arches has become a frequent occurrence in the history of Russian architecture. Both wooden and permanent (stone) triumphal gates were usually richly decorated with sculpture. These buildings were monuments of the military glory of the Russian people and greatly contributed to the decorative design of the city.

Plan of the central part of St. Petersburg in the 18th century.

With the greatest clarity and completeness, the new qualities of Russian architecture of the 18th century. appeared in the architecture of St. Petersburg. The new Russian capital was founded in 1703 and was built unusually quickly.

Petersburg is of particular interest from an architectural point of view. It is the only metropolitan city in Europe that originated entirely in the 18th century. In its appearance, not only the peculiar trends, styles and individual talents of architects of the 18th century, but also the progressive principles of urban planning skills of that time, in particular planning, were vividly reflected. In addition to the brilliantly solved "three-beam" planning of the center of St. Petersburg, high urban planning manifested itself in the creation of complete ensembles, in the magnificent development of the embankments. The indissoluble architectural and artistic unity of the city and its waterways from the very beginning was one of the most important virtues and unique beauty of St. Petersburg. The composition of the architectural appearance of St. Petersburg in the first half of the 18th century. mainly associated with the activities of architects D. Trezzini, M. Zemtsov, I. Korobov and P. Eropkin.

Domenico Trezzini (c. 1670-1734) was one of those foreign architects who, having arrived in Russia at the invitation of Peter I, remained here for many years, or even until the end of their lives. The name Trezzini is associated with many buildings of early Petersburg; he owns "exemplary", that is, standard projects of residential buildings, palaces, temples, and various civil structures.

Domenico Trezzini. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Leningrad. 1712-1733 View from the northwest.

Trezzini did not work alone. A group of Russian architects worked with him, whose role in the creation of a number of structures was extremely responsible. The best and most significant creation of Trezzini is the famous Peter and Paul Cathedral, built in 1712-1733. The building is based on the plan of a three-aisled basilica. The most remarkable part of the cathedral is its bell tower directed upwards. Just like the Menshikov tower of Zarudny in its original form, the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is crowned with a high spire, completed with the figure of an angel. The proud, light rise of the spire is prepared by all the proportions and architectural forms of the bell tower; a gradual transition from the bell tower itself to the "needle" of the cathedral was thought out. The bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral was conceived and implemented as an architectural dominant in the ensemble of St. Petersburg under construction, as the personification of the greatness of the Russian state, which established its new capital on the shores of the Gulf of Finland.

Trezzini. The building of the Twelve Collegia in Leningrad. Fragment of the facade.

In 1722-1733. another well-known Trezzini building is being created - the building of the Twelve Collegia. Strongly elongated, the building has twelve sections, each of which is designed as a relatively small but independent house with its own floor, pediment and entrance. Trezzini's favorite strict pilasters in this case are used to unite the two upper floors of the building and emphasize the measured, calm rhythm of the divisions of the facade. The proud, swift rise of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Fortress Cathedral and the calm length of the building of the Twelve Collegia - these beautiful architectural contrasts were created by Trezzini with the impeccable tact of an outstanding master.

Most of Trezzini's works are characterized by restraint and even rigor in the architectural design of buildings. This is especially noticeable next to the decorative splendor and rich design of the buildings of the mid-18th century.

Georg Mattarnovi, Gaetano Chiaveri, M. G. Zemtsov. Kunstkamera in Leningrad. 1718-1734 Facade.

The activities of Mikhail Grigoryevich Zemtsov (1686-1743), who initially worked for Trezzini and attracted the attention of Peter I with his talent, were diverse. Zemtsov, apparently, participated in all the major works of Trezzini. He completed the construction of the building of the Kunstkamera, begun by the architects Georg Johann Mattarnovi and Gaetano Chiaveri, built the churches of Simeon and Anna, St. Isaac of Dalmatsky and a number of other buildings in St. Petersburg.

G. Mattarnovi, G. Chiaveri, M. G. Zemtsov. Kunstkamera in Leningrad. Facade.

Peter I attached great importance to the regular development of the city. The well-known French architect Jean-Baptiste Leblon was invited to Russia to develop the master plan for St. Petersburg. However, the general plan of St. Petersburg drawn up by Leblon had a number of very significant shortcomings. The architect did not take into account the natural development of the city, and his plan was largely abstract. Leblon's project was only partially implemented in the planning of the streets of Vasilievsky Island. Russian architects made many significant adjustments to his layout of St. Petersburg.

A prominent urban planner of the early 18th century was the architect Pyotr Mikhailovich Eropkin (c. 1698-1740), who provided a remarkable solution for the three-beam layout of the Admiralty part of St. Petersburg (including Nevsky Prospekt). Carrying out a lot of work in the “Commission on the St. Petersburg Construction” formed in 1737, Eropkin was in charge of the development of other areas of the city. His work was cut short in the most tragic way. The architect was associated with the Volynsky group, which opposed Biron. Among other prominent members of this group, Yeropkin was arrested and in 1740 put to death.

Eropkin is known not only as an architect-practitioner, but also as a theorist. He translated the works of Palladio into Russian, and also began work on the scientific treatise "The Position of the Architectural Expedition". The last work, concerning the main issues of Russian architecture, was not completed by him; after his execution, this work was completed by Zemtsov and I.K. Korobov (1700-1747), the creator of the first stone building of the Admiralty. Crowned with a tall thin spire, echoing the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Admiralty Tower built by Korobov in 1732-1738 became one of the most important architectural landmarks of St. Petersburg.

Definition of the architectural style of the first half of the 18th century. usually causes a lot of controversy among researchers of Russian art. Indeed, the style of the first decades of the 18th century. was complex and often very contradictory. In its formation, the Western European Baroque style participated in a somewhat modified and more restrained form; influence of the Dutch architecture also affected. To one degree or another, the influence of the traditions of ancient Russian architecture also made itself felt. A distinctive feature of many of the first buildings in St. Petersburg was the harsh utility and simplicity of architectural forms. The unique originality of Russian architecture in the first decades of the 18th century. lies, however, not in the complex and sometimes contradictory interweaving of architectural styles, but, above all, in the urban scope, in the life-affirming power and grandeur of the buildings erected during this most important period for the Russian nation.

After the death of Peter I (1725), the extensive civil and industrial construction undertaken on his instructions fades into the background. A new period in the development of Russian architecture begins. The best forces of architects were now directed to palace construction, which had taken on an unusual scale. Since about the 1740s. a distinctly expressed style of Russian baroque is affirmed.

In the middle of the 18th century, the wide activity of Bartholomew Varfolomeevich Rastrelli (1700-1771), the son of the famous sculptor K.-B. Rastrelli. Creativity Rastrelli-son entirely belongs to Russian art. His work reflected the increased power of the Russian Empire, the wealth of the highest court circles, which were the main customers of the magnificent palaces created by Rastrelli and the team led by him.

Johann Brownstein. The Hermitage Pavilion in Peterhof (Petrodvorets). 1721-1725

Of great importance was the activity of Rastrelli in the restructuring of the palace and park ensemble of Peterhof. The place for the palace and the extensive garden and park ensemble, which later received the name Peterhof (now Peterhof), was planned in 1704 by Peter I himself. In 1714-1717. Monplaisir and the stone Peterhof Palace were built according to the designs of Andreas Schlüter. In the future, several architects were included in the work, including Jean Baptiste Leblon, the main author of the layout of the park and fountains of Peterhof, and I. Braunstein, the builder of the Marly and Hermitage pavilions.

From the very beginning, the Peterhof Ensemble was conceived as one of the world's largest ensembles of garden and park structures, sculpture and fountains, rivaling Versailles. Magnificent in its integrity, the idea united the Grand Cascade and the grandiose stairways framing it with the Big Grotto in the center and towering over the entire palace into one inseparable whole.

In this case, without touching on the complex issue of authorship and the history of construction, which was carried out after the sudden death of Leblon, it should be noted the installation in 1735 of the sculptural group “Samson tearing the mouth of a lion” (authorship has not been precisely established), which is central in terms of compositional role and ideological design, which completed the first stage of creating the largest of the regular park ensembles of the 18th century.

In the 1740s the second stage of construction in Peterhof began, when a grandiose reconstruction of the Great Peterhof Palace was undertaken by the architect Rastrelli. While retaining some restraint in the decision of the old Peterhof Palace, characteristic of the style of Peter the Great, Rastrelli nevertheless significantly strengthened its baroque decoration. This was especially pronounced in the design of the left wing with the church and the right wing (the so-called Corps under the coat of arms) newly attached to the palace. The final of the main stages in the construction of Peterhof dates back to the end of the 18th - the very beginning of the 19th century, when the architect A.N. Voronikhin and a whole galaxy of outstanding masters of Russian sculpture, including Kozlovsky, Martos, Shubin, Shchedrin, Prokofiev, were involved in the work.

In general, Rastrelli's first projects, dating back to the 1730s, are still largely close to the style of Peter the Great's time and do not amaze with that luxury.

and pomposity, which are manifested in his most famous creations - the Grand (Catherine) Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (now Pushkin), the Winter Palace and the Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg.

V. V. Rastrelli. Grand (Catherine) Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin). 1752-1756 View from the park.

Having started the creation of the Catherine Palace (1752-1756), Rastrelli did not build it entirely anew. In the composition of his grandiose building, he skillfully included the already existing palace buildings of the architects Kvasov and Chevakinsky. Rastrelli combined these relatively small buildings, interconnected by one-story galleries, into one majestic building of the new palace, the facade of which reached three hundred meters in length. Low one-story galleries were built on and thereby raised to the total height of the horizontal divisions of the palace, the old side buildings were included in the new building as projecting risalits.

Both inside and outside, Rastrelli's Catherine Palace was notable for its exceptional richness of decorative design, inexhaustible invention and variety of motives. The roof of the palace was gilded, above the balustrade encircling it, there were sculptural (also gilded) figures and decorative compositions. The facade was decorated with mighty figures of Atlanteans and intricate stucco depicting garlands of flowers. The white color of the columns stood out clearly against the blue color of the walls of the building.

The interior space of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace was decided by Rastrelli along the longitudinal axis. The numerous halls of the palace intended for ceremonial receptions formed a solemn beautiful enfilade. The main color combination of interior decoration is gold and white. Abundant golden carvings, images of frolicking cupids, exquisite forms of cartouches and volutes - all this was reflected in the mirrors, and in the evenings, especially on the days of solemn receptions and ceremonies, it was brightly lit by countless candles ( This palace of rare beauty was savagely looted and set on fire by Nazi troops during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Thanks to the efforts of masters of Soviet art, the Grand Palace of Tsarskoye Selo has now been restored as much as possible.).

In 1754-1762. Rastrelli is building another major building - the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, which became the basis of the future Palace Square ensemble.

In contrast to the strongly elongated Tsarskoye Selo Palace, the Winter Palace is designed in terms of a huge closed rectangle. The main entrance to the palace was at that time in the spacious inner front yard.

V. V. Rastrelli. Winter Palace in Leningrad. 1754-1762 View from the Palace Square.

V. V. Rastrelli. Winter Palace in Leningrad. Facade from Palace Square. Fragment.

Given the location of the Winter Palace, Rastrelli designed the facades of the building differently. Thus, the façade facing south, onto the subsequently formed Palace Square, is designed with a strong plastic accentuation of the central part (where the main entrance to the courtyard is located). On the contrary, the facade of the Winter Palace, facing the Neva, is designed in a calmer rhythm of volumes and colonnades, thanks to which the length of the building is better perceived.

V. V. Rastrelli. Cathedral of the Smolny Monastery in Leningrad. Fragment of the western facade.

V. V. Rastrelli. Cathedral of the Smolny Monastery in Leningrad. Started in 1748. View from the west.

Rastrelli's activities were mainly aimed at creating palace structures. But in church architecture, he left an extremely valuable work - the project of the ensemble of the Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg. The construction of the Smolny Monastery, begun in 1748, dragged on for many decades and was completed by the architect V.P. Stasov in the first third of the 19th century. In addition, such an important part of the entire ensemble as the nine-tiered bell tower of the cathedral was never completed. In the composition of the five-domed cathedral and a number of general principles for solving the ensemble of the monastery, Rastrelli directly proceeded from the traditions of ancient Russian architecture. At the same time, we see here the characteristic features of the architecture of the mid-18th century: the splendor of architectural forms, the inexhaustible richness of decor.

Among the outstanding creations of Rastrelli are the wonderful Stroganov Palace in St. Petersburg (1750-1754), St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kyiv, the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery near Moscow, rebuilt according to his project, the wooden two-story Annenhof Palace in Moscow that has not survived to our time and others.

If Rastrelli's activity proceeded mainly in St. Petersburg, then another outstanding Russian architect, Korobov's student Dmitry Vasilyevich Ukhtomsky (1719-1775), lived and worked in Moscow. Two remarkable monuments of Russian architecture of the mid-18th century are associated with his name: the bell tower of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (1740-1770) and the stone Red Gate in Moscow (1753-1757).

By the nature of his work, Ukhtomsky is quite close to Rastrelli. Both the bell tower of the Lavra and the triumphal gates are rich in external design, monumental and festive. A valuable quality of Ukhtomsky is his desire to develop ensemble solutions. And although his most significant plans were not implemented (the project of the ensemble of the Invalid and Hospital Houses in Moscow), progressive trends in Ukhtomsky's work were picked up and developed by his great students - Bazhenov and Kazakov.

A prominent place in the architecture of this period was occupied by the work of Savva Ivanovich Chevakinsky (1713-1774/80). A student and successor of Korobov, Chevakinsky participated in the development and implementation of a number of architectural projects in St. Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo. Chevakinsky's talent was especially fully manifested in the Nikolsky Naval Cathedral he created (St. Petersburg, 1753 - 1762). The slender four-tiered bell tower of the cathedral is wonderfully designed, charming with its festive elegance and impeccable proportions.

Second half of the 18th century marks a new stage in the history of architecture. Like other types of art, Russian architecture testifies to the strengthening of the Russian state and the growth of culture, reflects a new, more sublime idea of \u200b\u200bman. The ideas of civic consciousness proclaimed by the Enlightenment, ideas of an ideal noble state built on reasonable principles, find a peculiar expression in the aesthetics of 18th century classicism, and are reflected in more and more clear, classically restrained forms of architecture.

Starting from the 18th century. and until the middle of the 19th century, Russian architecture occupies one of the leading places in world architecture. Moscow, St. Petersburg and a number of other cities in Russia are enriched at this time with first-class ensembles.

The formation of early Russian classicism in architecture is inextricably linked with the names of A. F. Kokorinov, Wallen Delamotte, A. Rinaldi, Yu. M. Felten.

Alexander Filippovich Kokorinov (1726-1772) was among the direct assistants of one of the most prominent Russian architects of the mid-18th century. Ukhtomsky. As the latest research shows, the young Kokorinov built the palace ensemble glorified by his contemporaries in Petrovsky-Razumovsky (1752-1753), which has survived to this day changed and rebuilt. From the point of view of the architectural style, this ensemble was undoubtedly close to the magnificent palace buildings of the mid-18th century, erected by Rastrelli and Ukhtomsky. New, foreshadowing the style of Russian classicism, was, in particular, the use of a stern Doric order in the design of the entrance gate of the Razumovsky Palace.

Wallen Delamotte. Small Hermitage in Leningrad. 1764-1767

Around 1760, Kokorinov began many years of joint work with Wallen Delamotte (1729-1800), who arrived in Russia. Originally from France, Delamotte came from a family of renowned architects, Blondel. Such significant buildings of St. Petersburg as the Great Gostiny Dvor (1761 - 1785), the plan of which was developed by Rastrelli, and the Small Hermitage (1764-1767) are associated with the name of Wallen Delamotte. Delamotte’s building, known as New Holland, is the building of the Admiralty warehouses, with a subtle harmony of architectural forms, solemnly majestic simplicity, where an arch thrown over the canal made of simple dark red brick with decorative use of white stone attracts special attention.

Wallen Delamotte. The central part of the main facade of the Academy of Arts in Leningrad. 1764-1788

A. F. Kokorinov and Wallen Delamotte. Academy of Arts in Leningrad. 1764-1767 View from the Neva.

Wallen Delamotte. "New Holland" in Leningrad. 1770-1779 Arch.

Wallin Delamotte participated in the creation of one of the most distinctive buildings of the 18th century. - Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg (1764-1788). The austere, monumental building of the Academy, built on Vasilyevsky Island, has become important in the city ensemble. The main façade overlooking the Neva is majestically and calmly resolved. The general design of this building testifies to the predominance of the style of early classicism over baroque elements.

The most striking plan of this building, which, apparently, was mainly developed by Kokorinov. Behind the outwardly calm facades of the building, which occupies an entire city block, lies the most complex internal system of educational, residential and utility rooms, stairs and corridors, courtyards and passages. Particularly noteworthy is the layout of the internal courtyards of the Academy, which included one huge round courtyard in the center and four smaller courtyards, having a rectangular plan, each of which has two rounded corners.

A. F. Kokorinov, Wallen Delamotte. Academy of Arts in Leningrad. Plan.

A building close to the art of early classicism is the Marble Palace (1768-1785). Its author was the Yan architect Antonio Rinaldi (c. 1710-1794), who was invited to Russia. In the earlier buildings of Rinaldi, the features of the late baroque and rococo style were clearly manifested (the latter is especially noticeable in the sophisticated decoration of the apartments of the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum).

Along with large palace and park ensembles, manor architecture is gaining more and more development in Russia. Particularly lively construction of estates unfolded in the second half of the 18th century, when Peter III issued a decree on the release of the nobles from compulsory civil service. Having dispersed to their family and newly received estates, the Russian nobles began to intensively build and improve, inviting the most prominent architects for this, and also widely using the work of talented serf architects. Estate building reached its peak in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Lattice of the Summer Garden in Leningrad. 1773-1784 Attributed to Yu. M. Felten.

The master of early classicism was Yuri Matveyevich Felten (1730-1801), one of the creators of the wonderful Neva embankments associated with the implementation of urban development work in the 1760s-1770s. Closely connected with the ensemble of the Neva embankments is the construction of the Summer Garden lattice, striking in its nobility of its forms, in the design of which Felten participated. Of the structures of Felten, the building of the Old Hermitage should be mentioned.

Pracheshny Bridge over the Fontanka River in Leningrad. 1780s

In the second half of the 18th century lived and worked one of the greatest Russian architects - Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov (1738-1799). Bazhenov was born into the family of a sexton near Moscow, near Maloyaroslavets. At the age of fifteen, Bazhenov was in the artel of painters at the construction of one of the palaces, where the architect Ukhtomsky drew attention to him, who accepted the gifted young man into his “architectural team”. After the organization of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Bazhenov was sent there from Moscow, where he studied at the gymnasium at Moscow University. In 1760, Bazhenov traveled as a pensioner of the Academy abroad, to France and Italy. The outstanding natural talent of the young architect already in those years received high recognition, the twenty-eight-year-old Bazhenov came from abroad with the title of professor of the Roman Academy and the title of academician of the Florentine and Bologna Academies.

Bazhenov's exceptional talent as an architect, his great creative scope, were especially clearly manifested in the project of the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, on which he began to work in 1767, having actually conceived the creation of a new Kremlin ensemble.

V.I. Bazhenov. Plan of the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

According to Bazhenov's project, the Kremlin was to become, in the full sense of the word, the new center of the ancient Russian capital, moreover, most directly connected with the city. Based on this project, Bazhenov even intended to tear down part of the Kremlin wall from the side of the Moscow River and Red Square. Thus, the newly created ensemble of several squares in the Kremlin and, first of all, the new Kremlin Palace would no longer be separated from the city.

The facade of the Bazhenov Kremlin Palace was supposed to face the Moscow River, to which from above, from the Kremlin hill, solemn stairways, decorated with monumental and decorative sculpture, led.

The building of the palace was designed as four-story, with the first two floors having a service purpose, and the third and fourth were the actual palace apartments with large double-height halls.

V.I. Bazhenov. Project of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Incision.

In the architectural solution of the Kremlin Palace, new squares, as well as the most significant interior spaces, an exceptionally large role was assigned to the colonnades (mainly of the Ionic and Corinthian orders). In particular, a whole system of colonnades surrounded the main of the squares designed by Bazhenov in the Kremlin. The architect intended to surround this square, which had an oval shape, with buildings with strongly protruding basement parts, forming, as it were, stepped stands for accommodating people.

V. I. BAZHENOV Model of the Kremlin Palace. Fragment of the main facade. 1769-1772 Moscow, Museum of Architecture.

Extensive preparatory work began; in a specially built house, a wonderful (preserved to this day) model of the future structure was made; carefully developed and designed by Bazhenov, the interior decoration and decoration of the palace ...

A cruel blow awaited the unsuspecting architect: as it turned out later, Catherine II was not going to complete this grandiose construction, it was started by her mainly with the aim of demonstrating the power and wealth of the state during the Russian-Turkish war. Already in 1775, the construction was completely stopped.

In subsequent years, the most important work of Bazhenov was the design and construction of an ensemble in Tsaritsyn near Moscow, which was supposed to be the summer residence of Catherine II. The ensemble in Tsaritsyn is a country estate with an asymmetric arrangement of buildings, executed in an original style, sometimes called “Russian Gothic”, but to a certain extent based on the use of motives of Russian architecture of the 17th century.

It is in the traditions of ancient Russian architecture that Bazhenov gives combinations of red brick walls of Tsaritsyno buildings with white stone details.

The surviving Bazhenov buildings in Tsaritsyn - the Opera House, the Figured Gate, the bridge across the road - give only a partial idea of the general plan. Bazhenov's project was not only not implemented, but even the palace, which he had almost completed, was rejected by the empress who arrived and, on her orders, was demolished.

V. I. BAZHENOV Pavilions of the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle in Leningrad. 1797-1800

V. I. BAZHENOV Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle in Leningrad. 1797-1800 North facade.

Bazhenov paid tribute to the emerging pre-romantic tendencies in the project of the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle, which, with some changes, was carried out by the architect V. F. Brenna. Built by order of Paul I in St. Petersburg, the Mikhailovsky Castle (1797-1800) was at that time a structure surrounded, like a fortress, by moats; drawbridges were thrown over them. The tectonic clarity of the general architectural design and, at the same time, the complexity of planning were combined here in a peculiar way.

In most of his projects and constructions, Bazhenov acted as the greatest master of early Russian classicism. A remarkable creation of Bazhenov is the Pashkov House in Moscow (now the old building of the State Library named after V. I. Lenin). This building was built in 1784-1787. A palace-type building, the Pashkov House (named after the name of the first owner) turned out to be so perfect that both from the point of view of the urban ensemble and for its high artistic merits, it took one of the first places among the monuments of Russian architecture.

V. I. BAZHENOV House of P. E. Pashkov in Moscow. 1784-1787 Main facade.

The main entrance to the building was arranged from the side of the main courtyard, where there were several outbuildings of the palace-estate. Located on a hill rising from Mokhovaya Street, Pashkov's house faces the Kremlin with its main facade. The main architectural array of the palace is its central three-story building, crowned with a light belvedere. On both sides of the building there are two side two-story buildings. The central building of the Pashkov house is decorated with a Corinthian order colonnade that unites the second and third floors. The side pavilions have smooth Ionic columns. The subtle thoughtfulness of the overall composition and all the details gives this structure an extraordinary lightness and at the same time significance, monumentality. The true harmony of the whole, the elegance of the elaboration of details eloquently testify to the genius of its creator.

Another great Russian architect who worked at one time with Bazhenov was Matvei Fedorovich Kazakov (1738-1812). A native of Moscow, Kazakov, even more closely than Bazhenov, connected his creative activity with Moscow architecture. When he was thirteen years old in the school of Ukhtomsky, Kazakov learned the art of architecture in practice. He was neither at the Academy of Arts, nor abroad. From the first half of the 1760s. young Kazakov was already working in Tver, where a number of buildings, both residential and public, were built according to his design.

In 1767, Kazakov was invited by Bazhenov as his direct assistant to design the ensemble of the new Kremlin Palace.

M.F. Kazakov. The Senate in the Moscow Kremlin. Plan.

M. F. Kazakov. The Senate in the Moscow Kremlin. 1776-1787 Main facade.

One of the earliest and at the same time the most significant and famous buildings of Kazakov is the Senate building in Moscow (1776-1787). The Senate building (currently housing the Supreme Soviet of the USSR) is located inside the Kremlin near the Arsenal. Triangular in plan (with courtyards), one of its facades faces Red Square. The central compositional node of the building is the Senate Hall, which has a huge domed ceiling for that time, the diameter of which reaches almost 25 m. stucco.

The next well-known creation of Kazakov is the building of Moscow University (1786-1793). This time, Kazakov turned to the widespread plan of the city estate in the form of the letter P. In the center of the building there is an assembly hall in the form of a semi-rotunda with a domed ceiling. The original appearance of the university, built by Kazakov, differs significantly from the external design that D. I. Gilardi gave him, who restored the university after the fire of Moscow in 1812. The Doric colonnade, the reliefs and the pediment above the portico, the aedicules on the ends of the side wings, etc., all this was not in Kazakov's building. It looked taller and not as developed in front. The main facade of the university in the 18th century. had a more slender and light colonnade of the portico (Ionic order), the walls of the building were divided by blades and panels, the ends of the side wings of the building had Ionic porticos with four pilasters and a pediment.

Just like Bazhenov, Kazakov sometimes turned in his work to the traditions of the architecture of Ancient Russia, for example, in the Petrovsky Palace, built in 1775-1782. Pitcher-shaped columns, arches, window decorations, hanging weights, etc., together with red brick walls and white stone decorations, clearly echoed pre-Petrine architecture.

I.M. Schmidt

For a number of its stylistic features, Russian architecture of the first half of the 18th century. undoubtedly can be compared with the baroque style prevailing in Europe.

In general, Rastrelli's first projects, dating back to the 1730s, are still largely close to the style of Peter the Great's time and do not amaze with that luxury.

and pomposity, which are manifested in his most famous creations - the Grand (Catherine) Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (now Pushkin), the Winter Palace and the Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg.

In 1754-1762. Rastrelli is building another major building - the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, which became the basis of the future Palace Square ensemble.

The formation of early Russian classicism in architecture is inextricably linked with the names of A. F. Kokorinov, Wallen Delamotte, A. Rinaldi, Yu. M. Felten.

The facade of the Bazhenov Kremlin Palace was supposed to face the Moscow River, to which from above, from the Kremlin hill, solemn stairways, decorated with monumental and decorative sculpture, led.

The building of the palace was designed as four-story, with the first two floors having a service purpose, and the third and fourth were the actual palace apartments with large double-height halls.

It is in the traditions of ancient Russian architecture that Bazhenov gives combinations of red brick walls of Tsaritsyno buildings with white stone details.

In 1767, Kazakov was invited by Bazhenov as his direct assistant to design the ensemble of the new Kremlin Palace.

However, most of Kazakov's church buildings - the Church of Philip the Metropolitan, the Church of the Ascension on Gorokhovskaya Street (now Kazakova Street) in Moscow, the Baryshnikov Mausoleum Church (in the village of Nikolo-Pogoreloy, Smolensk Region) - were solved not so much in terms of ancient Russian churches, but in the spirit classically solemn secular buildings - the rotunda. A special place among the church buildings of Kazakov is occupied by the church of Cosmas and Damian in Moscow, which is peculiar in its plan.

Sculptural decoration plays an important role in Kazakov's works. A variety of stucco decorations, thematic bas-reliefs, round statues, etc., largely contributed to the high degree of decoration of buildings, their festive solemnity and monumentality. Interest in the synthesis of architecture and sculpture manifested itself in Kazakov's last significant building - the building of the Golitsyn Hospital (now the 1st City Hospital) in Moscow, the construction of which dates back to 1796-1801. Here Kazakov is already close to the architectural principles of classicism of the first third of the 19th century, as evidenced by the calm smoothness of the wall planes, the composition of the building and its outbuildings stretched along the street, the rigor and restraint of the overall architectural design.

Kazakov made a great contribution to the development of manor architecture and the architecture of a city residential mansion. Such are the house in Petrovsky-Alabin (completed in 1785) and Gubin's beautiful house in Moscow (1790s), which are distinguished by their clear simplicity of composition.

One of the most gifted and illustrious masters of architecture of the second half of the 18th century was Ivan Yegorovich Staroy (1745-1808), whose name is associated with many buildings in St. Petersburg and the provinces. The largest work of Starov, if we talk about the buildings of the master that have come down to us, is the Tauride Palace, built in 1783-1789. In Petersburg.

Even Starov's contemporaries highly valued this palace as meeting the high requirements of genuine art - it is as simple and clear in its design as it is majestic and solemn. According to the decision of the interior, this is not only a residential palace-estate, but also a residence intended for ceremonial receptions, festivities and entertainment. The central part of the palace is highlighted by a dome and a six-bottomed Roman-Doric portico, located in the depths of the main courtyard, wide open to the outside. The significance of the central part of the building is set off by the low one-story side wings of the palace, the design of which, like the side buildings, is very strict. Solemnly resolved the interior of the palace. Granite and jasper columns located directly opposite the entrance make up the semblance of an internal triumphal arch. From the vestibule, those who entered entered the monumentally decorated domed hall of the palace, and then into the so-called Great Gallery with a solemn colonnade, consisting of thirty-six columns of the Ionic order, placed in two rows on both sides of the hall.

Even after repeated rebuildings and changes inside the Tauride Palace, made in subsequent times, the grandeur of the architect's plan leaves an indelible impression. In the early 1770s. Starov is appointed chief architect of the "Commission on the stone structure of St. Petersburg and Moscow." Under his leadership, planning projects for many Russian cities were also developed.

In addition to Bazhenov, Kazakov and Starov, many other outstanding architects are working in Russia at the same time - both Russian and those who came from abroad. The wide construction opportunities available in Russia attract large foreign craftsmen who did not find such opportunities in their homeland.

Charles Cameron (1740s-1812), a Scot by origin, was an outstanding master of architecture, especially of palace and park structures.

In 1780-1786. Cameron is building a complex of landscape gardening structures in Tsarskoe Selo, which includes a two-story building of the Cold Baths with Agate Rooms, a hanging garden and, finally, a magnificent open gallery bearing the name of its creator. The Cameron Gallery is one of the most perfect works of the architect. Her extraordinary lightness and elegance of proportions are striking; majestically and uniquely designed staircase flanked by copies from the ancient statues of Hercules and Flora.

Cameron was a master of interior design. With impeccable taste and sophistication, he develops the decoration of several rooms of the Great Catherine Palace (Catherine II’s bedroom, see illustration, “Snuffbox” cabinet), the Agate Rooms pavilion, as well as Pavlovsk Palace (1782-1786) (Italian and Greek halls, billiard room and others).

Of great value is not only the palace created by Cameron in Pavlovsk, but also the entire garden and park ensemble. In contrast to the more regular planning and development of the famous Peterhof Park, the ensemble in Pavlovsk is the best example of a "natural" park with freely scattered pavilions. In a picturesque landscape, among groves and clearings, near the Slavyanka River curving around the hills, there is a pavilion - the Temple of Friendship, an open rotunda - the Apollo Colonnade, the pavilion of the Three Graces, an obelisk, bridges, etc.

Late 18th century in the architecture of Russia, it already in many respects anticipates the next stage of development - the mature classicism of the first third of the 19th century, also known as the "Russian Empire". New trends are noticeable in the work of Giacomo Quarenghi (1744-1817). Still at home, in Italy, Quarenghi is fond of Palladianism and becomes a zealous champion of classicism. Not finding the proper use of his forces in Italy, Quarenghi came to Russia (1780), where he remained for the rest of his life.

Having started his activity with work in Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo, Quarenghi moved on to the construction of the largest metropolitan buildings. The Hermitage Theater (1783-1787), the building of the Academy of Sciences (1783-1789) and the Assignation Bank (1783-1790) in St. Petersburg, as well as the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (1792-1796) created by him, are strict, classical buildings in their decision , which in many ways already herald the next stage in the development of Russian architecture. Strictly speaking, the creative activity of Quarenghi in Russia is almost equally divided between the 18th and 19th centuries. Of the most famous buildings of Quarenghi of the early 19th century. the hospital building on Liteiny Prospekt, the Anichkov Palace, the Horse Guards Manege and the wooden Narva triumphal gates of 1814 stand out.

The most outstanding creation of Quarenghi of the early 19th century. is the Smolny Institute (1806-1808). In this work, the characteristic features of Quarenghi as a representative of mature classicism in architecture are visible: the desire for large and concise architectural forms, the use of monumental porticos, the emphasis on the powerful basement of the building, processed with large rustication, the utmost clarity and simplicity of planning.

The architecture of the 19th century in Russia was characterized by great diversity. She had not one, but several styles. As a rule, art critics divide it into two stages - classical and Russian. Particularly pronounced styles of architecture of the 19th century were reflected in such cities as Moscow and St. Petersburg. Many brilliant architects of that era worked in them. Let's get acquainted with the history of architecture of the 19th century closer.

Departure from the baroque

Before talking about Russian architecture of the 19th century, let's consider one of the styles from which it began. Baroque architecture in Russia at the end of the 18th century was replaced by classicism. This term comes from the Latin word for "exemplary". Classicism is an artistic (including architectural) European style that developed in France in the 17th century.

It is based on the ideas of rationalism. From the point of view of the adherents of this style, a work of art, a structure should be based on strict canons, thereby emphasizing the logic and harmony of the entire universe. Interesting for classicism is only the eternal, unshakable. In any phenomenon, he seeks to highlight its typological, essential features and discard individual, random features.

architectural classicism

For architectural classicism, the main feature is the appeal to the forms characteristic of ancient architecture, considered as the standard of simplicity, rigor, harmony, and logic. In general, it is distinguished by a regular layout, clarity of form, which is voluminous. It is based on an order that is close to antiquity in terms of shapes and proportions. And also classicism is characterized by symmetrical compositions, restraint of decor, regularity in urban planning.

The centers of classicism in Russia were Moscow and St. Petersburg. Its prominent representatives are Giacomo Quarenghi and Ivan Starov. Typical classic buildings are the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg, the Trinity Cathedral, located in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the architect of which was Starov. According to Quarenghi's project, the Alexander Palace, the Smolny Institute, and the Academy of Sciences were built. The creations of this architect are a symbol of St. Petersburg classicism.

Empire transformation

The architecture of the first half of the 19th century in Russia is characterized by a gradual transition from classicism to empire. Empire (French for "imperial") is a style related to late, or high, classicism. It also appeared in France during the years when Napoleon I was in power, and developed during the first thirty years of the 19th century, after which it was replaced by historicism.

In Russia, this style arose during the reign of Emperor Alexander I. As you know, since the 19th century, Russia has been fascinated by the culture of France. As Russian monarchs often did, Alexander I sent the novice architect Auguste Montferrand from France. The tsar entrusted him with the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Later Montferrand became one of the fathers of the so-called Russian Empire style.

Petersburg and Moscow directions

Russian Empire was divided into two areas: Moscow and St. Petersburg. This division was not so much territorial as characterized by the degree of its departure from classicism. This gap was the largest among St. Petersburg architects. Its most prominent representatives were:

Andrey Voronikhin.
Andrey Zakharov.
Vasily Stasov.
Jean Thomon.
Carl Rossi.

Among the architects of Moscow, the largest masters of the period under review include:

Osip Bove.
Domenico Gilardi.
Afanasy Grigoriev.

Among the sculptors, Feodosy Shchedrin and Ivan Matros can be distinguished. Empire was the leading style in Russian architecture until the 1830s and 40s. Interestingly, its revival, albeit in slightly different forms, took place in the USSR. This direction, which fell on the 1930-50s. XX century, became known as "Stalin's Empire".

royal style

Empire style is often referred to as the so-called royal styles, due to its theatricality in the design of both interior and exterior decoration. Its feature is the obligatory presence of columns, stucco cornices, pilasters, and other classical elements. Added to this are motifs that reflect, almost unchanged, such examples of details of ancient sculpture as sphinxes, griffins, lion paws.

In the Empire style, the elements are arranged in a strict order in the presence of symmetry and balance. This style has:

massive, monumental forms;
military symbols;
rich decor;
the influence of ancient Roman and ancient Greek art forms.

The artistic concept of this style was to emphasize and embody the ideas of the power of autocratic power, the state, and military force.

Coryphaeus of St. Petersburg

The appearance and development of the Empire style in the architecture of the 19th century in Russia is closely connected with the name of the architect Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin. One of his best works is the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Its powerful semi-oval colonnades frame the square facing Nevsky Prospekt. Another famous creation of his is the building of the Mining Institute. It is distinguished by a huge portico with a Doric colonnade that juts out against the backdrop of the brutal walls of the façade. On the sides of the portico are decorated with sculptural groups.

Famous creations in the Empire style by Jean de Thomon, a French architect, are the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg and the stock exchange building. Directly in front of the building, the master installed two rostral columns, which symbolize the four great Russian rivers, such as the Volga, Volkhov, Dnieper and Neva. A rostral column is a column decorated with rosters - sculptural images of ship prows.

A recognized masterpiece of architecture of the 19th century in the Empire style is a complex of buildings belonging to the Admiralty, architect Zakharov Andrey Dmitrievich. The already existing building was renovated to reflect the theme of maritime glory and the might of the fleet. It turned into a grandiose building with a facade of about 400 meters long, with a majestic architectural appearance and an emphasized central position in the city.

Russian style

In the architecture of the second half of the 19th century, there is a surge of interest directed to the works of ancient Russian architecture. The result is a complex consisting of several architectural styles, which is defined in several ways. Its main name is "Russian style", but it is also called "pseudo-Russian", and "neo-Russian", and "Russian-Byzantine". In this direction, there is a borrowing of some architectural forms characteristic of ancient Russian and Byzantine architecture, but already at a new technological level.

Art historians consider Konstantin Andreevich Ton as the founder of the "Russian-Byzantine style". His main creations are the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, as well as the Grand Kremlin Palace. The motifs of the Terem Palace are embodied in the exterior decoration of the last building. Its windows are made in the traditions of Russian architecture, they are decorated with carved architraves, equipped with double arches and a weight in their middle.

In addition to these structures, the Moscow Armory, cathedrals in Yelets, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Rostov-on-Don belong to the works of Ton.

Features of the Russian-Byzantine style

In the architecture of the 19th century, the Russian-Byzantine direction developed with the active support of the Russian government. After all, this style was the embodiment of the idea of official Orthodoxy. Russian-Byzantine architecture is characterized by the borrowing of certain compositional techniques and motifs used in Byzantine churches.

Byzantium borrowed architectural forms from antiquity, but gradually changed them, developing a type of church buildings that was very different from the basilicas of ancient Christians. Its main feature is the use of a dome covering the middle part of the building, using the technique of the so-called sails.

The interior design of Byzantine churches did not shine with wealth and did not differ in the complexity of details. But at the same time, their walls in the lower part were lined with marble of expensive varieties, and in the upper part they were decorated with gilding. The vaults were covered with mosaics and frescoes.

Outside, the building consisted of two tiers of elongated windows with rounded tops. Windows in some cases were grouped in twos or threes, and each of the groups was separated from the others by a column and framed by a false arch. In addition to windows in the walls, holes were made at the base of the dome for better lighting.

Pseudo-Russian style

In the architecture of the 19th century, there is a period of enthusiasm for such small decorative forms characteristic of the 16th century as a porch, a tent, a kokoshnik, a brick ornament. Architects Gornostaev, Rezanov and others work in a similar style.

In the 70s of the 19th century, the ideas of the populists aroused in artistic circles a great interest in the culture of the Russian people, in the architecture of the peasants and the architecture of the 16th-17th centuries. One of the most striking buildings, made in the pseudo-Russian style of this period, is the Terem of the architect Ivan Ropet, located in Abramtsevo near Moscow, and the Mamontov printing house built by Viktor Hartman in Moscow.

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, the development of the neo-Russian style took place. In search of simplicity and monumentality, the architects turned to the most ancient monuments of Novgorod and Pskov, as well as to the traditions of the Russian North. This style in St. Petersburg was embodied mainly in buildings for church purposes, made by:

Vladimir Pokrovsky.
Stepan Krichinsky.
Andrey Aplaksin.
Herman Grimm.

But houses were also built in the neo-Russian style, for example, the Kuperman tenement house, built according to the project of the architect Lishnevsky A. L. on Plutalova Street.

Women's Portal Flero

The main architectural styles of the 18th century in Russia

urban planning

Classicism

Representatives in St. Petersburg

Representatives in Moscow

Pictures (photos, drawings)

Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1750-1762

Cathedral of the Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1748-1764

The Great Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1752-1756

Picture Hall in the Grand Peterhof Palace. Watercolor by L. O. Premazzi. 1855

Enfilade of ceremonial rooms in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. 1750s

Main staircase in the Winter Palace. Architect F.-B. Rastrelli. Watercolor K.A. Ukhtomsky. 19th century

Plan of Petersburg 1776

The building of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Architects A. F. Kokorinov and Jean-Baptiste Vallin-Delamot

Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. Architect I. E. Staroe