Outstanding architect Montferrand Auguste: biography, works

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

St. Petersburg, or, as it was also called, Northern Palmyra, owes its majestic appearance not least to European architects, who were invited by Russian monarchs to decorate and equip it. Among them is the architect Montferrand. Many of his creations today are among the most famous symbols of the city on the Neva and adorn most of the tourist avenues.

Auguste Montferrand: biography (childhood)

Henri Louis Auguste Ricard de Montferrand was born in 1786 in Chaillot (now part of Paris). As the architect himself admitted in the future, his parents invented a legend about their aristocratic origin, adding to the surname the name of the estate they actually owned.

After the death of Auguste's father, his mother remarried. The stepfather, who was a famous architect, immediately fell in love with the smart boy and did everything to get him a decent education.

Young years

In 1806, Auguste Montferrand entered the Paris Academy of Architecture, where his teachers were P. Fontena, C. Percier and stepfather Antoine Commarier. Under the leadership of the latter, he took part in the construction of the Church of Mary Magdalene. However, he was soon drafted into the army, and for some time he served in Italy.

After returning to Paris, at the age of 26, Auguste Montferrand got married, and after a while he himself expressed a desire to enter the Napoleonic Guard. In the battle of the Arno, he proved himself a brave warrior and was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor. Perhaps Montferrand would have continued his military career if not for the defeat of Napoleon in the Battle of Leipzig, shortly after which the young man retired.

Meeting with Alexander the First

Today it may seem strange, but in defeated France, the majority of citizens treated the Russian monarch without any hostility. Moreover, Auguste Montferrand was simply happy when he received an audience with Alexander the First. He presented the tsar with an album with several architectural projects, on the cover of which a dedication to the Russian emperor was written. Among them were sketches of a colossal obelisk, an equestrian statue, the Arc de Triomphe, etc. The Tsar especially liked the fact that the drawings were accompanied by a short list of building materials necessary for the implementation of a particular project, and the approximate cost of the costs was indicated.

Some time after the audience, the architect Montferrand receivedan official letter in which, on behalf of Alexander the First, he was invited to come to St. Petersburg.

Moving to Russia

Auguste Montferrand did not hesitate at all before deciding to make cardinal changes in his life. In 1816, the architect arrived in the northern capital with a letter of recommendation from Abraham-Louis Breguet to Augustine Betancourt. The latter served as chairman of the city planning committee of St. Petersburg, and his patronage could be extremely useful to the Parisian architect. Bettencourt was impressed by a letter from Breguet, who was his business partner in the 1770s, so he welcomed the Frenchman and agreed to see his drawings. He liked the work, and he invited the young man to take the position of head of the draftsmen in the committee he headed. However, the architect Montferrand modestly refused and preferred to be enlisted as a senior draftsman. The official entry of the talented Frenchman into the Russian service took place on December 21, 1816.

The first building that the architect Montferrand built in the Russian capital was the Lobanov-Rostovsky house. It was located on Admir alteysky Prospekt, and later the War Ministry was placed in it.

St. Isaac's Cathedral

Auguste Montferrand was able to quickly establish himself in the new service. More than 7 years have passed since his arrival in Russia, when Alexander the First first announced a competition for the construction of a new cathedral on the site of the old Isakievsky. At the same time, a prerequisite for the approval of the project waspreservation of the already consecrated three altars. In 1813, they again began to look for an architect who could cope with such a task. The project presented by Montferrand received the highest approval. It was approved on February 20, 1818. Construction lasted more than 40 years, and it was completed only during the reign of Alexander II.

The work of the architect was generously rewarded. Montferan received the high rank of real state councilor and a fee of 40,000 silver rubles. In addition, he was awarded a gold medal adorned with diamonds.

Alexander Column

During the first decade of his stay in Russia, in addition to the already mentioned structures, Montferrand designed the building of the Richelieu Lyceum in Odessa, the Kochubey Palace, the Industrial Complex in Nizhny Novgorod, the Moscow Manege and others.

In 1829 Nicholas II decided to perpetuate the memory of his brother's victory. According to his plan, the Alexander Column was supposed to rush upwards on Palace Square. Auguste Montferrand coped with the development of its project better than other colleagues, especially since he had been hatching the idea of such a structure for many years. The construction took 5 years, and in 1834 the grand opening of this monument took place in front of the Winter Palace, which is still considered one of the decorations of the city on the Neva. As a token of gratitude for his efforts, Montferrand was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir of the third degree, and his fee amounted to 100,000 silver rubles.

Last years of life

After a divorce from his first wife Montferrand for many yearsremained single until in 1835 he married a former actress, the Frenchwoman Eliza Debonnière, who remained with him until the last days of his life. The last work of the architect was the project of the monument to Emperor Nicholas I in St. Petersburg. Death prevented Montferrand from completing this work, and the work was completed by the architect D. Efimov.

Now you know the details of the life that the architect who built St. Isaac's Cathedral lived. Auguste Montferrand spent more than 40 years in Russia and is the author of many structures, which even today cause admiration for the perfection of forms and originality of design.