Elizabethan baroque in the architecture of St. Petersburg: description, features and features

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

Elizabethian baroque is an architectural style that arose during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. It flourished in the middle of the 18th century. The architect, who was the most prominent representative of the style, was Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli (1700-1771). In honor of him, the Elizabethan baroque is often called "Rastrelli".

Precursor

The reign of Peter the Great brought many changes to the cultural life of the country. The new capital was built up with buildings in a style that gravitated towards the European canons of architecture. This is the era of the so-called Petrine baroque, inspired by German, Dutch and Swedish architecture. The new style almost completely departed from the Byzantine traditions, which were held in high esteem and constantly observed in Russian architecture for many centuries. Yes, and baroque, it is called very conditionally. The architecture of that period practically did not know the lush decor that was originally characteristic of the style.

Petrine and Elizabethan baroque that came to himto replace, have several significant differences. The latter absorbed the traditions of Moscow architecture of the late 17th - early 18th centuries, returned to the cross-domed scheme for building temples, onion and pear-shaped decorative coverings.

Style Features

The reign of the youngest daughter of Peter the Great was marked by the growth of the authority of state power, the strengthening of the greatness of the country. This trend could not but have an impact on architecture. The Elizabethan baroque in St. Petersburg and beyond has become the embodiment of state power. We note several characteristic features of this style:

• a striking variety of decorative elements;
• plasticity and dynamism of architectural forms;
• contrasting color combinations in the exterior;
• use of pilasters and three-quarter columns;
• spectacle and abundance of decorative details in the interior decoration;
• return to some traditions of ancient Russian architecture.

Maestro of Style

Rastrelli created his first creations in Courland for Duke Biron. Then he became the chief architect of Anna Ioannovna and, finally, of Elizabeth. In the early 40s of the 18th century, Rastrelli visited Moscow, where he had the opportunity to get acquainted with examples of traditional Russian architecture. As art critics note, this short journey influenced the further work of the master and, as a result, the appearance of his contemporaryPetersburg.

The first building that Rastrelli built on the orders of the Empress, and from which his fame began, was the summer palace. Unfortunately, this building has not survived, because it was wooden. Then, with varying degrees of involvement, he worked on several projects:

• The Grand Palace in Peterhof (1747-1752);
• St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kyiv (drawn a sketch of the building in 1747);
• rebuilding the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (1752-1757).

Tallest building in the city

The Winter Palace was one of Rastrelli's latest creations. The building, which today houses the Hermitage, still demonstrates the Elizabethan baroque to everyone today. Construction began in 1754. The area of the palace was 60 thousand square meters and contained 1500 rooms. The building was the tallest among all residential buildings in the city. The empress took care of this by issuing a decree forbidding the construction of taller houses. Moreover, this was explained not by the whim of the empress, but by the fact that Rastrelli calculated the ideal proportions of the building relative to the average width of the Neva. However, the details of his find have not yet become known, and the researchers unequivocally say that this fact was nothing more than a fiction. However, the decree was strictly observed.

Unforgettable beauty

The construction of the Winter Palace was completed already under Catherine II and without Rastrelli: the Empress removed him, givingpreference for Felten, Wallen-Delamote, Rinaldi and Betsky. The building has undergone several reconstructions and restorations, but even today you can see the details planned by Rastrelli and created under his direction. Lush decoration, characteristic of all variants of the Baroque style, gives the palace a solemn look. The architecture of the building is distinguished by a special rhythm created by columns, sometimes separated by a considerable distance, sometimes assembled into a kind of beam, projections (protruding parts of the building in its entire height), stepped corners.

The facade facing the Palace Square, Rastrelli provided with an arch. The architect was inspired to create it when he was repairing the palace in Strelna. The building was repainted several times. Initially, warm ocher was the main color, individual elements (orders, decor) were highlighted with white lime. Today, the walls of the palace have an emerald hue. For the first time they became like this at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Smolny Cathedral

The pinnacle of Rastrelli's work is the Smolny Monastery. The Elizabethan baroque in the architecture of this building shines with all its splendor. Smolny Cathedral, the central element of the ensemble, was founded on October 30, 1748. The architect Christian Knobel directly supervised the work, but the author of the building project is Rastrelli.

The cathedral is decorated with many decorative elements: lucarnes, arched (arched) pediments, angels and vases. Initially, the architect was going to build a building according to the European model - withone dome. Elizabeth did not agree with this decision and insisted on five domes, characteristic of Orthodox cathedrals. However, it is the temple that owns only one, the largest dome. It rises on a drum, has a helmet-like shape and is crowned with an onion dome. The remaining four domes are bell towers.

The cathedral is visually divided into two zones. One includes the facade of the lower part, with all its appearance reminiscent of a palace. The second - five domes stretched upwards - is lighter and with its architecture corresponds to the usual image of the temple. The Smolny Cathedral was admired by many of Rastrelli's contemporaries. Today it is one of the most beautiful buildings representing the Elizabethan baroque in the architecture of St. Petersburg. It is located on Rastrelli Square in the central area of the city.

Kvasov's creations

Other architects of the Elizabethan Baroque worked together with Rastrelli on the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo: Andrey Vasilyevich Kvasov and Savva Ivanovich Chevakinsky. Modern art critics recognize the first as the author of the Savior on Sennaya. This church was founded in 1753. To this day, it has survived only in photographs: in 1938 it was closed, and in 1961 it was blown up. In the century before last, the authorship of the church was attributed to Rastrelli, but modern researchers do not agree with this.

For the Razumovsky brothers, Kvasov created palaces in Kozeltse, Gostilitsy and Znamenka (the authorship of the latter remains controversial). In 1748 he went to Ukraine, where he workedon projects in the Ukrainian baroque style.

Savva Ivanovich Chevakinsky

In Tsarskoe Selo, according to the designs of Chevakinsky, two buildings of the Catherine Palace were erected, the Monbijou pavilion, which has not survived to this day, houses for employees. In addition, the architect took part in the creation of the Hermitage pavilion.

Chevakinsky was the chief architect of the fleet. He supervised the construction of warehouses on the New Holland Island and developed a plan for the development of Kronstadt. The Elizabethan baroque performed by Chevakinsky acquired special features. The architect often used bundles of three columns to decorate corners, wrought-iron balconies and brackets with floral patterns.

St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral

Chevakinsky's main work is St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral. It is located on Nikolskaya Square in St. Petersburg and is one of the most beautiful representatives of the Elizabethan Baroque.

The cathedral was built from 1753 to 1762. The plan of the building is a cross. The main decorative elements that adorn St. Nicholas Cathedral are Corinthian columns, stucco architraves, a wide entablature and forged lattices on the balconies. The building rushes up with five gilded domes.

The Elizabethan baroque, the features of which are discussed in the article, ceased to be the dominant style after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna. This architectural direction practically did not spread to provincial cities. However, the style was reflected not only in the work of St. Petersburg masters. Elizabethan Baroquewas embodied in the works of Moscow architects, primarily D. V. Ukhtomsky and I. F. Michurin.