Architect Kazakov Matvey Fedorovich: works

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

At the end of October 1812, the news of a terrible fire that broke out in Moscow after the entry of the Napoleonic army there reached Ryazan.

The idea that two-thirds of Moscow's buildings were destroyed was especially unbearable for one of the capital's refugees, as the architect Kazakov put all his talent into decorating the Mother See with magnificent buildings in the style of classicism and "Russian Gothic".

Truly Russian architect

He was born in 1738 in the family of a native of serfs, who rose to a significant clerical rank. Thanks to the merits of the father of the future architect Matvey Kazakov, in 1751 the famous architect Dmitry Vasilyevich Ukhtomsky (1719-1774), who built many buildings in the era of Queen Elizabeth, was admitted to the school. In addition to the excellent art school, Kazakov acquired practical skills in the organization of construction, in the choice of materials and technologies. This became his hallmark.

Easy precise drawings, confident drawing of stucco details - all this was inherent in the master from a young age. He worked out his graphic skills on the best examples of the architectural heritage of the past, studying ancient Greek orders. The architect Kazakov became a staunch supporter of a well-thought-outlittle details of organic classic style.

First experiments

In the spring of 1763, a terrible fire destroyed Tver. Restoration of the city was entrusted to the student of Ukhtomsky, Pyotr Romanovich Nikitin. Matvey Kazakov, an architect included by Nikitin in his team, worked on one of the most important objects - a house for the church head of Tver. Catherine II herself highly appreciated the city restored according to new plans, calling Tver the second most beautiful (after St. Petersburg) in Russia.

The Bishop's House, which became the palace in which Catherine stayed upon her arrival in the newly rebuilt city, made the name of the architect famous, and the architect Kazakov began to receive private orders from the richest and noblest people in Russia. So, for P. F. Nashchokin, he built a magnificent estate Rai-Semenovskoye on the Nara River, near Serpukhov.

Kazakov and Bazhenov

Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov (1738-1799) - the great Russian architect, who was the same age as Kazakov. By the time they met, Bazhenov had already gone through the school of European architecture after graduating from the Academy of Arts, having spent many years in France and Italy. He made models of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and the Louvre Gallery in Paris, absorbed the knowledge and experience of the leading masters of French classicism: Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Jacques-Germain Soufflot and others.

Unlike Bazhenov, Kazakov did not leave Russia, so he tried to add to his practical experience the Bazhenov concept of architecture as high art, to discover new beauty in combinations of volumes, in planning solutions, in the sophistication of decor. Bazhenov liked the works of Matvey Fedorovich, and he attracted him to cooperate on grandiose orders received from the Empress herself.

Kremlin Expedition

Catherine the Great experienced difficult feelings for Moscow. Too great was the difference between St. Petersburg - the magnificent European capital - and the Mother See, where the Byzantine, Asian spirit, the embodiment of which the Kremlin seemed to her, was indestructible. It was from here that she wanted to start the Europeanization of Moscow, entrusting the reconstruction project of the city center to Bazhenov.

The grandiose project proposed by the "Expedition for the Construction of the Kremlin Palace" seemed too radical even to the Empress. Bazhenov proposed to demolish the ancient buildings and build a grandiose multi-storey palace, facing the river with majestic facades, and in terms of forming a junction of the main directions of the radial streets of the center of Moscow.

The project was completed within five years, a colossal model of the Grand Kremlin Palace was made. Even the solemn laying of the new building took place and part of the wall was dismantled, but things did not go further. Catherine lost interest in the project, which made Moscow a threat to the greatness of the Northern capital and required colossal expenses. Subsequently appointed to lead the reconstruction of the Kremlin, M. F. Kazakov (an architect with more practical experience than Bazhenov) restored the destroyed part of the wall and built a new government building, the Senate, on the area prepared for the start of construction. But at first he continued to work with Bazhenov.

The birth of the "RussianGothic"

In 1775, at the behest of Catherine, a celebration was held in Moscow on the occasion of the annexation of the Crimea and the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kaynarji peace with the Turks. For this, temporary wooden pavilions depicting Turkish cities were erected on the Khodynka field. The execution of these works was entrusted to the "Kremlin expedition" headed by Bazhenov, whose closest associate was again the architect Kazakov.

As a result of the combination of bizarre oriental elements and classical proportions, a festive, deliberately theatrical, decorative style was born, which is commonly called pseudo-Gothic, or "Russian Gothic". Empress Catherine liked it very much, and she offered to repeat it in a more durable material, building a Travel Palace near the Khodynka field, which she needed to rest after a long journey from the Northern capital. Kazakov was appointed to lead the project. Petrovsky Castle became one of the pinnacles of "Russian Gothic", making Kazakov the leading Russian architect.

The Senate building in the Kremlin

When the need arose in Moscow for a large state building, it was natural that M. F. Kazakov, an architect who was at the zenith of fame and in the prime of his talent, was involved in its design. And the triangular Senate building he built became a new pinnacle of his work.

Kazakov's idea did not have the scale of the Bazhenov Grand Palace, but was not inferior to it in the quality of study, the perfection of the overall solution and details. dome over the hallit was supposed to hold meetings of the government, it is striking in size and technical performance. Giving solemnity and majesty to the entire Senate, visible from Red Square, it helps to harmoniously fit the classical state building into the ensemble of the main square and the entire city center.

Epic in Tsaritsyno

The palace and park ensemble, called "Tsaritsyno", was founded on the lands bought by Catherine in 1775. It was supposed to be the first such facility located outside of St. Petersburg. The project was commissioned by Bazhenov and involved the use of that fantasy style that was called pseudo or "Russian Gothic", and Bazhenov called it "gentle" Gothic.

The architect undertook the implementation of this project with all the heat, for ten years the construction of the complex was carried out, but Kazakov had to finish its construction again. Among the reasons for the royal anger that fell upon Bazhenov after Catherine’s visit to Tsaritsyn is the architect’s belonging to “freemasons” - the empress saw in Freemasonry a force capable of enthroning her son, Paul I. There are other opinions, what is the truth - it is impossible to know, but the palaces and their surroundings were completed by M. Kazakov. The architect tried to take care of the work of his friend and mentor, leaving some of Bazhenov's buildings intact. Tsaritsyno never became the suburban residence of the Russian tsars, but revived in its modern form, it is a popular holiday destination and one of the sights of Moscow.

Masterpieces"pre-fire" Moscow

From the end of the seventies of the eighteenth century, the architect Kazakov Matvey Fedorovich actually becomes what in our time is called the Chief Architect of Moscow. Among its buildings there are many places of worship, public buildings and private estates. Many of his works were destroyed in the fire of the Napoleonic invasion, some were rebuilt, but some outstanding examples of his work can still be admired.

"Russian Gothic" was the whim of we althy and regal customers, and Kazakov mostly built in his favorite classical style. Such is the church of Metropolitan Philip in the Meshchanskaya Sloboda. It is interesting due to the combination of round volumes stacked on top of each other and the high quality of the stucco decoration, where the talent of Kazakov the draftsman is especially visible.

An amazing masterpiece - the Church of Cosmas and Damian on Maroseyka - is distinguished by a masterful combination of curvilinear volumes and an almost modern approach to minimalism in decor. In addition to a large number of palaces, churches, private mansions, educational buildings, he built 3 hospitals, each of which has become a decoration of Moscow.

A special object for Kazakov's Moscow is the building of the Noble Assembly - the House of the Unions. The facades have been rebuilt several times for a long time, but the interiors (enfilades and, most importantly, the Hall of Columns) convey the architect's idea in an almost original form. The huge volume, which can accommodate up to 5 thousand people, is impressive, classically harmonious.

Creator of Moscow18th century

Besides the buildings, another legacy of the architect is known - a brilliant series of masters, whose teacher was the architect Kazakov. The works of I. V. Egotov, A. N. Bakarev, O. I. Bove, I. G. Tamansky were in demand for the subsequent restoration of Moscow, at the same time another work by Kazakov came in handy: 13 albums with plans, facades and sections of the most significant Moscow buildings.

He died unable to bear the thought of the death of his beloved city, but the fantastic talent and enormous work of Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov could not disappear without a trace, and the revived Moscow still keeps the memory of its great builder.