Architect Starov Ivan Yegorovich: biography, works, photos

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

Architect Starov is a famous domestic architect who was engaged in the construction and design of various buildings. He worked on the territory of St. Petersburg and the province of the same name, in Yekaterinoslav and Kherson. All his works are made in the style of classicism. The most famous of them are the Trinity Cathedral in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, St. Sophia Cathedral in the Tsarskoye Selo area, the Tauride Palace, the Prince Vladimir Cathedral, the Pellinsky Palace, country palaces in the estates of Sivoritsa and Taitsy, the Nikolskoye-Gagarino estate.

Early years

Architect Starov was born in St. Petersburg. He was born in 1745. At the age of 10, he was accepted as a pupil at the gymnasium at Moscow University. A year later, having shown himself well in his studies, he received a transfer to the gymnasium at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

Initially, the future architect Ivan Starov showed a craving for art. Therefore, after successfully graduating from the gymnasium, he entered the Academy of Arts. His first teachers were the architect Alexander Filippovich Kokorinov and the French professor of architecture Jean-Baptiste-Michel Vallin-Delamot.

Education

Having received a first-class education, the hero of our article went on a trip abroad. As a pensioner of the Academy of Arts from 1762 to 1768 he lived and worked in Paris. Under the pensioner of the Academy of Arts at that time was understood a graduate of the Imperial Academy, who received the appropriate cash allowance. In fact, these were analogues of modern government or commercial grants.

In France, the young man had the opportunity to further improve his skills. In most cases, retirees spent money to go to Italy or France, where there were plenty of opportunities to hone their talent. It is worth noting that only the best students who completed the course with a Big Gold Medal could count on the boarding school. Beginning in the 18th century, the pension was paid for three years, later this period was increased to six.

Architect Ivan Starov did just that. In Paris, he studied with one of the largest representatives of French classicism, Charles de Vailly, who had a great influence on him and on the entire Russian architectural tradition. Also, the architect Starov studied in Rome.

Return home

Returning to St. Petersburg, the hero of our article first of all set about the project of the gentry cadet corps. For the successful completion of the work in 1769, he was officially recognized as an academician.

After that, he got the post of adjunct professor. He was later promoted to professor in 1770.

Among his most ambitious projects, it is worth noting the plan for the formation of the city of Nikolaev at the mouth of the riversSouthern Bug and Ingul in the area of the built shipyard. This plan of a talented architect was distinguished by regular quarters and straight lines.

In 1794, the already well-known architect Ivan Egorovich Starov became adjunct rector. For several years he was the chief architect of the commission on the stone structure of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The biography of Ivan Yegorovich Starov is of interest to many connoisseurs of architecture. The architect died in 1808 at the age of 63. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Lazarevsky cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Private life

Starov was married to Natalya Grigorievna Demidova, daughter of a well-known Russian businessman, botanist and philanthropist Grigory Akinfievich. He continued his father's work by founding two factories, was also known as the creator of the first private botanical garden in Russia, and was considered a correspondent for the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.

During his career, Starov's father-in-law was noted for the effective management of the Demidov factories. Staying often in the shadows, he did a lot of useful and important things for his family. In particular, he achieved the division of the inheritance between the brothers, gave the children a first-class education. His three sons traveled throughout Europe for many years, gaining knowledge in a wide variety of industries. Largely thanks to him, it was possible to preserve the collection of the German naturalist and physician Georg Steller, which consisted of 80 unique plants.

Starov was a guarantor at the wedding of sister Natalia Pulcheria with the director of the Academy of Arts AlexanderFilippovich Kokorinov.

Famous projects

Architect Starov in the style of classicism created almost all of his buildings. One of his very first striking works was the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

The place for it was determined by the Italian architect Trezzini, it was to this point that Nevsky Prospekt was planned to be laid. The original project was created by Schwertfeger. It was supposed to be a grandiose structure with two imposing bell towers topped with spiers. The cathedral was founded in 1722. However, cracks appeared during the settlement of the building, so the project was suspended indefinitely. In 1744, the construction site began to be dismantled to the "soles". By 1755, the cathedral was dismantled, although it was already ready in rough.

In 1763, a new competition among architects was announced, but Empress Catherine II did not like any of the projects. Only in 1774 did they return to construction again, entrusting it to Starov. The Empress approved the project proposed by him two years later. In 1778, a solemn laying of the temple took place. The consecration took place in 1790. From that moment on, the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, the work of the architect Starov, actually became the capitular church of the order.

Tauride Palace

The Tauride Palace is one of the most famous buildings built by the hero of our article. Initially, it was the St. Petersburg residence of Grigory Potemkin. Its construction was carried out from 1783 to 1789 in the style of classicism.

The palace was located on Shpalernaya Street, next to the Tauride Garden. It was built by decree of Empress Catherine II, who wanted to please her own favorite. About 400 thousand gold rubles were spent on its construction. It is worth noting that Potemkin himself rarely visited it, since he was mainly involved in the management of Novorossia. In 1791, he came to him for the last time to win the heart of the Empress from his new rival, Platon Zubov.

Complex

The basis of Ivan Starov's Tauride Palace was a two-story central building located in the back of the main courtyard. Initially, the palace was opened to the Neva. This architectural perspective lasted until the construction of a water tower opposite the palace, as well as other structures related to the city waterworks.

It is worth noting that the facade of the main building is distinguished by a Doric portico, and the garden building - by a semi-rotunda with a balcony. Two small outbuildings are crowned with domed towers.

Currently, the palace complex includes the garden master's house, built in 1794 by the architect Volkov.

Resurrection Church

Ivan Starov built the Resurrection Church from 1782 to 1785 at the Volkovskoye cemetery.

The one-story stone building was founded in 1782 on the site of a previously existing wooden church. The second tier of the bell tower, which was located above the refectory, crowned the spire, built on much later, in 1831.

The overall composition of the building isis a typical variant for Russian architecture of the XVII-XVIII centuries. In it, the refectory, the bell tower and the main building of the church are organically interconnected into a single whole.

Potemkin Palace

The hero of our article built iconic buildings not only in the capital. The Palace of Potemkin Ivan Yegorovich Starov was built in the small Belarusian town of Krichev. The work was carried out from 1778 to 1787. Today it is considered a real monument of architecture of the Classicism era.

In its original plan, the building looks like a monogram of the letters "P" and "E", which means the initials of the count and empress. A manor park was laid out nearby, from which only individual trees have survived to this day.

The palace itself is two-story, on the main facade you can see the central rhizolith. On both floors in the center there were round halls of impressive size. The windows of the central risalit were lancet, and on the side windows - with original sandriks. The internal layout, according to the custom of that time, was enfilade. It was radically changed in the middle of the 20th century. In total, the palace had about sixty spacious rooms. The parade group was located on the first floor; it was crowned with a vestibule with a staircase and an oval-shaped hall. All rooms were richly decorated with stucco decorations, and a system of tiled fireplaces was located throughout the courtyard.

Behind the palace was a stable and an orchard. Catherine II first arrived in Krichev in severe frosts in the winter of 1787, when she traveled around the Crimea. She dined at the palaceand spent the night. The next morning she left for Cherikov.

The fate of the building

On the further fate of this work by architect Ivan Starov little is known for certain. One can only assert that Potemkin lost the building, either by losing it at cards, or by selling it. Gentleman Yan Golynsky, who became the new owner, did not save the palace during a fire in the 1840s, when it was significantly damaged.

Moreover, over time, the descendants of Golynsky decided to remake it in accordance with contemporary fashion trends. Above the windows located on the second floor, arched sandriks were fashioned, which have not survived to our time. A risalit with faceted pylons in the pseudo-Gothic style appeared at the central entrance.

In 1917, all valuables were nationalized by the Bolsheviks, and a school was opened in the building itself. In the 1950s, a boarding school was located here. By that time, the palace fell into decay, was in a very dilapidated state. Restoration and restoration work began only in the 80s of the XX century. They were mothballed for almost two decades. In 2008, the restoration was officially completed. The building now houses the registry office and the local history museum.

St. Sophia Cathedral

From 1782 to 1788, Starov, together with the Scottish architect Charles Cameron, built the St. Sophia Cathedral near St. Petersburg on the territory of the modern city of Pushkin. It was the titular church of the Order of St. Vladimir.

Initially, there was a wooden temple on this site, which was decided to be demolished. Cameron did the main work, andStarov advised him more and helped with any difficulties that arose.

In 1788 the temple was consecrated in the presence of Empress Catherine II.

Prince Vladimir Cathedral

This Orthodox church is located in the northern capital in the quarter bounded by Blokhin Street, Temple Lane, Dobrolyubov Avenue and Talalikhina Lane.

The original temple was wooden. It was destroyed by fire in 1772. The fire also damaged the unfinished stone foundation of the temple, which by that time had already begun to be built.

Only in 1783, the work was resumed when Starov joined the project. He made a decisive contribution to the design of facades. The temple was consecrated in honor of Prince Vladimir.

Nowadays, it is considered an architectural monument in a style transitional from baroque to classicism. Its main volume is crowned with a powerful five domes, and the interior is divided into three naves by imposing pylons.

Manor Nikolskoye-Gagarino

In Moscow, Starov worked a little. In particular, he designed the noble estate of the Catherine period, which belonged to the Gagarin princes before the October Revolution.

The house built by the hero of our article rises on a gentle hill. It is picturesque, which is facilitated by a complexly arranged plan, which includes oval halls and rectangular rooms, reminiscent of Bazhenov's Tsaritsyno pavilions.

The road to the estate itself runs along a pine alley. The front yard is decorated in the fashion of those times. The ensemble includes the main house, which hasa flat facade, and several two-story brick outbuildings, which are interconnected by baroque decor and arches of a brick fence. Behind the palace is a terrace that descends to the river. Also, a service outbuilding, cattle and horse farms were built on the estate.

Among other significant works of Starov, it should be noted:

• The Holy Transfiguration Church in the village of Spasskoe-Bobriki and the palace ensemble in Bogoroditsk (this is the Tula region);
• Surb-Khach Church on the territory of the former Nakhichevan in Rostov-on-Don (today it is the oldest building that has survived to this day within the modern boundaries of the city);
• Catherine Cathedral in Kherson;
• Potemkin Palace in Yekaterinoslav.