Architects of St. Petersburg - who are they?

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

The world-famous cultural capital of Russia - St. Petersburg - captivates not only local residents, but also thousands of guests who want to visit the city of bridges and white nights. Why is St. Petersburg so attractive and who made it the way we know it now?

Start of construction of St. Petersburg

The founder of the city was the great reformer and Tsar Peter I. Impressed by the architecture and development of the Western countries he visited, Peter I decided to build a city in Russia that would not be inferior in beauty and sophistication to European capitals. Thus began the construction of St. Petersburg.

The Tsar was not a fanatical adherent of everything Western, but he knew how to extract the most important things from what he saw and adapt it to the conditions of Russia. The architects of St. Petersburg, whom he invited to work from abroad, were famous masters of this craft in European countries.

Among them are Jean-Baptiste Leblon from France and Domenico Trezzini from Italy. Their task was not only to design buildings according to tastes andthe needs of the inhabitants of the city, but also in teaching the architects of the empire this difficult art. To encourage foreigners, Peter I paid them much more than Russian craftsmen.

Architects of St. Petersburg

One of the first architects in St. Petersburg in the period from 1703 to 1716 was Domenico Trezzini, a representative of the early baroque. Among his projects are the construction of Kronshlot (artillery fort to defend against the Swedes); the first master plan of the city; building plan of Vasilyevsky Island; plans for the construction of the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Summer Palace, the building of the Twelve Collegia. The style of the architect changed under the influence of the surrounding reality. The first projects (in particular, the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral) embodied the harsh Scandinavian style in architecture. However, under the influence of the traditions and style of Russian masters, Trezzini's architectural forms took on softer outlines.

Other architects of St. Petersburg were also influenced by the same: the peculiarities of the Russian spirit and the way of life of the peoples of the Russian Empire made significant adjustments to the creative process and the aesthetic views of the architects.

An equally important contribution to urban planning was made by Georg Johann Mattarnovi, a German architect who arrived in St. Petersburg in 1714. He led the construction of several buildings - the second Winter Palace, the building of the Kunstkamera, St. Isaac's Cathedral. But after his sudden death in 1719, the architect Nikolaus Gerbel had to complete what he started.

Another outstandingthe architect who worked in the northern capital is the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Leblon. He was the author of the first master plan of the city. In addition, the architect created the layout of the Summer Garden, as well as parks and gardens in Strelna and Peterhof (in particular, he built the Hermitage, Monplaisir, the royal chambers and the Marley pavilions).

One of the first monumental projects was the Menshikov Palace, the construction of which began in 1710 by Giovanni Maria Fontana and was completed in 1720 by Johann Schedel. The building was built specifically for the favorite of the king - Prince Alexander Menshikov.

The architects who built St. Petersburg worked for generations. So, in 1716, Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli arrived in the city with his family and assistants, who concluded a three-year contract with the king. The architect was engaged in the creation of a whole group of bas-reliefs for the Grand Cascade in Peterhof; created the equestrian monument of Peter I (installed in front of the Mikhailovsky Castle), as well as several portraits of the tsar and his “wax person”.

Chief architect of St. Petersburg

The son of Bartolomeo Sr. - Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli - came to the city with his father at the age of 15. He studied with such prominent architects as D. Trezzini, N. Michetti, M. Zemtsov and A. Schlütter. Rastrelli Jr. worked in St. Petersburg for about fifty years, creating during this period world-famous buildings: the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, the houses of Count Stroganov and Vorontsov, the Great Peterhof Palace. The architect of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg - this is the name of Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who embodiedin this complex all its skill. Construction was carried out from 1754 to 1762. After its completion, the palace became the main winter imperial residence. The building is made in the Baroque style. It is the last monumental building that embodies the style of the masters who worked in this direction.

It happened because the second half of the 18th century was characterized by dramatic changes in economic relations and the tastes of society, which led to the rapid fading of the popularity of the Baroque.

The architect of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg experienced a real tragedy due to a sharp loss of interest in the architectural style of his life, which gave way to classicism. It rarely happens that a master survives the era of the current in which he worked. For Rastrelli, this was a real blow.

The influence of foreigners on Russian architecture

The first half of the 18th century became a landmark in the history of Russian architecture. Despite the fact that the famous architects of St. Petersburg were foreigners, they largely determined the development of architecture in the Russian Empire, endowing it with some Western trends. At the same time, the masters themselves, under the influence of the environment, the customs and traditions of the Russian people and their worldview, changed the style of their work, adjusting to the tastes and preferences of customers.