SAINT PETERSBURG

18^th Century

St Petersburg is one of the cities in the world built according to conceived scheme. In 1716 the French architect Jean-Baptiste Le Blond created the general layout for the construction of St Petersburg and after his death the work in accordance with this plan started under supervision of the Swiss architect DomenicoTrezzini.

The first structure of the future city was the Peter and Paul Fortress. Peter the Great himself made a suggestion on the overall scheme of the fortress. Trezzini designed the stone Peter and Paul Cathedral in 1712 on the site of a wooden church. Soon the entire fortress took the cathedral’s name. The cathedral is the most important example of the Petrine Baroque.

During the reign of Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the First, Saint Petersburg changed its appearance beyond recognition and turned into a splendid city of luxurious palaces designed in the Baroque style. Francesco Rastrelli was the most outstanding architect of that time. His greatest creation was the Winter Palace.

The Baroque was displaced by Neo-Classicism during the reign of Catherine the Great. Its typical examples are the Tauride Palace built by the Russian architect Ivan Starov and the projects carried out by the Italian Giacomo Quarenghi (Smolny Institute, Hermitage Theatre, the Academy of Science and others).

19^th Century

That century began with the construction of the Kazan Cathedral (1801-1811) when the Empire style of Late Classicism was predominant. The Russian architect Andrey Voronikhin, a former serf, made the Cathedral’s project.

The most impressive landmark was the ensemble of three large squares – Palace square, St Isaac’s square and Senate square. The appearance of this part of the city reflects the traditions of urban construction formed in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries – the principles of “remarkable buildings”, “regular squares”, and “continuous linking of streets”. The focal element of the complex of the three squares is the Admiralty created by Andreyan Zakharov.

St Isaac’s Cathedral was designed by the French architect Auguste de Montferrand and consecrated to St Isaac of Dalmatia, whose name-day coincides with the birthday of Peter the Great.

Drawbridges spanned the Neva, streets were paved with stone; at the end of the nineteenth century electric lamps illuminated the streets.

20^th Century

By that time Art Nouveau broke into the city’s architectural silhouette. The Yeliseyev Brothers Trade House (1900-1903) was built in stone, concrete and glass. It has many impressive details: a huge glazed surface of the façade, a large stained glass window, heavy stone facing and naturalistic sculpture ornaments typical of the Art Nouveau style.

Towards the beginning of the 20^th century Nevsky Prospect was occupied by business people, for whom huge buildings of banks, trade houses and company offices were built. One of such structures was put up for the American company (Singers & Co) known for many years as the House of Books (1902-1904).

21^stCentury

Present-day architects continue improving and decorating Nevsky Prospect. In recent years pedestrian friendly zones were created in Malaya Koniushennaya and Malaya Sadovaya Streets running from Nevsky Prospect. Malaya Sadovaya Street was paved with tiles, the street separation and sidewalk were removed, a fountain featuring a Kugel ball (a heavy stone ball easily rotatable because of lubrication by the fountain’s water) was built. Later new monuments and hardscape were installed there.

Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. It is the northernmost city in the world having the population of over one million. Since around the end of the 20th century a great deal of active building and restoration works have been carried out in a number of the city's districts. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Vocabulary:

conceived [kqn's°vd] a.– задуманный

beyond recognition [bI'jPnd"rekq'gnISn] – до неузнаваемости

continuous [kqn'tInjuqs] a.– непрерывный

feature ['f°Cq] v.– характеризоваться, отличаться

Isaac ['aIzqk] Исаак

landmark ['lxnd"mRk] n.– достопримечательность, архитектурный памятник

lubrication ["l³brI'keISn] n.– смазка

luxurious [lAg'zjuqrIqs] a.– роскошный

serf [s´f] n. – крепостной

supervision ["s³pq'vIZqn] n. – наблюдение

Tauride Palace ['t²rIdq'pxlqs] – Таврический дворец

Petrine Baroque ['petrIn bq'rPk] – Петровское барокко

World Heritage Site [w´ld'herItIG"saIt] – объект всемирного наследия

hardscape ['hRdskeIp] n. – малые архитектурные формы

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the main feature of the construction of Saint Petersburg?

2. Who created the first general layout of Saint Petersburg?

3. What was the first structure of the future city and who made a suggestion on the overall scheme of this structure?

4. What structure did DomenicoTrezzini design?

5. What was the first predominant architectural style in Saint Petersburg?

6. Who was the most outstanding architect during the reign of Elizabeth and in what architectural style did he create his luxurious palaces?

7. What architectural style replaced the Baroque? Give the examples of the structures built in accordance with this new style.

8. What two remarkable cathedrals were constructed in the19^th century?

9. What was the most impressive landmark of Saint Petersburg in the19^th century?

10. What architectural style prevailed in the 19^th century?

11. What architectural style was developed during the construction of the Yeliseyev Brothers Trade House and the House of Books?

12. How do present – day architects improve and decorate the centre of Saint Petersburg?

13. What architectural value do the Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute?

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