At the beginning of the 18th century, having laid the first stone of the Peter and Paul Fortress, Tsar Peter the Great founded the city of St. Petersburg. Russia began to move towards Europe, and St. Petersburg became a "window" that looked in its direction. Due to the fact that Russian, Italian, German, French and Dutch architects worked in the city at the same time, it acquired its own special style, in which Western motives are combined with national identity.
The architecture of St. Petersburg was created in very harsh conditions, when it was necessary to carry out a lot of drainage works, as well as use a large number of piles. The architectural features of St. Petersburg are the buildings of a flat height, in which the accent is highlighted by the tall buildings with golden domes - the Peter and Paul Cathedral and St. Isaac's Cathedral, the “Admiralty Needle”. The characteristic features of the architecture of St. Petersburg are large squares - Palace Square and the Field of Mars, and spacious avenues - Nevsky, Moskovsky and others. In the color scheme, the architecture of St. Petersburg stands out with bright and contrasting colors.
Baroque architecture of St. Petersburg
At the time when St. Petersburg was founded, the baroque style began to acquire more and more importance and weight. It was the architecture of the 18th century that formed the architectural image of St. Petersburg, which is known all over the world and is the canon of Russian architecture of that period. Petersburg was built according to a well thought out plan. Such famous Russian architects as Mikhail Zemstov, Ivan Korobov and Pyotr Yerorkin, as well as Western masters - Domenico Trezzini, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Alexander Jean-Baptiste Le Blond and others took part in its development. Small buildings from this period are characterized by simple architectural forms and bright colors. Unsurpassed examples of 18th century Baroque architecture in St. Petersburg include buildings such as the Winter Palace and Smolny Monastery, which combine opulence, opulence and solemnity. And the style of these masterpieces of world art combines classical architectural forms and national flavor.
The most striking embodiment of the baroque style in the architecture of St. Petersburg was in the works of Rastrelli, the undoubted leader of construction and urban planning during the time of Elizabeth. He built churches and imperial houses, marked by the spirit of the late Baroque. This trend is characterized by the use of mixed, but very graceful forms. Rastrelli's style of work became an example of the Russian style of architecture of the mid-18th century. In his first mature work - the Stroganov Palace - Rastrelli defined his own individual style, presenting a series of massive sculptural columns with rustics, as well as curved cornices, which he borrowed in the design of old churches. As a court architect, he designed the main palaces in the capital and the surrounding areas. While Europe was experiencing the end of an era, Russia was only halfway through exploring all the charms and features of Baroque architecture. The majestic buildings are arranged in a straight line, as elegant testimonies of geometric theorems, stylistic unity and a minimum of detail.
Classicism in city architecture
The 19th century was marked by the dominance of the classicism style. At this time, such famous architects as Zakharov, Voronikhin and Quarenghi worked. Examples of architecture of this period are the Mining Institute and the Kazan Cathedral. In the same period, according to the idea of the architect Zakharov, the Admiralty was transformed. The architecture of the era of classicism is new solutions that combined simplicity, severity of forms and ease of planning.
The architecture of St. Petersburg in the 20th century
In the 20th century, architects return to the past, which was primarily manifested in the dominance of the neoclassical style, which combined the traditions of Baroque, Classicism and Renaissance. Buildings from the period of the first half of the 20th century are distinguished by the integrity of the composition, simple and convenient layout. In the 30s, massive housing construction was unfolding, which continued after the Second World War. In the 60s-80s, a large number of public buildings appeared, which are distinguished by their functionality along with the expressiveness of the composition. During this period, the Yubileiny Sports Palace and the Oktyabrsky Big Concert Hall were built.
St. Petersburg is a city known for its unsurpassed architectural ensembles, outstanding engineering structures and monuments, many of which are considered the heritage of world culture.