Among the most intricate buildings located on the territory of Alexandria there are the Cottage and the Gothic Chapel. The Cottage is a tree-storied edifice built especially for Nicholas I’s wife to the design by A. Menelas in 1829. In 1841 the Cottage was enlargened by A. Stakenshneider. The Gothic Chapel (Alexander Nevskiy Church) was planned as the court church of the summer residence and was to become a symbol of Russo-German culture relations. The Chapel was built first by A. Menelas and later on by I. Charlemagne to the design by K.-F. Shinkel in 1831. Forty-three statues of angels, apostles, evangelists and Godmother with an Infant were made to the design by V. Demuth-Malinovskiy.
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The Smol’ny Ensemble Смольный ансамбль
The modern Smol’ny Ensemble is located on the territory that at the time of Peter’s reign was occupied by the Tar Yard (Smol’ny Dvor) where tar for the Russian Fleet was stored. At the backside of the Tar Yard a comparatively small wooden house with a garden was built for Peter I – it got the name the Tar House (Smol’ny Dom). After the Emperor’s death his wife Catherine I ordered to construct the Summer Palace that soon became the property of her daughter Elizabeth Petrovna. The future Empress spent a lot of years up the ascension to the throne in 1741. Spacious and lavishly decorated Palace was ruined by the fire of 1744. Nevertheless in 1746 the ball-masquerade in honour of marriage of Peter III and Catherine II was organized in the wings not touched by the fire. Soon after the celebrations the Palace was deconstructed and the plot was ready for a new building. In 1748 Elizabeth I ordered to start the construction of the Novodevichiy Convent of Resurrection. On 30 October 1748 the foundation stone was laid on the spot of the modern Smolny Convent.
According to some historians Elizabeth I planned the construction of the Monastery to withdraw to it at an old age delegating the power to her nephew Peter III. The documents however testify that the way of Empress’ life and the behavior of her Court were very far from the monastery one. Most likely the idea of constructing a monastery came to Elizabeth’s mind as the desire to follow her father’s example – on the bank of the Neva Peter I founded the Alexander Nevskiy Lavra – the monastery for men.
The project of the Convent was worked out by court architect F.-B. Rastrelli. The composition of five-domed cupola which crowns the Cathedral was performed in accordance with the traditions of Russian church building: close to the central cupola are arranged four towers crowned with bulb cupolas. A special effect is achieved by the snow-white painting on the bright blue background of the walls. However the original design carried out by F.-B. Rastrelli was not accomplished. The architect planned to make a bell-tower above the driveway of the Convent. Its height was to be 140 m – it could be 1.5 times higher than the Cathedral itself and 18 m higher than the spire of the Peter and Paul Fortress. That idea was very symbolic for it continued the city development started by Peter I – Saint-Petersburg was to be a horizontal city with the verticals of spires, i.e. the symbols of the young Empire.
The building of the Convent was not accomplished. In 1756 the work was slowed because of the Seven-year War, and after Elizabeth’s death in 1761 the work was stopped. The Convent stood deserted for more than 70 years without the inner finishing. Only in 1830s V. Stasov completed the construction having arranged the entrance and the fence in front of the Cathedral. The bronze medal was coined to commemorate the date of finishing the construction 1748 – 1835. Consecrated on 22 July 1835 the Cathedral got the name of the Cathedral of all educational institutions.
Such a name can be explained by the fact that in 1764 the School for Noble Maids (Smol’ny Institute) was established in the southern wing of the Cathedral, a year later the School for Non-Noble Maids (Middle-Class School) – in the northern wing. However the idea to establish the Convent was not denied by Catherine II. She ordered to collect 20 nuns from Russian convents to form the community and help the maids in their every day life at School.
In 1765 – 1775 the Middle-Class School building (later Alexandrovskoye) was constructed to the north of the Convent outer walls by Yu. Velten in early Classicism, and in 1806 (on 30 May – the birthday of Peter I) – 1808 the Smol’ny Institute building was erected to the south of the Convent by G. Quarenghi in Classicism.
The Smolny Convent played an important role at the time of the October Revolution – the Second All-Russian Congress of the Soviets when the first Decrees (of peace and earth) of the Soviet government were proclaimed was held in its walls.
The Bronze Horseman Медный всадник
Etienne-Maurice Falconet was invited to Saint Petersburg by Prince Golitsyn by order of Catherine II who followed the advice given by Diderot and Voltaire whose taste she trusted unconditionally. The sculptor was 50 years old and worked at the Sevres Porcelain Works at the time the invitation came from the Russian ambassador in Paris D.A. Golitsyn. On 27 August 1766 he signed the contract (for eight years) that ordered to erect the Monument to Peter I as a huge equestrian statue. The fee suggested to him was quite modest – 200 000 livres (to compare, other sculptors charged the price twice as much). On 11 September 1766 the contract was brought from Paris to Russia
The sculptor came to the capital of the Russian Empire on 15 October 1766 together with his young assistant – Mary-Ann Collot who was 17 years old at that time. The sculptor stayed in Saint-Petersburg for 12 years. The plaster model was being created since 1768. Only in 1782 the Monument was accomplished.
The work was being realized at the spot of the former Winter Palace of Elizabeth I (nowadays Bol’shaya Morskaya ul., 11). In 1769 passers-by could observe a curious scene – a foot guardian was flying up a wooden dais and made it rear. The same was repeating for several hours a day. E. Falconet seated in front of the dais and was carefully drawing the scene. The horses were taken from the Imperial Stable – racers Diamond and Caprice.
E. Falconet had an idea to use a natural rock in the form of a wave as a foundation of the monument symbolizing in that way the fact that Peter I opened the way to Russia. The granite monolith (8 m high and 1600 tons weigh) was found not far from Saint-Petersburg, near the township Lakhta, supposedly by a local God’s fool. The local people calling it Thunder-stone told that once lightning stroke the rock and caused a crack in it. Historians assume that the rock could be that very rock on which Peter I himself climbed up during the Northern War to observe the disposition of the Army. The monolith was being dragged to Saint-Petersburg for 9 months by the barge-haulers (1220), being modeled by stonemasons on the way. The grandiose foundation was delivered to the city on 26 September 1770 and placed at Senatskaya ploshchad’ (the process of choosing the place for the monument lasted for four years!). To commemorate an unusual transportation the Empress ordered to strike a medal.
The statue of the Emperor was the most difficult element of the Monument. For a long time sculptors refused to cast the statue: foreigners charged excessive price, Russian craftsmen were afraid of its size. At last the caster specializing at cannons – Yemelyan Khaylov was found and appointed to do the work. E. Falconet together with Ye. Khaylov was working on the cast making tests. The process was extremely difficult and took several years. To commemorate a successful completion Falconet made a special signature at one of the coat’s folds – Moulded and cast by Etienne Falconet, Parisian, 1778.
E. Falconet planned to depict Peter the Great not as a powerful military leader but as a wise statesman. The sculptor simplified a military attire (a light garb, an animal pelt instead of a lavishly decorated saddle), put a sword and a laurel wreath on Peter’s head (symbols of a glorious winner) and added a snake (the symbol of an enemy) under the horse’s hoof. The head of the statue was modeled by M.-A. Collot who was lavishly rewarded by Catherine II – the Empress granted a lifelong pension of 10 000 livres. The author of the snake under the horse’s hoof was a Russian sculptor – F. Gordeyev. The Emperor’s right hand points at the Zayachiy Ostrov– the place where the new city had been founded in 1703. Adherents of Peter’s reforms believed that the monument was a symbol of Russian glory and might, adversaries were sure that the statue was a horseman of Apocalypses that would bring death to the Empire.
By the time the work was finished E. Falconet’s relationships with the Imperial Court had been went down. They say that E. Falconet was responsible only for the technicality, and that was the last straw – E. Falconet together with M.-A. Collot left Russia without being present at the ceremonial opening of the Monument on 7 August 1782 – the 100th anniversary of Peter I’ ascension the throne. The sculptor was neither informed of the date of opening nor mentioned in the list of those who had participated in the creation of the Monument. The only award consisted of the gold and silver medals cast for the ceremonial opening and presented to E. Falconet by D. Golitsyn. There is a legend according to which the sculptor took pieces of Thunder rock with him to present them to his friends in France. The placing directed by F. Gordeyev was attended by Catherine II and cream of Russian society.
After Alexander Pushkin had described the monument in his poem the Bronze Horseman, the monument became known under that name. The Monument to Peter the Great was glorified throughout the whole Russian Empire everywhere being shrouded in myths and legends. According to some of them people from some distant village told that once Peter I was jumping from one bank of the Neva river to the other repeating one and the same phrase: Everything belongs to God and me! Twice repeated he the words and twice his jump was successful. But the third time he changed the order of words putting himself before God and at that very moment turned into a bronze horseman!
The Narva Triumphal Arch Нарвские триумфальные ворота
The Narva Triumphal Arch was constructed by G. Quarenghi in 1814 to commemorate the victory in Russo-French War and was intended for ceremonial welcome of the Guards Regiments returning from Paris in the summer of 1814. The Narva Triumphal Arch was built of wood and was decorated with plaster sculptures by I. Terebenev. In 20 years the Arch decayed.
The Emperor ordered to erect a new Arch on the bank of the Tarakanovka River, to the south of the former Arch. On 26 August 1827 at the anniversary of Borodino Battle the foundation stone was laid. Since 1827 up to 1834 V. Stasov together with sculptors P. Klodt, S. Pimenov, V. Demuth-Malinovskiy and others had been working under the stone variant of the Arch. At first V. Stasov planned to build the Arch of brick planked with brass plates. Soon the copper was covered with corrosion, and the brass plates were replaced with the iron ones. As a result the corrosion only increased, and a new restoration work was undertaken in 1925. The reconstruction was not completed because of the World War II when the Narva Triumphal Arch suffered from artillery bombardment and bombing. After the War the Arch was restored three times: in 1949 – 1951, 1979 – 1980 and 2002 – 2003.
Erecting the Arch V. Stasov followed G. Quarenghi’s design amplifying it with some new expressive details. The Narva Triumphal Arch is 30 m high and 28 m wide; the arch itself is 8 m wide and 15 m high. The Arch is ornamented with Corinthian columns and crowned with the winged goddess Nike in the triumphal chariot, with the palm branch and the laurel wreath in her hands, the symbols of peace and glory (to the design by S. Pimenov, V. Malinovskiy). The chariot is harnessed with six bronze horses made by P.K. Klodt. On low pedestals in the niches between the columns there are four figures of warriors in ancient Russian armour holding laurel wreaths (S. Pimenov and V. Demouth-Malinovskiy). On the cornice there are eight figures of the genii of Glory, Peace and Victory with spears, wreaths, palm branches and trumpets designed by M. Krylov and N. Tokarev. In tympans there are the flying figures of the winged Glories by I. Leppe. In the centre of the attic there is an inscription in gilt letters: To the victorious Russian Imperial Army. The grateful fatherland on 17 August 1834. On the eastern façade there is a list of the main battles fought by Guards regiments: Borodino, Tarutino, M. Yaroslavets, Krasnoye; on the western wing one can see a list of the settlements the Russian Army passed by on the way from Moscow to Paris: Kulm, Leipzig, F. Shampenoise, Paris. The inscriptions above the warriors contain the names of the regiments of the Russian Army that had taken part in the battles: the Dragunskiy, the Gusarskiy, the Ulanskiy, the Kazachiy, the Kavalergardskiy, the Konny, the Kirasirskiy, the Litovskiy, the Grenaderskiy, the Pavlovskiy, the Finlyandskiy, the Morskoy crew, the Preobrazhenskiy, the Semyonovskiy, the Izmaylovskiy, the Yegerskiy and the artillery subdivision.
Inside the Narva Triumphal Arch there are three stories and the basement that is used for keeping the city archive. In 1987 the exhibition of the Museum of city sculpture that contained the materials on the history of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the history of the Narva Triumphal Arch construction was opened.
The Anichkov Bridge Аничков мост
The Bridge over the Fontanka River (along the Nevskiy prospekt) originally called the Neva Bridge, was soon named after Lieutenant-Colonel M. Anichkov, whose regiment had quarters on the spot of the present Palace of the Creation of Youth and participated in the bridge construction. On the site of the modern Anichkov Bridge a wooden bridge was constructed in 1716. The Fontanka was one of the city’s border, and the bridge served as a check-point. In 1783 – 1787 a wooden bridge was replaced with the stone one when the Fontanka’s embankments were faced with granite. The bridge composed of three spans and had four granite towers, the middle part of the bridge was made of wood and was a lifting one. Seven single-type bridges were built over the Fontanka; nowadays there are only two of that kind: the Lomonosov Bridge (Chernyshov Bridge) and the Old Kalinkin Bridge.
The present Anichkov Bridge was accomplished in 1841 by engineer A. Gotman, architect A. Bryullov and sculptor P. Klodt. The former stone construction was broadened and the towers were demolished. The three arch spans were made of brick, the other spans were faced with granite, the bridge-railings were created after the design of a famous Berlin architect K. Shinkel who designed the railings of the Palace Bridge in Berlin in 1822 – 1824. The railings’ units were installed between the cast-iron posts in the middle of which a dolphin was striving for the deep. On both sides of the posts there are sections with two drawings: on one side – sea-horses with a trident; on the other – two mermaids with a palm branch in hands. The composition is bordered with meander.
The Bridge is lavishly decorated with four sculptured groups (figures of horses and tamers) placed on granite pedestals after the design by P. Klodt. The sculptured groups symbolize man’s struggle with the wild, uncontrollable forces of nature. The first two copper sculptures Horse with a Walking Youth and Youth Snaffling the Horse were placed in the western side of the Bridge in 1841. The sculptures on the eastern side were plaster copies placed provisionally. The copper statues that were to replace the plaster ones were presented to King of Prussia Fridrich Vilghelm II by Nicholas II and are nowadays in Berlin. In 1844 the plaster sculptures were replaced with the copper ones but in 1846 Nicholas II presented them to the King of Italy to thank him for the hospitality during the Empress’s voyage. Nowadays those statues can be seen in Naples. Later on the copper statues were sent to Peterhof, Strelna and Moscow estate of Prince Golitsyn – Kuz’minki.
Finally, in 1851 the bridge set of horses was completed. P. Klodt created two absolutely new pair of horses and tamers thus depicting four different stages of the horse conquest. The sculptures must be viewed counter-clockwise, beginning with the one nearest the Anichkov Palace.
During the siege the statues were dug in the garden of the Anichkov Palace and thus were saved – on the night on 6 November 1942 a 250 kg bomb fell on the Anichkov Bridge. The blast destroyed 30 m of the railings and the pedestals of the bridge-railings; the granite pedestals were also damaged by the derrises. At the war-time the bridge-railings were restored and not long before the War was over the copper statues were placed back on the Anichkov Bridge.