St. Isaac's Cathedral is one of the most beautiful buildings in St. Petersburg. How much inspiration, skill and labor invested in its creation! Its architecture attracts the eye, the interior decoration is mesmerizing, the golden spire is visible from all over the city, and the colonnade offers stunning views of the city. An inspirational masterpiece cannot be ignored, this is a favorite place for both tourists and residents of the city on the Neva. And many visitors have a question: "The architect who built St. Isaac's Cathedral - who was he?" We will find out the answer in this article.
Education and skill
The architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral was born not in Russia, but on the outskirts of Paris. His youth coincided with the Napoleonic wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The young man studied at the Royal Academy of Architecture in Paris (in those years it was called the Special School of Architecture). Twice he had to interrupt the teaching and go to the army, fight in Napoleon's troops in Italy and Germany.
But, despite all these obstacles, the future architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral managed to learn his favorite business from the best French masters of that period. During military campaigns, he managed to see many examples of classical art, and after the capitulation of Napoleon - to gain initial practical experience in Paris, where he watched the construction work.
However, the talented and ambitious architect understood that in France, which was undergoing a post-war crisis, he would have nowhere to apply his knowledge. So, you need to look for a more suitable place to realize your abilities. And then the future architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg decided to try to use his potential. Why there? The young capital of the Russian Empire did not lack funds, it was actively built and needed talented specialists.
Arrival to Russia
In the summer of 1816, the Frenchman arrives in St. Petersburg, where he receives a position as a draftsman in the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works. Thanks to his abilities, diligence and independence, he soon gains new experience necessary for working in new conditions. Savvy and the ability to make a good impression on influential people help him move towards his goal.
A lucky chance soon turns up: the head of the Committee recommends a talented Frenchman to Emperor Alexander I as a specialist capable of reconstructing the unsuccessful first St. Isaac's Cathedral.
The architect, even without being widely known, easily outperformed the rest of the contenders. He managed to make an indelible impression on the emperor, presenting him with an elegantly designed album with 24 graphic miniatures, which were based on the most beautiful European temples. It was just what could harmoniously fit into the majestic appearance of the city on the Neva. In December 1817, a year and a half after his arrival, the thirty-year-old Frenchman became the court architect. Thus begins a grandiose work lasting four decades - that is how long the famous cathedral that we know now was built.
Master Style
His work combined two major trends: high classicism (otherwise called Russian Empire) and eclecticism - a combination of elements from various architectural trends. In this sense, the architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral was an innovator for his time. Especially often he used elements of medieval Gothic, which gave the buildings a special originality.
In 1840, the architect traveled to England, France, Italy and Germany in order to get acquainted with the features of the interior decoration of temple buildings. The experience gained formed the basis of the project, which became the main brainchild of the French architect.
The beginning of the construction of the cathedral
Engineering and construction work began in 1818. Construction dragged on for a long time and was suspended several times due to serious errors in the drawings. But thanks to the experience of a large group of experienced engineers, it was possible to cope with difficulties.
The construction manager went into every detail. Unique devices for lifting weights, strong steel ties for brick and stone - these and other advanced engineering and design solutions were used by the young architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral. In St. Petersburg, then the former capital of the empire, a lot of attention was paid to the restructuring of this building. Even then it was clear that he was destined to become one of the hallmarks of the city.
Completion of construction
In the early 1840s, the main work was completed, and the masters came to grips with the interior decoration of the temple. The largest stained-glass window in Russia depicting Christ was laid out inside. The rest of the design was originally done with oil paints, but it was decided to abandon it due to the high humidity in the room. As an alternative, the ceiling and walls of the cathedral were decorated with 150 panels and paintings, laid out in the mosaic technique from a special material - smalt. Artists used more than 12 thousand of its shades, which made the images truly masterpieces.
The general design concept was developed by the architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral, but many talented masters of that time worked on the creation of paintings, mosaics, stained-glass windows and sculptures: K. Bryullov, N. Pimenov, P. Klodt and many others. One of the main highlights of the cathedral was the gilded domes, which took 100 kg of gold.
A gloomy prediction was connected with the creation of the St. Petersburg masterpiece: when St. Isaac's Cathedral is completed, the architect will die. The prophecy came true quite accurately: on May 30, 1858, the cathedral was solemnly opened and consecrated, and on June 28, the author of the project died at the age of 72.
Not only St. Isaac's Cathedral
The architect for forty-one years, lived in St. Petersburg, managed to build not only his famous masterpiece. In 1832, the Alexandria Column, created according to his project, was erected on Palace Square.
The French architect also completed many private commissions. Thanks to this, today the palaces and mansions in the center of St. Petersburg are admired for their elegant architecture, which so harmoniously fits into the image of the city.
Now it's time to name the talented person to whom this article is dedicated. The architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral is Auguste Montferrand. Thanks to him, many famous buildings of the Northern capital have just such an easily recognizable and amazing appearance.
