Architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg

St. Isaac's Cathedral is one of the most beautiful buildings in St. Petersburg. How much inspiration, skill and labor is invested in its creation! Its architecture attracts the eye, the interior decoration fascinates, the golden spire is visible from all parts of the city, and from the colonnade offers a stunning view of the city. An inspirational masterpiece can not be ignored, it is a favorite place for both tourists and residents of the city on the Neva River. And many visitors have a question: "The architect who built the St. Isaac's Cathedral - who he was?". The answer is found in this article.

Education and skills

The architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral was born not in Russia, but in the suburbs of Paris. His youth coincided with the Napoleonic wars of the late XVIII - early XIX centuries. The young man was trained in the Royal Academy of Architecture in Paris (in those years it was called the Special School of Architecture). Twice he had to interrupt teaching and go to the active army, to fight in the troops of Napoleon in Italy and Germany.

But, despite all these obstacles, the future architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral was able to learn his favorite work from the best French masters of that period. During military campaigns, he managed to see many samples of classical art, and after Napoleon's surrender - to acquire the initial practical experience in Paris, where he observed the construction work.

However, the talented and ambitious architect understood that in a post-war crisis in France, he would have nowhere to apply his knowledge. So, you need to look for a more suitable place for the realization of your abilities. And then the future architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg decided to try to use its potential. Why there? The young capital of the Russian Empire did not lack funds, was actively built and needed talented specialists.

Arrival in Russia

In the summer of 1816, the Frenchman arrives in St. Petersburg, where he receives the post of draftsman in the Committee for Construction and Hydraulic Work. Thanks to his abilities, diligence and independence, he soon acquires new experience, necessary for working in new conditions. Smartness and ability to make a good impression on influential people help him in moving towards his goal.

Soon a happy opportunity is also turning around: the head of the Committee recommends a talented Frenchman to Emperor Alexander I as a specialist capable of reconstructing the first St. Isaac's Cathedral that proved unsuccessful.

The architect, even without being widely known, easily passed the rest of the applicants. He managed to make an indelible impression on the emperor, having presented that delicately designed album with 24 graphic miniatures based on the most beautiful European temples. This was exactly what could harmoniously fit into the majestic look of the city on the Neva. In December 1817, a year and a half after his arrival, a thirty-year-old Frenchman became a court architect. This is the beginning of a grandiose work lasting four decades - that is the time that the famous cathedral that we know now was built.

Master's style

His creativity combined two major currents: high classicism (otherwise called Russian empire) and eclecticism - a combination of elements from different architectural currents. In this sense, the architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral was for his time an innovator. Especially often he used elements of medieval Gothic, which gave the buildings a special distinctiveness.

In 1840, the architect made a trip to England, France, Italy and Germany in order to familiarize himself with the features of the interior decoration of the temple structures. The experience gained was 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. The construction was extended 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 with difficulties managed to cope.

The construction manager went into every detail. Unique devices for lifting weights, strong steel bundles for brick and stone - these and other advanced engineering solutions were used by the young architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral. In St. Petersburg, then the former capital of the empire, much attention was paid to the restructuring of this structure. Even then it was clear that he was destined to become one of the visiting cards of the city.

Completion of construction

In the beginning of 1840 the main works were finished, and the masters took up the interior decoration of the temple. Inside was the largest stained glass in Russia depicting Christ. 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 a mosaic technique of a special material - smalt. Artists used more than 12 thousand of its shades, which made the images truly masterpieces.

The general concept of decoration was developed by the architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral, but many of the most 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 were gilded domes, which took 100 kg of gold.

With the creation of the St. Petersburg masterpiece, a gloomy prediction was associated: when the St. Isaac's Cathedral is completed, the architect will die. The prophecy came true enough: 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 years.

Not only St. Isaac's Cathedral

The architect for forty-one years, lived in Petersburg, managed to build not only his famous masterpiece. In 1832 on the Palace Square was erected created for his project Alexandrine column.

Also, the French architect has carried out many private orders. Thanks to this in our days, palaces and mansions in the center of St. Petersburg cause admiration for its elegant architecture, which so harmoniously blends into the face of the city.

Now is the time to name the name of the talented person to whom this article is devoted. The architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral is Auguste Montferrand. Thanks to him, many famous buildings of the Northern capital have such an easily recognizable and stunning imagination.