Architect Kazakov Matvey Fedorovich: works

At the end of October 1812, the news of the terrible fire that broke out in Moscow after the entry of the Napoleonic army reached Ryazan. The idea that two-thirds of the Moscow buildings were destroyed was especially unbearable for one of the capital's refugees, because the architect Kazakov invested all his talents in decorating the Holy See with magnificent buildings in the style of classicism and "Russian Gothic."

Truly Russian architect

He was born in 1738 in the family of an emigrant from serfs, who rose to a significant clerical rank. Thanks to the merits of the father of the future architect Matvei Kazakov in 1751, the famous architect Dmitry Vasilievich Ukhtomsky (1719-1774), who built many buildings in the era of Queen Elizabeth, was admitted to the school. In addition to the magnificent art school, Kazakov acquired practical skills in the organization of construction, in the selection of materials and technologies. This became his distinctive quality.

Light accurate drawings, confident drawing of molded details - all this was inherent in the master from a young age. His graphic skill, he worked on the best examples of architectural heritage of the past, studying the ancient Greek warrants. The architect of the Cossacks became a staunch supporter of the organic classical style, thought over to trifles.

The first experiments

In the spring of 1763, a terrible fire destroyed Tver. Restore the city instructed pupil Ukhtomsky Petr Romanovich Nikitin. Matvey Kazakov - the architect included Nikitin in his team, worked on one of the most important objects - a home for the church head of Tver. Catherine II herself highly appreciated the city restored by new plans, calling Tver the second most beautiful (after Petersburg) in Russia.

The Bishop's house, which became the palace in which Catherine stopped when she arrived in the newly built city, made the architect's name famous, and the architect Kazakov began to receive private orders from the richest and most noble people of Russia. So, for PF Nashchokin he built a magnificent Rai-Semyonovskoye manor on the Nara River, near Serpukhov.

Kazakov and Bazhenov

Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov (1738-1799) - a great Russian architect, who was the same age as Kazakov. By the time of their meeting, Bazhenov had already passed the school of European architecture after graduating from the Academy of Arts, having spent many years in France and Italy. He executed models of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and the Louvre Gallery in Paris, absorbed the knowledge and experience of the leading masters of French classicism: Claude-Nicola Ledoux, Jacques-Germain Sufflau, and others.

Unlike Bazhenov, Kazakov did not leave Russia, so he tried to add Bazhenov's notion of architecture as a high art to his practical experience, to discover new beauty in combinations of volumes, in planning decisions, and in the refinement of decor. Bazhenov liked the work of Matvei Fedorovich, and he attracted him to cooperate over the grandiose orders received from the empress herself.

"The Kremlin expedition"

Catherine the Great experienced complex feelings for Moscow. Too great was the difference between St. Petersburg - the magnificent European capital - and the Mother See, where the Byzantine, Asian spirit, the embodiment of which the Kremlin seemed to embody it, was ineradicable. It was from here that she wanted to begin the Europeanization of Moscow, entrusting the project of reconstruction of the city center to Bazhenov.

The grandiose project, proposed by the "Expedition on the construction of the Kremlin Palace," even the empress seemed too radical. Bazhenov proposed to demolish ancient buildings and erect a grandiose multi-storey palace, facing majestic facades to the river, and in terms of forming the closures of the main directions of the radial streets of the center of Moscow.

Within five years the project was completed, a colossal model of the Grand Kremlin Palace was made. Even the solemn laying of a new building took place and the part of the wall was dismantled, but the matter did not go any further. Catherine cooled to the project, which made Moscow a threat to the greatness of the Northern capital and demanded colossal costs. Later appointed to lead the reconstruction of the Kremlin, MF. Kazakov (an architect who had more practical experience than Bazhenov) restored the destroyed part of the wall and built a new government building - the Senate - prepared for the commencement of the construction of the square. But at first he still continued to work with Bazhenov.

The birth of "Russian Gothic"

In 1775, at the behest of Catherine in Moscow, a celebration was held about the annexation of the Crimea and the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainarji world with the Turks. For this, temporary wooden pavilions depicting Turkish cities were erected on the Khodynka Field. The execution of these works was entrusted to the "Kremlin expedition" led by Bazhenov, whose closest ally was the architect Kazakov.

As a result of the combination of whimsical oriental elements and classical proportions, a festive, purposefully theatrical, decorative style was born, which is commonly called pseudo-gothic, or "Russian Gothic". He liked the Empress Catherine very much, and she offered to repeat it in a more durable material, having built a Travel Palace near the Khodynka Field, which she needed to rest after a long journey from the Northern capital. Kazakov was appointed to lead the project. Petrovsky Castle became one of the tops of the "Russian Gothic", making Kazakov the leading Russian architect.

The Senate building in the Kremlin

When in Moscow there was a need for a large state building, it is natural that Mikhail F.Kazakov, an architect who was at the zenith of glory and in the prime of his talent, was involved in his design. And the triangular building of the Senate constructed by him became the new peak of his work.

Kazakov's idea did not have the scale of the Big Palace Bazhenov, but he did not concede to it the quality of elaboration, the perfection of the general solution and details. The dome above the hall, where it was supposed to hold government meetings, amazes with the size and technical execution. Giving to all the Senate the solemnity and majesty seen from Red Square, it helps to harmoniously fit the classical state building into the ensemble of the main square and the whole city center.

Epic in Tsaritsyno

The palace and park ensemble, which was named "Tsaritsyno", was laid on the lands bought by Catherine in 1775. It was supposed to be the first such facility located outside St. Petersburg. The project was commissioned by Bazhenov and assumed the use of that fantasy style, which was called pseudo or "Russian Gothic," and Bazhenov called "gentle" gothic.

For the implementation of this project the architect undertook with all the heat, for ten years the construction of the complex was underway, but Kazakov had to finish his erection again. Among the reasons for the monarchy anger that struck Bazhenov after visiting Ekaterina Tsaritsyna, the architect's name is said to be "free masons" - the Empress saw in Masonry the power capable of elevating her son Paul I to the throne. There are other opinions that the truth can not be learned , But completed the palaces and their surroundings M. Kazakov. The architect tried to take care of the work of friend and mentor, leaving some constructions of Bazhenov untouched. The suburban residence of the Russian Tsars Tsaritsyno has never been, but it has been revived in modern form as a popular holiday destination and one of Moscow's sights.

Masterpieces of "pre-fire" in Moscow

Since the late seventies of the eighteenth century, the architect Kazakov Matvey Fedorovich actually becomes what is now called the Chief Architect of Moscow. Among its buildings there are many religious buildings, private buildings and private estates. Many of his works died in the fire of the Napoleonic invasion, some were rebuilt, but some outstanding examples of his work can still be admired now.

"Russian Gothic" was the whim of rich and royal customers, and Kazakov mainly built in the favorite classical style. Such is the Church of Metropolitan Philip in the Meshchansky Sloboda. It is interesting by a combination of rounded in terms of volume and high quality stucco decor, where you can especially see the talent of Kazakov-draftsman.

An amazing masterpiece - the church of Kosma and Damian on Maroseyka - is distinguished by a masterful combination of curvilinear volumes and an almost modern approach to minimalism in decor. In addition to a large number of palaces, churches, private mansions, educational buildings, he built 3 hospitals, each of which became a decoration of Moscow.

A special object for Moscow is Kazakova - the building of the Noble Assembly - the House of Unions. The facades have been rebuilt several times over the course of a long time, but the interiors (enfilades and the main one - the Column Hall) convey the architect's idea in almost a primordial form. A huge volume, where up to 5 thousand people can be accommodated, is impressive, classically harmonious.

The Creator of Moscow in the 18th Century

In addition to the buildings, another legacy of the architect is known - a brilliant series of masters, whose teacher was the architect Kazakov. The works of IV Egotov, AN Bakarev, OI Bove, IG Tamansky were in demand for the subsequent restoration of Moscow, then another work of Kazakov was useful: 13 albums with plans, facades and sections of the most significant Moscow buildings .

He died without thinking about the death of his beloved city, but the fantastic talent and enormous work of Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov could not be lost without a trace, and the revived Moscow still keeps the memory of its great builder.