Elizabethan Baroque - an architectural style that arose during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Its heyday falls on the middle of the XVIII century. The architect, the most prominent representative of the style, was Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli (1700-1771). In honor of him, Elizabethan baroque is often called "Rastrellievsky."
Predecessor
The reign of Peter the Great brought a lot of changes to the cultural life of the country. The new capital was built up with buildings in the style gravitating to the European canons of architecture. This is the era of the so-called Peter's Baroque, inspired by German, Dutch and Swedish examples of architecture. The new style has almost completely departed from Byzantine traditions, which have been held in high esteem and have been constantly observed in Russian architecture for many centuries. Yes, and it is called baroque very conditionally. The architecture of that period practically did not know the magnificent decor, originally characteristic of the style.
Peter's and Elizabethan baroque, which came to replace him, have several significant differences. The latter incorporates the traditions of Moscow architecture of the late XVII - early XVIII centuries, returned to the cross-domed scheme of building churches, bulbous and pear-shaped decorative coverings.
Style features
The reign of the youngest daughter of Peter the Great was marked by the growth of the authority of state power, the strengthening of the greatness of the country. This trend could not but affect the architecture. The Elizabethan Baroque in St. Petersburg and beyond became the embodiment of state power. Let's note some characteristic features of this style:
a striking variety of decorative elements;
plasticity and dynamism of architectural forms;
contrasting color combinations in the exterior;
the use of pilasters and three-quarter columns;
entertainment and an abundance of decorative details in the interior;
a return to some traditions of ancient Russian architecture.
Style maestro
Rastrelli created his first creations in Courland for the Duke of Biron. Then he became the chief architect of Anna Ioannovna and, finally, Elizabeth. In the early 40s of the XVIII century, Rastrelli visited Moscow, where he had the opportunity to get acquainted with samples of traditional Russian architecture. As art critics note, this short journey influenced the further work of the master and, as a result, the look of contemporary Petersburg.
The first building that Rastrelli built on the orders of the empress, and from which his fame began, was the summer palace. Unfortunately, this building was not preserved, since it was wooden. Then, with varying degrees of involvement, he worked on several projects:
Grand Palace in Peterhof (1747-1752);
St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kiev (drew a sketch of the building in 1747);
Reconstruction of the Tsarskoye Selo Catherine Palace (1752-1757).
The tallest building in the city
The Winter Palace was one of Rastrelli's latest creations. The building where the Hermitage is housed today, today demonstrates the Elizabethan Baroque to everyone. Construction began in 1754. The area of the palace was 60 thousand square meters and accommodated 1,500 rooms. The building was the tallest among all residential buildings in the city. The Empress took care of this, issuing a decree prohibiting the construction of higher houses. Moreover, this was not explained by the whim of the empress, but by the fact that Rastrelli calculated the ideal proportions of the building relative to the average width of the Neva. However, the details of his findings have not yet been known, and researchers unequivocally say that this fact was nothing more than a fiction. However, the decree was strictly observed.
Unforgettable beauty
The construction of the Winter Palace was completed already under Catherine II and without Rastrelli: the empress suspended it, preferring Felten, Wallen-Delamot, Rinaldi and Betsky. The building has undergone several rebuildings and restorations, however, even today you can see the details planned by Rastrelli and created under his leadership. The lavish decoration, characteristic of all Baroque style options, gives the palace a solemn appearance. The architecture of the building is distinguished by a special rhythm created by columns, sometimes separated by a considerable distance, then assembled in the likeness of a beam, risalits (protruding parts of the building in its entire height), stepped angles.
The facade, facing the Palace Square, Rastrelli furnished with an arch. The architect was inspired to create it when he was engaged in the repair of the palace in Strelna. Repeatedly the construction was repainted. Initially, the main color was warm ocher, individual elements (orders, decor) stood out with white lime. Today, the walls of the palace have an emerald hue. For the first time they became such at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
Smolny Cathedral
The peak of Rastrelli’s creativity is the Smolny Monastery. The Elizabethan Baroque in the architecture of this building shines with all its splendor. Smolny Cathedral, the central element of the ensemble, was founded on October 30, 1748. The architect Christian Knobel directly supervised the work, but Rastrelli was the author of the building project.
The cathedral is decorated with many decorative elements: lucarnes, arched (arched) pediments, angels and vases. Initially, the architect was going to build a building on the European model - with one dome. Elizabeth did not agree with this decision and insisted on the five-domed headquarters, characteristic of Orthodox cathedrals. However, only one, the largest dome, belongs to the temple. It rises on a drum, has a helmet-like shape and is crowned with a bulbous glaucus. The other four domes are belfries.
The cathedral is visually divided into two zones. One includes the facade of the lower part, with all its appearance resembling a palace. The second is a five-dome elongated upward - lighter and with its architecture corresponding to the usual image of the temple. The Smolny Cathedral was admired by many of Rastrelli's contemporaries. Today it is one of the most beautiful buildings representing the Elizabethan Baroque in the architecture of St. Petersburg. It is located on Rastrelli Square in the central area of the city.
Creations Kvasova
Other architects of the Elizabethan Baroque worked together with Rastrelli over the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo: Andrei Vasilievich Kvasov and Savva Ivanovich Chevakinsky. Modern art historians recognize the first author of the Savior on Haymarket. This church was founded in 1753. Until now, it has been preserved only in photographs: in 1938 it was closed, and in 1961 it was blown up. In the century before last, the authorship of the church was attributed to Rastrelli, but modern scholars do not agree with this.
For the Razumovsky brothers, Kvas created palaces in Kozelts, Gostilitsy and Znamenka (the authorship of the latter remains controversial). In 1748, he went to Ukraine, where he worked on projects in the Ukrainian Baroque style.
Savva Ivanovich Chevakinsky
In Tsarskoye Selo, according to Chevakinsky’s designs, two buildings of the Catherine’s Palace were erected, the “Monbijou” pavilion, which has not been preserved to this day, is a house for employees. In addition, the architect took part in the creation of the Hermitage pavilion.
Chevakinsky was the chief architect of the fleet. He supervised the construction of warehouses on the island of New Holland and developed a development plan for Kronstadt. Elizabethan Baroque performed by Chevakinsky acquired special features. The architect often used bundles of three columns to decorate corners, forged balconies and brackets with a floral pattern.
Nicholas Naval Cathedral
The main work of Chevakinsky is St. Nicholas Cathedral. It is located on St. Nicholas Square in St. Petersburg and is one of the most beautiful representatives of the Elizabethan Baroque.
The cathedral was built from 1753 to 1762. In terms of the building is a cross. The main decorative elements adorning St. Nicholas Cathedral are Corinthian columns, stucco moldings, wide entablature and wrought-iron grills on the balconies. The building rises upward with five gilded domes.
The Elizabethan Baroque, the features of which are considered in the article, ceased to be the dominant style after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna. This architectural direction practically did not extend to provincial cities. However, the style was reflected not only in the work of St. Petersburg masters. The Elizabethan baroque was embodied in the works of Moscow architects, primarily D.V. Ukhtomsky and I.F. Michurin.