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Vasiliy StasovRussian architect
Date of Birth: 04.08.1769
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Vasily Petrovich Stasov: A Pioneer of Russian Empire Style
- Military Service and Architectural Career
- Travel to Europe and Return to Russia
- Architectural Achievements
- Stasov's Architectural Style: Russian Empire Style
- Notable Projects in St. Petersburg
- Later Career and Death
Vasily Petrovich Stasov: A Pioneer of Russian Empire Style
Early Life and EducationVasily Petrovich Stasov was born on 4 August 1769 in Moscow, the son of a minor nobleman. He received his initial artistic training at the gymnasium of Moscow University. After his father's passing in 1783, he entered the Expedition of Architectural Affairs as an "architectural corporal" to support his family.
Military Service and Architectural Career
In 1794, Stasov moved to St. Petersburg for military service but soon resigned and returned to Moscow in 1797. He worked as an architect for the Main Salt Office before being commissioned by Alexander I to decorate Sokolnichye Field for his coronation in 1801.
Travel to Europe and Return to Russia
Following the coronation, Stasov was sent on a government-funded trip to France and Italy to improve his architectural knowledge. Upon his return in 1808, he was appointed to a post in the office of the Governor-General of St. Petersburg, where he decided to permanently settle in 1812.
Architectural Achievements
Stasov became a member of the Committee for the Improvement of Buildings and Hydraulic Works in St. Petersburg in 1816. He designed numerous buildings throughout the Russian Empire, including the Gostiny Dvor in Kostroma (1812-1820), the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Saratov (1815-1826), the Gruzino Estate in Novgorod (1815-1820), the Proviant Warehouses in Moscow (1821-1835), the Pushkin Palace in Novgorod (1824-1828), and the Governor-General's Palace in Vilnius (1825-1832).
Stasov's Architectural Style: Russian Empire Style
Stasov's architectural style, which became known as Russian Empire Style, emphasized monumental forms and restrained ornamentation. He published over 100 exemplary designs for residential and commercial buildings in the 1810s.
Notable Projects in St. Petersburg
Stasov's most famous works are in St. Petersburg and its environs: the Pavlovsky Regiment Barracks (1817-1820), the Stables Complex (1817-1823), the Haymarket (1819-1820), provisi warehouses (1819-1821), the Lyceum Gates (1817-1821), the Manege (1819-1821), the Large Greenhouse (1820-1823), the Stables Building (1823), the Preobrazhensky Cathedral (1827-1829), the Trinity Cathedral (1828-1835), the Narva Triumphal Gate (1833), and the Moscow Triumphal Gate (1834-1838).
Later Career and Death
Stasov oversaw the completion of the Smolny Convent's ensemble, originally designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in 1832-1835. He played a leading role in the restoration of the Winter Palace after the fire of 1837, where he demonstrated his prowess as a decorator and engineer. Stasov's final official commission was the construction of the New Hermitage, designed by Leo von Klenze (1839). He passed away in St. Petersburg on 5 September 1848.
