(February 1737 - 02. 08. 1799) architecture style: Classicism. national historicism. Main architectural objects: project of the palace building in Yekateringofsky park; arsenal building on the street. Liteiny, St. Petersburg (now the building of judicial institutions); the building of the arsenal and the Senate on Znamenka, Moscow; Pashkov House (Library of the Rumyantsev Museum); palace in Tsaritsyn; Petrovsky Palace; Moscow Kremlin Reconstruction Project; Palace on Kamenny Island, Petersburg. The first "pensioner" of the Academy of Arts. Vice President of the Academy of Arts.

« I venture to mention here that I was already born as an artist. I learned to draw on the sand, on paper, on the walls ... By the way, in the winters I made chambers and statues from the snow, so that even now I would like to see».

The son of a deacon of one of the Kremlin court churches. He discovered a natural talent for art as a child, sketching all kinds of buildings in the ancient capital.

The boy was sent to the choristers in the Passion Monastery. All the same, he uncontrollably wanted to draw: “ I transferred all the saints from the church with my thoughts under the transitions to the walls and made them my composition, for which I was often caught and flogged».

At the age of 15, he himself found a teacher, a seedy painter who used to draw "instead of right hand or left foot. Soon, both of them became participants in a huge and hasty state construction project - the wooden royal palace in Lefortovo on the outskirts of what was then Moscow burned to the ground, and Empress Elizabeth, who moved into an uncomfortable small building, ordered the palace to be rebuilt immediately. And he grew up again like in a fairy tale - in a little over a month!

At the construction site, his abilities were noticed. prince D.V. Ukhtomsky, the chief Moscow architect, began to instruct him independent work. A year later, Bazhenov's fate took a new turn: he was admitted to Moscow University. Soon a trustee of the university M.I. Shuvalov demanded that those who were appointed to study "arts" be sent to Petersburg. Obviously, they already pinned hopes on Bazhenov: they settled in the elegant Shuvalov palace, introduced it to the empress herself and gave it to the architect's workshop S.I. Chevakinsky. Here he showed his abilities for architecture to such an extent that the teacher of architecture S. I. Chevakinsky made a talented young man his assistant in the construction of St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral. He studies French, mathematics, diligently redraws orders from the book - classical antique columns with their ceilings, the alphabet of the architecture of that time. And in the summer he works at construction sites, which are led by his energetic mentor in St. Petersburg.

« Then I was the first to start the Academy of Arts", Bazhenov proudly asserted. In the Academy founded in the autumn of 1757, he was the eldest of the pupils, who had already mastered a lot, and for the younger ones he probably became not so much a comrade as the first teacher. In September 1759 Bazhenov (together with the painter Anton Losenko) was sent to Paris to develop his talent, becoming the first pensioner of the Academy of Arts to be sent abroad.

In France, Bazhenov first saw not only on engravings and drawings that new architecture taught by academic mentors - Muscovite A.F. Kokorinov and a Parisian J.B. Vallin-Delamot: elegant and at the same time strict buildings of simple rectilinear outlines with uniform, clear rows of slender columns. This style would later be called classicism. The stormy feeling embodied in the dynamic and complex architecture of the Baroque was replaced by a clear mind and calm harmony, based on ancient traditions. The rules of the new style are taught to Bazhenov by the brilliant architect Charles de Vailly. " My comrades, the young French, they stole my projectors from me and greedily copied them”, Bazhenov later boasted. Apparently, even then he stood out among his fellow students with his ingenuity and vivid imagination.

Becoming a student of a professor Duval, Bazhenov started making models of architectural parts from wood and cork and made several models of famous buildings. In Paris, he made, with strict proportionality of parts, a model of the Louvre Gallery, and in Rome, a model of the Cathedral of St. Peter.

Upon his return to Russia, while living in Moscow, Bazhenov compiled a complete translation of all 10 books of Vitruvius' architecture, published in 1790-1797. Petersburg, in the printing house of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Thoroughly familiar with his art theoretically, Bazhenov was one of the best practical builders of his time, differing as much in the art of planning as in the elegance of the form of the designed buildings, which he showed upon his very return to his fatherland, to the triumph of the "inauguration" of the building of the Academy of Arts (29 June 1765). He owned the decoration of the main facade of the building from the Neva. Later, Catherine II instructed Bazhenov to develop project of the Institute for Noble Maidens at the Smolny Monastery. The architect fulfilled this order in the shortest possible time. The majestic and graceful composition amazed many with its architectural ingenuity, an organic combination of diverse traditional forms of Russian architecture. But, unfortunately, the matter was limited to praises. The project remained unfulfilled. After long delays, preference was given to the architect's project Quarenghi.

Project of the current building palace in Yekateringofsky park, with greenhouses, a menagerie, carousels and other luxury undertakings of that time, was composed by Bazhenov according to the academic program, for the degree of professor. The implementation was recognized by the Council of the Academy as quite worthy, but the author of the project was left with the title of academician, which he received three years earlier, when he was abroad. In addition to damage to self-esteem, such injustice seriously affected the financial situation.

Bazhenov takes a dismissal from the academic service, and the prince G. G. Orlov appointed him to his artillery department as the chief architect, with the rank of captain. In this position, Bazhenov built in St. Petersburg arsenal building on Liteinaya st. (now the building of judicial institutions), and in Moscow, in the Kremlin, the building of the arsenal and the Senate on Znamenka, Pashkov's house(Library of the Rumyantsev Museum), and in the vicinity of the capital - Palace in Tsaritsyn and Petrovsky Palace, built by Kazakov - his assistant.

Count Orlov advised Bazhenov to develop an unusual, daring project, so that through him, Orlov, he would propose to the Empress to begin construction of a building that would arouse general interest. Bazhenov did not promise anything, but he did not refuse the offer. While Kremlin was in extreme desolation and dilapidation, and most importantly, its ancient architecture seemed to enlightened people of the 18th century disorderly and shapeless. Bazhenov dared to offer his version of the palace. But only on a different scale: “... from a simple perestroika, he created a gigantic architectural idea, which boiled down to building the entire Kremlin in one continuous palace, inside which all the Kremlin cathedrals with Ivan the Great were supposed to find themselves.” Bazhenov's idea shocked Orlov, but he doubted the reality of such grandiose plans. By the summer of 1768, Bazhenov completed work on sketches, began the reconstruction project itself, to create big model Kremlin Palace. Preparations for construction began. In July, a special expedition was already established to build the palace. It was headed by Lieutenant General Izmailov. After a thorough examination of the Kremlin buildings and a detailed development of construction plans, the members of the expedition began to draw up an estimate. According to preliminary estimates, twenty or, in extreme cases, thirty million rubles should have been required. The expedition settled in the Kremlin itself, in the small Poteshny Palace. Here was the architect's apartment, where he soon brought his young wife. And next to it, a wooden one-story building with a vast octagonal hall was hastily built - the Model House. Then they made a huge wooden model of the future Kremlin. The model, according to Bazhenov, is "half of the practice", that is, the finished building, which will allow you to check the correctness of its composition and proportions. The model impressed everyone, even people who were skeptical or distrustful of the Bazhenov project. A lot of things hurt. And the manufacturing technique, and the dimensions of the model themselves. They were such that several people could walk around in the courtyards. In its proportions, the model mathematically exactly matched the dimensions of the future palace. The facade of the main building of the palace conceived by Bazhenov had a complex articulation: the two lower floors were united by a continuous horizontal rustication and a cornice. They separate the upper floors. The first two floors are a kind of pedestal for the top two. They are united by decorative decoration and columns into one whole. The entablature is decorated with sculpture. It is supported by fourteen columns. There are ten columns on both sides of the central ledge. Behind them are two-column ledges. There are graceful vases in the niches of the walls. The entire facade of the central building was a bright image, as if the richest and most beautiful architectural decoration. The inner facade of the main building, overlooking the courtyard, had almost the same richly decorated design. The circumference was impressive - a huge semicircle with a high four-stage plinth, numerous marble columns. The circumference was connected to the main building. In this place - an entrance with three beautiful arches. The richly decorated entrance was framed by columns. From the other end, the circumference was connected to the theater. A special effect was produced by its main entrance, from which wide intersecting staircases ran. The walls of the theater are decorated with Ionic columns. No less impressive is the interior design, especially the central hall of the palace, which is impressive in its size. The model and the unprecedented project were talked about with enthusiasm and envy in the European royal courts. However, in the spring of 1771, work had to be stopped: an epidemic of the plague descended on Moscow. Tough, but little effective measures of the authorities aroused the discontent of the townspeople. A riot broke out, the Moscow Archbishop Ambrose was killed, the crowd smashed his chambers in the Kremlin, a stone's throw from the Model House. Bazhenov was afraid for the fate of his precious model, built of dry wood. But the rebellion was suppressed in two days, the model survived, while the epidemic subsided only by winter. The following summer began new stage work - they dug a foundation pit for the palace foundation, which was laid a year later in an even more solemn atmosphere. But the years passed, and the construction did not rise above the foundation - there were not enough funds. In the spring of 1775, the empress ordered that the foundation pit be filled up, which means that work should be stopped. The offended Bazhenov refused to lead the backfilling of the pit: "I leave it to the one who will be elected for the good." In the meantime, he built wooden pavilions outside the city, on the Khodynka field, to celebrate the victory over the Turks. Fanciful buildings of non-classical, relatively oriental architecture symbolize Taganrog, Kerch, Azov and other cities that went to Russia after the victory. Ekaterina liked the elegant unusual buildings. This is how she wanted to see her new estate - Tsaritsyno, just bought near Moscow

Designing Tsaritsyno Palace on the slope of a hill descending to a large pond, Bazhenov arranged, it would seem, in a free order, many relatively small buildings made of red brick. He wanted to decorate them with colored tiles, in the manner of old Moscow buildings. But the empress rejected this idea, and then the red brick was effectively shaded with carved inserts. white stone. One felt in the appearance of Tsaritsyn some kind of artificial antiquity, a conditional, almost toy Middle Ages. In those days, all medieval architecture, not yet distinguishing between eras and countries, was called "Gothic". The classicists considered it "wrong", distorted by the ignorance of the previous builders, but it still attracted Bazhenov. True, during the construction of Tsaritsyn, he did not adhere to any particular style: he freely combined the lancet windows of Western European Gothic with the patterned brickwork of Russian buildings of the 17th century, used state symbols in the white stone carving - here is Catherine's monogram and the double-headed state eagle. For ten years Bazhenov built Tsaritsyno. Every spring, he moved there with his family from a recently purchased city house to be constantly at work. Here, unlike the Kremlin, he did everything himself: managed finances, bought materials in advance, hired workers. Construction grew, and money came from St. Petersburg more and more slowly. Vasily Ivanovich now and then turned out to be guilty. In addition, they were tortured by debts, litigation. He was tired, at forty he felt like an old man. In the damp Tsaritsyn, children fell ill, the youngest son died ... In the summer of 1785, the Empress finally arrived and visited the almost finished estate, which she knew only from the drawings. Elegant houses seemed to her small and cramped - everything looked more impressive on paper. She ordered to rebuild Tsaritsyno and transferred the construction to Kazakov. The palace in Tsaritsyn was not destroyed immediately. MM. Izmailov tried to find a way out of the situation, to somehow help Bazhenov. He worried about his friend and Kazakov. Colleagues agreed: Bazhenov, without special permission, will make a new version of the palace and present his own before he does it Kazakov. But nothing came of it, again the work was wasted. Catherine rejected Bazhenov's work. In February 1786, an order came "on the dismantling of the main building in the village of Tsaritsyno to the ground and on the production later (of a new building) according to the plan again confirmed by the architect Kazakov." Kazakov, in his version of the palace, tried to preserve, as far as possible, the style of old Russian architecture chosen by Bazhenov. But he was also unlucky. The palace was designed with three floors, with an emphasis on the central part of the building. However, in the course of construction, much had to be redone, as appropriations were constantly cut. The result is a big difference between the project and the completed building.

Worthy of special mention Pashkov House in Moscow (1780s). The palace flaunts on a high hill opposite the Moscow Kremlin - now it is the old building of the library of the former Rumyantsev Museum. Meanwhile, the task of the architect was difficult: the site is uneven, on the one hand steeply going downhill, and on the other - sharply tapering. However, Bazhenov managed to turn its inconveniences into advantages: he installed elegant gates at the narrow end, through which a view of the house opens, while the facade is widely deployed on the edge of the hill above the garden descending to the city - a decision that not coincidentally echoes the Kremlin's restructuring project. Bazhenov created here in the literal sense of the word a castle-fairy tale. A great connoisseur and connoisseur of Russian architecture I. Grabar wrote: “ It is difficult to find a more perfect ratio of all parts of a single structure, something that has been achieved here.". The opinion of Russians and foreigners was unanimous "Pashkov's house" is a pearl of Russian architecture. Connoisseurs of architecture emphasized that for all the sophistication of compositional techniques, the artist's idea is distinguished by courage, a flight of fantasy and, at the same time, thoughtfulness of the smallest details. This is equally characteristic of the composition as a whole and the interior layout of the premises, as well as the external design.

Bazhenov did not receive another appointment, and, left without sufficient means of subsistence, he opened an art institution and took up private buildings. The change in his official career and the disfavor of Catherine the Great is explained by his relations with the Novikov circle, which instructed him to report to the heir to the Tsarevich about his choice by the Moscow Masons as the supreme master. In these relations with the Tsarevich, Catherine suspected political goals, and her anger fell on Bazhenov earlier than on others, but things did not go beyond exclusion from the service, and in 1792 he was again accepted into the service of the Admiralty Board and transferred his activities to Petersburg. Bazhenov built a palace and a church for his heir on Kamenny Island and designed various special buildings for the fleet in Kronstadt.

Palace on Stone Island. Bazhenov quickly fulfilled this order. The palace was built in the style of classicism. It was later rebuilt. But there is evidence of a French traveler who saw the building in its original version: “It is very beautiful, especially due to its location (on the banks of the Neva). The lower floor is raised by several steps. Here we see, firstly, a large hall decorated with arabesques, then an oval-shaped hall, which, with its great length, seems a little narrow; the decorative part in it is very simple. To the right - a room from which the door leads to a small theater, quite beautiful ... The facade to the garden is decorated with columns. At the end of the garden is a small chapel built of brick: the Gothic style, which was tried to be imitated in its construction, produces a beautiful effect.

Upon accession to the throne, Paul I appointed him vice-president of the Academy of Arts and instructed him to draft Mikhailovsky Castle, prepare a collection of drawings of Russian buildings for historical research national architecture and, finally, to provide an explanation on the question: what should be done to inform the proper course of the development of the talents of Russian artists at the Academy of Arts. Bazhenov eagerly began to carry out the gracious orders of the monarch, the patron of Russian art, and, no doubt, he could have done a lot if death had not stopped him.

What is known about the great architect Vasily Bazhenov, that he was born in 1737, and a small village. early years spent his life in Moscow. It is known that the father worked in the church as a church employee.

Since childhood, there was a desire for architecture. Therefore, he mastered the first basics in the architectural team of Ukhtomsky. After he enters to study at the gymnasium at Moscow University.

And already in 1758 he successfully passed entry exams and enters the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. After completing his studies with honors, he was sent to Italy, for further education.
In 1765 he received the title of academician. And in 1767 he began to create the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

Construction was carried out until 1775, but was never completed. Catherine 2 forbade further construction. This project required many costs, which the government did not agree to. During these years, there was a war between the Russians and the Turkish troops.

Vasily Bazhenov was not stopped by the disappointment he received and he continued to carry out his plans.
According to his drawings, more than one house was built. The architect also developed a grandiose project of the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, it was built in 1797 to 1800.

In addition to an architectural career, he also achieved an artistic career, he could work as a teacher and teach architecture theoretically.

In 1799 he accepted the position of vice-president of the Academy of Arts. But, unfortunately, he does not have time to carry out all his plans and dies in St. Petersburg on August 13, 1799.

Historical facts about the personal life of Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov remain unknown.

Vasily Bazhenov lived a fairly eventful and interesting life. He managed to achieve many goals in his life and prove to everyone how talented he is. After all, not every person will be able not to give up after the failed failures, but the outstanding architect succeeded. He, despite many disappointments in his work, did not stop, did not lose heart and continued his creative activity. Therefore, you can be proud of him, and set him as an example of imitation.

Biography 2

No one knows exactly when (in 1737 or 1738) and where (Moscow or Kaluga region) was born an architect. He came from the family of a poor clergyman - a junior clerk of one of the many Kremlin churches. As a child, he served in the Strastnoy Monastery in Moscow and, according to tradition, was destined to follow the path of his father. But he liked to draw better. "I mentally put the saints on the walls and made them part of my composition, and I was often beaten for this," he later wrote in his autobiography. In addition to drawing, he also enjoyed modeling various Kremlin buildings from wooden fragments.

At the age of 15, he managed to find a drawing teacher, a peer artist, who took the boy "for God's sake" (i.e., free of charge) and taught him some elementary tricks. Soon they both found themselves involved in a huge and urgent construction project. The wooden imperial palace in the suburbs of Lefortovo suddenly burned down, and Empress Elizabeth ordered that it be rebuilt immediately. It was installed like in a fairy tale - in just one month. It was probably around this time that the young Vasily, whose job it was to paint stoves in imitation of marble, began to think about becoming an architect.

His abilities were noticed at the construction site, and the chief Moscow architect, Prince Dmitry Ukhtomsky, began to ask him some creative tasks. In 1755, Vasily was admitted to the newly established Moscow University. The following year, he was transferred to the gymnasium of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, and in 1758-1606, to the architectural classes of the Academy of Arts.

He met Empress Elizabeth and was trained in the workshop of the architect Savva Chevakinsky. Here Bazhenov studied French and mathematics and diligently copied drawings of antique columns and floor coverings (at that time the ABC of architectural education). In the summer he worked on construction projects in St. Petersburg, which were supervised by his energetic and hard-working mentor, including St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral

In 1760 - 1764 Vasily Bazhenov continued his studies in France and Italy. He became one of the first two recipients of a travel scholarship from the Academy of Arts (the other was awarded by Ivan Starov, who also later became a prominent architect).

Bazhenov returned to St. Petersburg precisely for a big celebration in honor of the new charter of the Academy of Arts. But the Academy offended Bazhenov. A clever uniform was fitted for him in 1765 - one of the academics - but he was not given the long-promised professor. In addition, Bazhenov had to pass a test to confirm his academic title - to create a small architectural design. He performed it beautifully, far exceeding the modest test requirements, but nevertheless had to look for work on his own.

Bazhenov worked for Count Grigory Orlov, a minion of Catherine II and commander of artillery and fortifications, as well as for Pavel Petrovich, the successor to the young throne (the future Emperor Paul I), whose support he enjoyed until the end of his life. Finally, Orlov presented Bazhenov to the court of the empress, unusual for an architect with the rank of artillery captain.

In 1792 Bazhenov moved to St. Petersburg to fill a relatively modest position as chief architect in the Admiralty. In 1796, Catherine II died, and Pavel, Bazhenov's old patron, became emperor. Having ascended the throne, Paul I instructed Bazhenov to design the Mikhailovsky Palace with its golden smell and separate pavilions.

On the eve of the 19th century, Bazhenov was full of great plans, but, as it turned out, he did not have time to realize them. The architect was destined to die at the age of 62. In the summer of 1799 he was stricken with paralysis and died on 2 August.

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March 12, 1738 was born Vasily Bazhenov, one of the outstanding architects of the era of Catherine II and Paul I, the founder of Russian classicism and Russian Gothic. In his youth, Bazhenov, being the most talented free listener of the architect D.V. Ukhtomsky, was sent to the newly opened Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. There, the future architect studied the sciences of art under the guidance of the sculptor Gillet, the painter Le Lorrain, the draftsman Moreau, the engraver Schmidt, the architects Chevakinsky and Kokorinov. Among the first students, Bazhenov was sent by the academy to Paris to study European architecture, becoming the first pensioner of the Academy of Arts sent abroad. It was in the Paris Academy of Arts, where Bazhenov studied and worked for two years with Professor Charles de Devalily, that the architect became addicted to a new style - classicism. Unfortunately, very few buildings according to the Bazhenov project have been preserved, nevertheless, the remaining drawings and projects speak of him as one of the best practitioners-builders of his time. We decided to talk about the most ambitious projects of Vasily Bazhenov.

GRAND KREMLIN PALACE

In 1767, at the direction of Catherine II, Bazhenov began work on a project for the reconstruction of the Kremlin, proposing a variant for the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace, which, according to the architect, was supposed to accommodate all the Kremlin cathedrals. With this grandiose building, Bazhenov sought to express the idea of ​​"Moscow is the third Rome", so the prototype of the palace was St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. By 1769 the project was ready. The palace was supposed to be four-story: the two lower floors were intended for office space, on the third floor, the most solemn and front, there was to be the residence of the empress, on the fourth - the main hall. The palace was richly decorated with columns, stucco, figures of flying victories, vases and sculptures. In the center of the architectural composition, an oval square with colonnades and an amphitheater was planned, to which the main radial streets of the center of Moscow would converge. In 1769, the dismantling of the old wooden buildings of the Kremlin began, and on June 1, 1773, a solemn laying of the palace took place. Nevertheless, by 1775, Catherine began to lose interest in the project, which turned out to be too expensive, and besides, it caused discontent among the Muscovites, who were in favor of preserving the historical appearance of the Kremlin. Due to earthworks, the load-bearing walls of the Archangel and Annunciation Cathedrals sank, the construction of the palace was stopped, the Kremlin wall and towers were restored. The scope of this project is evidenced by the surviving wooden model of the palace, which recreates its appearance in detail, which the architect made on a scale of 1:48. You can take a look at the model in State Museum architecture named after A.V. Shchusev.

TSARITSYNO

In 1776, Catherine II entrusted Bazhenov with the construction of a palace in Tsaritsyno, expressing several of her preferences: the building should be in the "Moorish" or "Gothic taste", the park should be equipped as a landscape. The architect conceived the complex in a pseudo-Gothic style, according to the principle of "poetry of geometry": all buildings had various, but always correct geometric shapes. According to some contemporaries, the location of the ensemble, its layout is nothing but a Masonic cipher. The complex included five palaces for Catherine and her son Pavel, around which a number of houses for the court nobility, premises for servants, the Opera House, the Bread House, a total of 17 buildings and stone bridges were built. Despite the fact that Bazhenov combined pseudo-Gothic with the patterned brickwork of Russian buildings of the 17th century, the Tsaritsyno complex is considered the largest pseudo-Gothic building of the 18th century in Europe and the only palace complex designed in this style. Bazhenov completed work on the palaces and the park 10 years later, by 1785. However, the empress did not like the palace, she considered it “too cramped and gloomy”, on her instructions the entire central part of the ensemble and several buildings were demolished. The construction was entrusted to the architect Matvey Kazakov, and Bazhenov was deprived of the title of court architect, which caused his spiritual crisis.

PASHKOV'S HOUSE

The house, commissioned by Captain-Lieutenant of the Life Guards of the Semenovsky Regiment Pyotr Yegorovich Pashkov, built in 1786 on Vagankovsky Hill opposite the Kremlin, is considered Bazhenov's best work. Resembling a palace in its appearance, the house was designed in the style of classicism, and after completion of construction was called the "pearl of Russian architecture." Contemporaries wrote: "It is difficult to find a more perfect ratio of all parts of a single structure than that achieved here," noting the thoughtfulness of the smallest details and the combination of two principles, manor-village and palace-city. The main facade faces the sunny side and is strictly parallel to the Kremlin wall. The general silhouette of the house is stepped. The height of the buildings increases gradually from one-story galleries to the central building. Also, a kind of row of tiers form the plinth of the main portico, the portico itself and the belvedere located above it. The garden on the hill, facing the Neglinnaya River, which was not yet enclosed in an underground canal, and the Kremlin also caused a lot of enthusiasm. During the fire of 1812, the Pashkov House was badly damaged. After the repair work, the appearance of the house has changed somewhat, but even now this building is considered one of the most beautiful in Moscow. Now it houses one of the buildings of the Russian State Library.

MIKHAILOVSKY CASTLE

The initial project of the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle in St. Petersburg was developed by Bazhenov in 1796 at the behest of Paul I. For a long time, the question of the authorship of the existing ensemble remained controversial. Some researchers believed that the author was the architect V. Brenna, who supervised the construction of the building, others, in particular the historian of Russian art P. N. Petrov, established the authorship of Bazhenov. Among the architect's drawings, a project of one of the facades of the Mikhailovsky Castle, dated 1792, was discovered, which allows us to speak, at least, of Bazhenov's co-authorship. In addition to Bazhenov and Brenn, the emperor himself took part in the creation of the project, leaving several sketches of the palace.

The Mikhailovsky Castle was a square with rounded corners, inside of which a central octagonal front courtyard was inscribed. The complex of buildings, in addition to the palace, included the Sunday Canal, the Three-Part Bridge, two pavilions and Maple Street. Three angled bridges connected the building with the square in front of it. The entrance to the castle was provided from Engineering Street. The construction of the castle was completed in the autumn of 1800, the interior decoration continued until the spring of 1801. The castle ensemble is considered one of the most unique architectural structures in St. Petersburg and the only palace complex in Russia in the style of romantic classicism. Now in some rooms of the Mikhailovsky Castle there are permanent expositions of the State Russian Museum.

SORRY CHURCH

The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" on Bolshaya Ordynka was redesigned according to the project of Bazhenov in his characteristic style of classicism in 1791. The architect completely rebuilt the bell tower, making it round and three-tiered. The lower tier was decorated with Ionic columns, the middle one with Corinthian semi-columns, the upper one, on which the bells are located, with pilasters. The refectory received a characteristic for classicism shape of a rectangle with rounded corners. Bazhenov became the first architect to use this type of refectory, which later became widespread in Moscow. The church was significantly damaged by the fire of 1812 and was rebuilt again in 1831-1836 by the architect Beauvais.

Bazhenov Vasily Ivanovich (1737 or 1738-1799), architect.

Born March 12, 1737 or 1738 in the village of Dolskoy near Maloyaroslavets (Kaluga province); according to other sources, in Moscow.

Bazhenov's childhood and youth passed among the ancient buildings of the Moscow Kremlin, where his father served as a deacon in one of the churches. He received his initial education in the “architectural team” of D. V. Ukhtomsky. This was followed by admission to the gymnasium at Moscow University.

In 1758, Bazhenov brilliantly passed the entrance exams to the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Upon graduation in 1760, as best student he was sent for academic funds to Italy.

Returning to Moscow in 1765, the architect received the title of academician for the project of a "pleasure house in Yekateringof", and two years later he began to create a grandiose project of the Kremlin Palace in Moscow (1767-1775). The complex included the imperial residence, the buildings of the Colleges, the Arsenal, the theater, main square with an amphitheater for spectators, and the ancient cathedrals of the Kremlin were, as it were, framed by the latest buildings.

The project required huge costs, which the country could not afford - it was Russian-Turkish war 1767-1774 In addition, the dismantling of the Kremlin wall that had begun (on which Bazhenov insisted) caused a sharp protest from the clergy. Very soon, Catherine II referred to constructive miscalculations and banned further construction.

Disappointment did not prevent the talented architect from continuing to implement new creative ideas, among which the palace and park ensemble in Tsaritsyn near Moscow (1775-1785) occupies a special place. The Tsaritsyno buildings combined elements of Gothic and Old Russian architecture. The fate of the estate in Tsaritsyn was also sad. Despite the beauty and originality of the architectural solution, Catherine, who arrived at the review of her residence near Moscow, ordered the demolition of a number of buildings of the ensemble, and entrusted the construction of the central palace to M.F. Kazakov, saying that Bazhenov’s construction was more like a prison than a palace.

After another failure, the architect plunged into work on the next project - the Pashkov House (1784-1786; now the old building of the Russian State Library). According to Bazhenov’s drawings, Dolgov’s house was built on 1st Meshchanskaya Street (1770), now Mira Avenue, the bell tower and the refectory of the Church of All Who Sorrow Joy on Bolshaya Ordynka and Yushkov’s house on Myasnitskaya Street (all 80s of the XVIII century) . In addition, the architect developed a project for the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle in St. Petersburg (1792-1796); it was built in 1797-1800. architects V. F. Brenna and E. T. Sokolov.

In 1799, Bazhenov was appointed vice-president of the Academy of Arts, but did not have time to realize his plans - he died on August 13 of the same year in St. Petersburg.

In the history of art, the formation and establishment of Russian classicism is associated with the name of this architect.

BUILDINGS BY ARCHITECT V. I. BAZHENOV
ALBUM OF AUTOTYPES MOSCOW - 1950
Introductory article by E. A. Beletskaya

One of the most prominent representatives of the advanced culture and art of the 18th century was the remarkable Russian architect Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov (1737-1799).
The significance of Bazhenov's work in the history of Russian culture is not limited to the creation of beautiful works of architecture, majestic architectural projects. It is also contained in his deeply patriotic social activities aimed at educating and training domestic artists, at introducing knowledge to the general population. creative and life path Bazhenov was illuminated by the lofty ideals of serving his Motherland, his people.
Bazhenov's activities took place in the era of the formation of domestic science and culture. He was the first to raise architecture to the level of an advanced science for his time, gave a deeply substantiated presentation of architectural theory and a generalization practical experience. He developed the laws of architectural construction and design methodology, introduced innovative engineering and construction techniques, solved the problems of organizing construction and training the younger generation of architects.
Bazhenov was one of the most educated people of his time. Having achieved comprehensive knowledge through hard work in conditions of poverty and deprivation of children and youthful years, Bazhenov did not close himself in the circle of personal and purely professional interests. Having achieved world fame at the age of 27, being a member, academician or professor of Russian and three foreign academies, he continued to improve his skills as an architect, artist, civil engineer. Having mastered the art of architecture, he tirelessly sought to pass on his knowledge to others. In this regard, Bazhenov was a direct follower of his great contemporary, Lomonosov. Bazhenov is related to Lomonosov by love for his people, a consistent, deeply principled struggle for the development of Russian culture, against the dominance of foreigners in Russian science, and irreconcilability in upholding creative convictions.
The breadth of Bazhenov's creative interests also affected his creation architectural school, where the poor studied free of charge, and in the proposal to organize an art museum and open a printing house for printing books on art, and in the preparation of a multi-volume edition of drawings of structures and projects of domestic architecture.
A man of bold, often daring dreams for his time, Bazhenov was at the same time a genuine practitioner who understood the urgent need for the tasks put forward by life. So, for example, his note on the reorganization of the Academy of Arts was a scientifically developed program based on vast experience.
Creativity Bazhenov was subordinated to the idea of ​​serving the people. An ardent patriotic feeling, a consciousness of the social significance of the architect’s work, was imbued with his speech at the foundation stone of the Kremlin Palace: “My mind, my heart and my knowledge will not spare either my peace or my health,” he said.
Bazhenov's patriotism was also expressed in a deep respect for the history of his people, love for his rich, diverse creativity. Just as the fiery patriot and revolutionary, the great contemporary of Bazhenov, Radishchev knew and loved the Russian folk song, Bazhenov highly appreciated the works of Russian folk architecture.
Standing firmly on Russian national soil, the architect was able to critically approach the work of the peoples of other countries, highlighting what was of social significance and not accepting alien, distant architectural images.
As an artist of great creative generalizations, Bazhenov could not but reflect in his work the ideas that excited the minds of the progressive people of his era. This is the progressive significance of the activity of the great masters of art in all periods of the development of human history.
The class limitations of Catherine's noble empire, in which Bazhenov lived, narrowed the scope of the architect's activities and created irresolvable conflicts between the most magnificent plans of Bazhenov and the possibility of their implementation. His inspired creative work was not put into practice - the project of the Kremlin Palace, which has survived to this day in drawings and a grandiose model; not completed and one of the most poetic ensembles - the estate near Moscow Tsaritsyno.
Bazhenov occupies an exceptional place in the history of architecture. Along with Kazakov and Starov, he can be called the founder of Russian architectural classics, who not only influenced the work of his contemporaries, but also indicated the development of architecture for subsequent generations of Russian artists.

1. Pashkov House, now the V. I. Lenin Library, in Moscow. 1784-1786 General form.

2. Pashkov's house. Fragment of the central part of the main facade.

3. Pashkov's house. Fragment of the main facade (side pavilion).

4. Pashkov's house. Yard facade.

5. Pashkov's house. Gates.

6. Pashkov's house. Fragment of the gate.

7. The estate of Tsaritsyno. 1775-1785 "Opera House".

8. The estate of Tsaritsyno. Figured gates.

9. The estate of Tsaritsyno. "Small", or "Semicircular" Palace.

10. The estate of Tsaritsyno. Fragment of the wall of the "Semicircular" palace.

11. Tsaritsyno estate. Gate of the "Bread" house.

12. Tsaritsyno estate. Figured bridge.

13. Tsaritsyno estate. Bridge over the ravine.

14. Church in the village of Znamenka. 1768

15. Manor Mikhalkovo. 1779 Entry.

16. Church in the village of Bykovo. 1789 General view.