The seventeenth century, there were a lot of architectural
influences arriving from Poland and Lithuania. However, once Peter the
Great moved his capital to St. Petersburg, Russian architectural styles
adapted more contemporary designs.
Peter the Great traveled to many nations and was fascinated
by western culture. He laid out his architectural foundations according
to western ideals and influences. Peter the Great had several well known
western architects come to Russia in order to create a different style
that would been different from the rest. The most exceptional architect
in Peter the Great’s court was Conte Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli.
Rasterlli was famous for his French baroque rococo style of architecture.
The rococo style was perceived as a new kind of decoration that combined
pilasters, exquisite refinement and linearity.
During Catherine the Great’s reign in the eighteenth century,
Russian architectural style changed again. Catherine the Great preferred
dignified architectural designs that celebrated neoclassic perspectives.
Catherine the Great’s favorite architects included the Scottish
architect Charles Cameron, the French architect Jean Baptiste Vallin
de la Mothe, and the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi. With the combination
of these famous architects, Catherine the Great was able to distinguish
neoclassical style with a contemporary twist. She used French, Italian
and Scottish influence to build beauty in her nation.
What flourished the greatest in eighteenth century Russian
architecture was the use of sculptured within architectural structures.
In this century sculptures became a major Russian art form. Their popularity
ranged from cathedral to palace, but with the adaptation of sculptures,
Russian architecture began to have its own sense of identity. The cultures
richness is seen through these magnificent works of art, and their opulence
represents Russia’s rich culture, its ethnic people.
