Masterpieces of Classicism in Russian Architecture

Russian classicism is one of the brightest pages in the history of world architecture. It went through several stages in its development and reached an unprecedented prosperity during the reign of Catherine II (1762-1796). Russia, which quite recently adopted the European artistic language, turned out to be a country especially rich in talented architects. The joint creative activity of Russian and foreign masters was distinguished by high professionalism and adherence to the principles of classicism, which gave them rich opportunities for the embodiment of new social and artistic ideals.

Russian classicism architecture included public buildings, palaces, city and country estates, and residential buildings. Petersburg and Moscow were still the main art centers. Each of these cities developed its own architectural concept, predetermined by the peculiarity of the planning and the creative manner of individual craftsmen.