Russian architecture. Features of the architecture of country houses in Russia: historical Russian styles

In a recent article we talked about. Mainly different types classics, which either came to us from ancient times, or its English version. One way or another, it is difficult to call these styles “native”. But in the history of Russia, many architectural trends were created and transformed from foreign ones, which still influence construction, and sometimes are completely reproduced in country houses.

And let’s start the review with the main factors that influenced the features of development in Russia, so as not to mention them separately later.

Features of national development. Historical.

Stone and wood

Due to the availability of wood, stone and brick were unpopular materials in Russia. Of the “private owners,” only boyars, merchants and wealthy peasants could afford a house made of stone. Other buildings of this type were regulated at the state level: castles, public institutions, churches. Accordingly, the architectural diversity of individual housing construction developed for the most part within wooden buildings. It left its mark on early architecture Rus', and in a later - and even modern - manner of building houses.

Wood carving

The connection of this feature with the previous one is self-evident: during this time, architects decorated houses, but since stone was not at all “in use,” artistic wood carving actively developed.

Temple buildings

At their core, the Russian people have always been inclined towards functionality rather than decoration - although there will always be those who like to “show their face”. Therefore, the bulk of architectural delights developed within the framework of temple buildings - a branch in which architects spared neither effort nor inspiration. Therefore, all the “fashionable innovations” did not reach individual housing construction immediately and not in full - otherwise where has it been seen that merchant's house resembled a chapel?

Roof features

This trait cannot be called strictly national and is found in many countries. But remember what the roofs of ancient buildings in southern countries look like? Flat. The reason is the type of precipitation: where snow falls, get off with a flat roof in best case scenario difficult, and at worst impossible. Therefore, the elongated silhouettes of even the earliest buildings are due precisely to this completely everyday feature.

History of Russian styles

When we're talking about about the history of the formation of our architectural traditions, it is customary to talk about castles and temples - individual buildings have always remained in the shadows. This lasted until the 17th-18th centuries, when active construction of estates for nobles and wealthy representatives of other classes began.

But even before this period there are many interesting finds of individual houses, which are still reflected in our architecture.

Hut or log house

One of the very first buildings to appear in Rus' was the hut: a small house made of chopped trees, with a sloping roof and a minimum of decorative decorations, or even none at all. The only time the builders “took off” was on the window frames - well, when they had already appeared and not in the form of a bullish bubble stretched over the opening.

Boring, you say? No matter how it is! This ancient and glorious tradition has found its implementation in modern times. Unprepossessing one-story buildings have turned into real beauties under the influence of new architectural trends. Of course, many people prefer brick houses, but real works of art are now being created from wood - massive, impressive log houses.

Or these - small and cozy houses that seem to grow out of the ground by themselves, but in reality: inside there is a comfortable and modern interior:

Tent style

This style is named after the manner of completing a church building not with a dome, but with a multifaceted tent. This style originated within the framework of temple buildings, but suited our climate so well that it first firmly established itself in manor houses, and then, during the time of Ivan the Terrible, it switched to stone buildings. It is to him that we owe the high, “pseudo-Gothic” outlines of architectural monuments that have survived to this day.

And if you think that this tradition has sunk into the centuries and does not find implementation in modern times, we hasten to dissuade you. For example, our architects created a design project for a cozy and modern home based on the tent type:

Mansions and chambers

These are large, often public buildings, where both the masters and the slaves who served them lived. The difference between one and the other is that the mansions were built of wood, and the chambers were already made of stone. Their styles were very different: tented, simplified classics, trends and European styles were traced - architects were often invited from abroad.

Since stylistically the mansions followed the “trends” of that fashion, it cannot be said that they specifically influenced modern house building. But thanks to them it was popularized

Manor

The estate replaced the mansions in the 17th century. This term often means not only a residential building, but also the entire complex of buildings on the site: servants' houses, gazebos, stables, all kinds of additional buildings and a manor garden. However, by that hysterical period, architecture - including individual houses - had almost lost its bright national traits: for the most part, Russian estates adhere to the classical or baroque style, depending on the period in which the construction occurred.

However, we cannot talk about a complete loss of Russian stylistics. Sometimes it was a simple lack of finances, sometimes it was the preserved utilitarian attitude towards housing, but the Russian baroque of merchant houses is not as pompous and heavy as the Italian one. It is also impossible not to mention the eclectic combination of classics, empire style and baroque that was formed in our country.

What has this resulted in now? Many who want to demonstrate their wealth, but do not want to fall into the immense diversity of the Baroque, draw inspiration from a more modest manor aesthetic - which is not only close to us in mentality, but also “hewn” by years of use.

Vologda wooden architecture

Surprised to find this category as its own? In vain - after all, Vologda has developed its own, distinctive style of building houses. The classic Vologda estate was built of wood, had two floors (the second sometimes hung over the first) and the obligatory loggia hanging over the porch.

Of course, over time, this style was diluted by the classics: hipped roofs appeared, and columns began to be actively used.

Does the Vologda style influence the appearance of today's? Without a doubt. It was distinguished by its great compactness, which is still valued by our compatriots: sometimes from a practical point of view, and sometimes from an aesthetic one.

For example, a mansion project that inherits the basic ideas of Vologda style:

Country style

It is impossible to mention this style, which appeared relatively recently - in Soviet times. According to statistics, rarely does anyone build such houses themselves, but they occupy a paradoxically large volume of all suburban-type buildings. Some were built back in Soviet times, while others continue to be built in remote villages. To understand what we are talking about, just remember the classic Russian village.

Otherwise, its characteristic features are: the use of wood, carved window frames; hipped roof with dormers (a simpler option is a mansard or gable roof without any tricks); one or one and a half floors depending on the type of roof. And if you look at the form, it becomes clear that the inspiration was classic Russian huts, but this is a budget and very modest copy of the estate style, with its characteristic symmetry, decorative elements and roof design features.

Conclusion

As you can see, in addition to the fairly bright and original styles that originated in Russia, there are quite a few variations foreign classics or baroque, which look closer and dearer to us than their original version.

Now they are unfairly set aside, although many elements in modern interpretation would look really good. Of course, it makes no sense to reproduce them one by one - if you grew up and live in Russia, all these buildings are probably already boring for you, but reasonable eclecticism breathes new life into familiar forms.

And if you like something, or you want a unique, aesthetic and most Russian house, our designers and architects will be happy to help you. A team of professionals not only knows how, but also loves what they do, so they will fulfill your wishes as carefully and gracefully as possible, arranging them in a stylish architectural design.

7 Russian architectural styles

Not only can these styles be called “Russian,” but they can also be said to have influenced the international scene. A good opportunity to remember national architecture, perhaps update the school itself... well, and get rid of the complex of losers in architecture.

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WOODEN ARCHITECTURE OF THE RUSSIAN NORTH

Time: from time immemorial - until the 19th century. Place: Russian North

Now no one will say where this architecture came from: tented churches that look like space rockets; huts-courtyards the size of half a five-story building; silvery aspen “scales” - ploughshares on roofs and domes. Something, of course, was forged by the harsh northern climate - at least the same courtyard houses, where everything, from housing to stables, was put under one roof for protection from snow and frost. They probably borrowed something from their neighbors in time immemorial: the Kletsky churches vaguely resemble the Varangian headquarters, and the Tatars are trying to challenge the invention of the tent. Be that as it may, all these types of buildings are more than a thousand years old, and for example, the first Sophia of Novgorod, cut down in the year of the Baptism of Rus', was a tented church. Generated by the land where they stand, its nature and history, these buildings are as natural as the surrounding groves, hills and rivers.

Seven striking examples:
Kizhi churchyard and museum in Karelia - the most perfect (Preobrazhenskaya) and the oldest surviving (Resurrection of Lazarus) wooden churches in Russia.
Kimzha and other villages of the Mezen River are the most complete and authentic wooden Rus'.
Malye Korely near Arkhangelsk - the largest Russian museum wooden architecture.
Chapels of Kenozersky national park- the most convenient reserve of wooden antiquities for recreation and excursions.
Sretensko-Mikhailovskaya Church on the site of the disappeared village of Krasnaya Lyaga is the most enchanted place.
Varzuga and other villages of the Tersky coast in the Murmansk region are the northernmost old Russian villages.
Nevsky Forest Park near St. Petersburg is a recreated church of the Vytegorsky churchyard, the largest and most complex of those that survived until the 20th century, but burned down in the 1960s.

MOSCOW BAROQUE AND PATTERN

Time: XVII-XVIII centuries. Place: Central Russia, Russian North and Volga region

When you hear the phrase “Russian church,” you most often imagine examples of this particular style. These are neither gingerbread nor toy churches with magnificent forms, the inevitable white and red colors, fireworks of kokoshniks above the roof, multi-colored domes and elaborate crosses. In Moscow and surrounding cities in the middle of the 17th century, this style replaced the harsh, cold Byzantine architecture that had dominated since the times of Ancient Rus'. Earlier patterning is identified with mannerism, but it is not so easy to draw a line between it and the Moscow Baroque proper - one style gradually grew out of the other. Merchants were at their origins. They went to trade in Europe and saw new trends there... but they created something completely different. Most likely, they just wanted something new.

Seven striking examples:
Trinity Church in Nikitniki (Moscow) is the very first example of the style.
The Assumption Cathedral in the Ryazan Kremlin is the most impressive example of the style in size.
The Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin is the largest patterned palace.
The Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery in Moscow is the most complete ensemble of Russian Baroque.
The Church of John the Baptist in Yaroslavl is the most bizarre example of the style, and besides, it is depicted on the 1000 ruble banknote.
The Peter and Paul Cathedral in Kazan is the most perfect example of the style.
Trinity Cathedral and other churches in Solikamsk (Perm region) - best ensemble this style far from Moscow.

"FALSE GOTHIC"

Time: end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. Place: suburbs of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

... Tired of the severity of classicism and the madness of Baroque, Europeans in the 18th century suddenly remembered Gothic, the first architectural style that they invented themselves, without regard to the Greeks and Romans. European cities, and in Russia, the estates of the most enlightened merchants and aristocrats were then decorated with numerous stylizations of that era. But the same thing happened as with the Baroque a century and a half earlier: Kazakov, Bazhenov, Felten, most likely without noticing how, created a completely Russian architectural style, which is now called not even “neo-Gothic”, but “false Gothic”. In essence, this is just Russian Baroque successfully disguised as Gothic. It is also significant that the Old Believers, the guardians of Pre-Petrine Rus', to whom Catherine II granted a short-lived thaw in those years, built their churches in precisely this style, preferring it to “Latin” classicism.

Seven striking examples:
The Tsaritsyno estate in Moscow is the very first and largest ensemble in this style.
Petrovsky Palace in Moscow is less famous than Tsaritsyno, but no less beautiful.
The Nikolskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is the most famous example of the style, as it stands right on Red Square.
Rogozhsky and Preobrazhensky monasteries in Moscow - the Old Believers fell in love with “false Gothic”.
Chesme Church in St. Petersburg is the most beautiful church in this style.
Novo-Nikolsky Cathedral in Mozhaisk is the largest church in this style.
The New Peterhof station - and this, for comparison, is classical, not “false” neo-Gothic.

SIBERIAN BAROQUE

Time: XVIII - early XIX centuries. Place: Siberia

Russia also has its own Gothic style, and one must look for it in Siberia. In general, the “Moscow baroque” turned out to be not close to the merchants of the Russian North - the most businesslike and patriarchal - and they created a completely different style. Northern churches - white, thin and tall - resemble sailing ships. They were quite different from city to city, and the churches of Totma cannot be confused with the churches of Ustyug and Vyatka, and the churches of Vyatka with the churches of the Urals. The further to the east, the more original their appearance was, reaching its apotheosis somewhere between the Urals and Baikal. Siberian churches are unforgettable. Their aspiration to the sky, the flaming silhouettes of roofs and platbands, small domes like candle lights - among the squat wooden cities, to which the taiga approached closely in the old days, they seemed like a frozen radiance.

Seven striking examples:
Trinity Cathedral in Verkhoturye (Sverdlovsk region) is not yet Siberian Baroque, but its prototype.
The Transfiguration Church in Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha (Sverdlovsk region) is the most western and most original example of the style.
Churches of Podgora (Tobolsk) - several mostly abandoned baroque churches look stunning among the wooden old town at the foot of the Kremlin mountain; but the Kremlin itself is still Moscow, and not Siberian, architecture.
The Resurrection Church in Tomsk is the most beautiful example of the style.
The churches of Irkutsk - among other things, are decorated with Buddhist (!) ornaments.
Odigitrievsky Cathedral in Ulan-Ude is the heart of the city, the easternmost example of the style and the first earthquake-resistant building in Russia.
The Assumption Church near Nerchinsk is more of a pattern, but almost in the Far East! The furthest Russian church from Moscow from the 18th century.

WOODEN MODERN

Time: late XIX- beginning of the 20th century. Place: the entire former Russian Empire.

And, in fact, not only modernism - and eclecticism, and echoes of classicism: in the half century before the revolution, Russian wooden architecture experienced a real renaissance. Moreover, if in pre-Petrine times wooden churches set the tone, in the 19th century the leadership passed to mansions. The most different: city houses, estates, dachas... Often - with wooden lace. As happened more than once in Russia, the legislators of this style were merchants and industrialists from among the freed peasants, and only then this fashion that came from the depths of Russia was adopted by the capital’s intellectuals. Huge areas-ensembles of carved wooden houses- one of the most unique attractions in Russia.

Seven striking examples:
Dachas of the early twentieth century in the vicinity of Moscow and especially St. Petersburg.
Wooden neighborhoods of Vologda, primarily Nizhny Posad and Zarechye.
Kozmodemyansk on the Volga - the most abundant and elegant carvings.
Soligalich on Kostroma is the most complete and authentic wooden old city, where even the shopping arcades are made of logs.
Wooden neighborhoods of Astrakhan, which is especially surprising if you remember that there is a desert around.
The wooden quarters of Tomsk, primarily the Tatarskaya Sloboda and Resurrection Mountain, are perhaps the best reserve of this style.
Wooden quarters of Irkutsk - together with Tomsk and Vologda, complete the “big three” of Russian wooden cities.

CONSTRUCTIVISM

Time: 1920-30s of the XX century. Place: all Soviet Union within pre-war borders

In any foreign textbook on the history of architecture, Soviet constructivism (aka “Soviet avant-garde”) is written with undisguised admiration. In popular science literature, it is he who, as a rule, represents Russia. Many people confuse constructivism with functionalism, but their difference is clear from the name: functionalism is functional, and avant-garde is like Mayakovsky’s poems: a challenge to the entire old world with its traditions and patterns. The early creations, such as Melnikov's house, are especially crazy. Many ideas, such as communal houses, turned out to be too radical and remained monuments to a failed dream. Here are the hyperboloids of engineer Shukhov, which appeared even before the revolution. The most ambitious projects, such as the Moscow Palace of Soviets and the Leningrad Tatlin Tower, remained on paper. By the 1930s, constructivism had lost its avant-garde style, its models began to look more and more like five-story buildings, and the “Father of Nations” appointed the Stalinist Empire style to replace it. Constructivism was conceived as an international style, but it turned out to be perhaps the most Russian: it embodied our eternal dream: to take and jump over several centuries.

Seven striking examples:
Many buildings and entire districts in Moscow are the birthplace of constructivism.
It’s the same in St. Petersburg-Leningrad: although it is not the birthplace of constructivism, this style has taken root there even better.
Shukhov hyperboloid towers in Moscow (Shabolovka), Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar and a dozen other cities - typical example“ahead of time” by about a hundred years.
Ivanovo is a real constructivist Klondike: in the 1920s and 30s, they tried to make a model workers’ city out of a conglomerate of textile settlements.
Yekaterinburg - the ensemble of Lenin Avenue, constructivism is almost a “single façade”.
Novosibirsk - ensemble of Krasny Prospekt, including masterpieces by Andrei Kryachkov.
Kharkov - although it remained outside of Russia, the real capital of constructivism is it. First of all, Gosprom is a masterpiece of this style.

NEO-CHAPTER STYLE

Time: end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century. Place: all of Russia and half of Kazakhstan.

In our age of globalization, it is easy to think that “national architecture” no longer exists: sparkling high-tech and stylizations of everything and everyone have filled the world from New York to Shanghai. If you should look for truly national architecture anywhere, it is away from big cities. In the Russian provinces, merchant architecture is experiencing a real renaissance, only the businessman has replaced the merchant. But - the same spirit, the same mood. Sometimes tacky, sometimes unprepossessing, but very cozy-looking buildings are rarely higher than several floors. Like the merchants of old, they build them in whatever way they please, without regard to history or neighbors, and in small towns, even “from the bottom of their hearts,” decorating them not as it is written in books, but as the memory of generations dictates. IN Lately many also remembered wooden architecture. Art critics, as a rule, do not notice these houses point-blank - but the tradition lives on!

Seven striking examples:
Barnaul and the cities of the Altai Territory - perhaps this style is here in its purest form.
Yoshkar-Ola, an inconspicuous city, has recently been filled with countless stylizations, prototypes - from Venice to Mari villages (Trinity Church).
Saransk is a natural “example” historical center late XX - beginning of the XXI century."
Nizhny Novgorod - Art Nouveau, which was revived here in the 1990s, is valued among art historians and is proudly called the “Nizhny Novgorod school of architecture.”
Ufa is an impressive fusion of merchant and non-merchant.
Vologda - like many Russian cities, it has lost a lot of old wooden houses... but it has become quite rich in new ones.
In fact, this can be found in every city, right up to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Ilya Buyanovsky
"Russian Seven"

Not only can these styles be called "Russian", but they can also be said to have influenced the international scene. A good opportunity to remember our architecture, perhaps update the school itself... and get rid of the complex of losers in architecture.

Wooden architecture of the Russian North

Time: from time immemorial - until the 19th century

Place: Russian North

Now no one will say where this architecture came from: tented churches that look like space rockets; huts-courtyards the size of half a five-story building; silvery aspen “scales” - ploughshares on roofs and domes. Something, of course, was forged by the harsh northern climate - at least the same courtyard houses, where everything, from housing to stables, was put under one roof for protection from snow and frost. They probably borrowed something from their neighbors in time immemorial: the Kletsky churches vaguely resemble the Varangian headquarters, and the Tatars are trying to challenge the invention of the tent. Be that as it may, all these types of buildings are more than a thousand years old, and for example, the first Sophia of Novgorod, cut down in the year of the Baptism of Rus', was a tented church. Generated by the land where they stand, its nature and history, these buildings are as natural as the surrounding groves, hills and rivers.

Seven striking examples

• The Kizhi churchyard and museum in Karelia is the most perfect (Preobrazhenskaya) and oldest surviving (Resurrection of Lazarus) wooden church in Russia.
• Kimzha and other villages of the Mezen River are the most complete and authentic wooden Rus'.
• Malye Korely near Arkhangelsk is the largest Russian museum of wooden architecture.
• The chapels of the Kenozersky National Park are the most convenient reserve of wooden antiquities for recreation and excursions.
• Sretensko-Mikhailovskaya Church on the site of the disappeared village of Krasnaya Lyaga is the most enchanted place.
• Varzuga and other villages of the Tersky coast in the Murmansk region are the northernmost old Russian villages.
• Nevsky Forest Park near St. Petersburg is a recreated church of the Vytegorsky churchyard, the largest and most complex of those that survived until the 20th century, but burned down in the 1960s.

Moscow Baroque and patterns

Time: XVII-XVIII centuries

Place: Central Russia, Russian North and Volga region

When you hear the phrase “Russian church,” you most often imagine examples of this particular style. These are neither gingerbread nor toy churches with magnificent forms, the inevitable white and red colors, fireworks of kokoshniks above the roof, multi-colored domes and elaborate crosses. In Moscow and surrounding cities in the middle of the 17th century, this style replaced the harsh, cold Byzantine architecture that had dominated since the times of Ancient Rus'. The earlier patterning is identified with mannerism, but it is not so easy to draw a line between it and the Moscow Baroque proper - one style gradually grew out of the other. Merchants were at their origins. They went to trade in Europe and saw new trends there... but they created something completely different. Most likely, they just wanted something new.

Seven striking examples:

• Trinity Church in Nikitniki (Moscow) is the very first example of the style.
• The Assumption Cathedral in the Ryazan Kremlin is the most impressive example of the style in size.
• The Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin is the largest patterned palace.
• The Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery in Moscow is the most complete ensemble of Russian Baroque.
• The Church of John the Baptist in Yaroslavl is the most bizarre example of the style, and besides, it is depicted on the 1000 ruble banknote.
• The Peter and Paul Cathedral in Kazan is the most perfect example of the style.
• Trinity Cathedral and other churches in Solikamsk (Perm region) are the best ensemble of this style far from Moscow.

"False Gothic"

Time: end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th century.

Place: outskirts of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

... Tired of the severity of classicism and the madness of Baroque, Europeans in the 18th century suddenly remembered Gothic, the first architectural style that they invented themselves, without regard to the Greeks and Romans. European cities, and in Russia, the estates of the most enlightened merchants and aristocrats were then decorated with numerous stylizations of that era. But the same thing happened as with the Baroque a century and a half earlier: Kazakov, Bazhenov, Felten, most likely without even noticing how, created a completely Russian architectural style, which is now called not even “neo-Gothic”, but “false Gothic”. In essence, this is just Russian Baroque successfully disguised as Gothic. It is also significant that the Old Believers, the guardians of Pre-Petrine Rus', to whom Catherine II granted a short-lived thaw in those years, built their churches in precisely this style, preferring it to “Latin” classicism.

Seven striking examples:

• The Tsaritsino estate in Moscow is the very first and largest ensemble in this style.
• Petrovsky Palace in Moscow is less famous than Tsaritsyno, but no less beautiful.
• The Nikolskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is the most famous example of the style, as it stands right on Red Square.
• Rogozhsky and Preobrazhensky monasteries in Moscow - the Old Believers fell in love with “false Gothic”.
• Chesme Church in St. Petersburg is the most beautiful church in this style.
• Novo-Nikolsky Cathedral in Mozhaisk is the largest church in this style.
• New Peterhof Station - and this, for comparison, is classical, not “false” neo-Gothic.

Siberian Baroque

Time: XVIII – early XIX centuries.

Place: Siberia

Russia also has its own Gothic style, and one must look for it in Siberia. In general, the “Moscow baroque” turned out to be not close to the merchants of the Russian North - the most businesslike and patriarchal - and they created a completely different style. Northern churches - white, thin and tall - resemble sailing ships. They were quite different from city to city, and the churches of Totma cannot be confused with the churches of Ustyug and Vyatka, and the churches of Vyatka with the churches of the Urals. The further to the east, the more original their appearance was, reaching its apotheosis somewhere between the Urals and Baikal. Siberian churches are unforgettable. Their aspiration to the sky, the flaming silhouettes of roofs and platbands, small domes like candle lights - among the squat wooden cities, to which the taiga approached closely in the old days, they seemed like a frozen radiance.

Seven striking examples:

• Trinity Cathedral in Verkhoturye (Sverdlovsk region) is not yet Siberian Baroque, but its prototype.
• The Transfiguration Church in Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha (Sverdlovsk region) is the most western and most original example of the style.
• Churches of Podgora (Tobolsk) – several mostly abandoned baroque churches look stunning among the wooden old town at the foot of the Kremlin mountain; but the Kremlin itself is still Moscow, and not Siberian, architecture.
• The Church of the Resurrection in Tomsk is the most beautiful example of the style.
• The churches of Irkutsk, among other things, are decorated with Buddhist (!) ornaments.
• Odigitrievsky Cathedral in Ulan-Ude is the heart of the city, the easternmost example of the style and the first earthquake-resistant building in Russia.
• The Assumption Church near Nerchinsk is more of a pattern, but almost in the Far East! The furthest Russian church from Moscow from the 18th century.

Wooden modern

Time: end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century.

Location: the entire former Russian Empire.

And, in fact, not only modernism - and eclecticism, and echoes of classicism: in the half century before the revolution, Russian wooden architecture experienced a real renaissance. Moreover, if in pre-Petrine times wooden churches set the tone, in the 19th century the leadership passed to mansions. The most different: city houses, estates, dachas... Often - with wooden lace. As happened more than once in Russia, the legislators of this style were merchants and industrialists from among the freed peasants, and only then this fashion that came from the depths of Russia was adopted by the capital’s intellectuals. Huge ensembles of carved wooden houses are one of the most unique attractions in Russia.

Seven striking examples:

• Dachas of the early twentieth century in the vicinity of Moscow and especially St. Petersburg.
• Wooden neighborhoods of Vologda, primarily Nizhny Posad and Zarechye.
• Kozmodemyansk on the Volga - the most abundant and elegant carvings.
• Soligalich on Kostroma is the most complete and authentic wooden old city, where even the shopping arcades are made of logs.
• Wooden neighborhoods of Astrakhan, which is especially surprising if you remember that there is a desert around.
• The wooden quarters of Tomsk, primarily Tatarskaya Sloboda and Resurrection Mountain, are perhaps the best reserve of this style.
• Wooden quarters of Irkutsk - together with Tomsk and Vologda, complete the “big three” of Russian wooden cities.

is an architectural style that was created on the territory of Russia from its inception to the present day.

Before the adoption of Christianity, wooden architecture mainly prevailed in Rus'. Wooden architecture developed over many centuries and fell into decline with the development of technological progress. The architecture embodied the tastes and preferences of the ancient Russian people.

The main difference between Russian architecture was in relation to the tree itself. Wood was used not only as construction material, but as material for art. The qualities of the tree were not hidden here, but emphasized.

The main characteristics of Russian wooden architecture can be placed into two criteria: mobility and uniqueness. All houses and fortresses were erected in such a way that, if necessary, they could be dismantled and moved to a new place, where they were rebuilt. And the uniqueness of architecture lay in the fact that, despite the apparent similarity of the buildings, each building was individual and unique.

IN ancient Rus' all buildings were built of wood - these were temples, fortresses and fortifications.
At the end of the 9th century, Russian architecture showed the influence of Byzantine architecture, which can be seen in the large churches erected. Although most of the churches built on the territory Kievan Rus were also made of wood, one of the first stone churches was built in Kyiv near the prince's tower as a cathedral.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

The largest building is considered to be the St. Sophia Cathedral, built in Kyiv in the 11th century. The cathedral was erected by builders from Constantinople, together with Kyiv craftsmen.

Russian architecture of the 12th-13th centuries is distinguished by the appearance of large buildings that responded to the demands of feudal fragmentation after the collapse of the Kyiv state. In this regard, various principalities tried to present themselves as the center of Rus', and therefore temples were erected that imitated the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the golden gates were erected.
Russian architecture of these centuries includes the development of architecture feudal principalities, which competed for primacy among themselves, for example, Vladimir-Suzdal and Novgorod-Pskov.

Thanks to the fact that masters worked not only in their cities, but also in neighboring principalities, architecture flourished rapidly. Churches of exceptional importance were created in Chernigov. The Church of Friday was one of the first to be erected.

Church of Friday

The building of the church was traditional - the base of the temple was a square with four pillars, the altar part was located in the asps of the facade. Innovations were introduced in the columns, which were without increasing entasis. The stepped form of dome arches was first introduced, which formed an elevated structure.

Basil's Church

The Church of Basil was erected in the 12th century and was close in structure to the Church of Friday. The facade of the church was decorated with pieces of polished stone and multi-colored majolica. Crosses were made from majolica and geometric figures. The dome of the church was covered with gilding and two towers were erected at the corners of the facade.
The development of church architecture was interrupted as a result of the Tatar-Mongol invasion.

Russian architecture of the 14th century is undergoing a period of restoration after the Mongol invasion.
In Novgorod and Pskov, churches and buildings made of stone began to be erected earlier than in other territories. Dozens of small temples were erected, which were richly decorated. Over a long period, the nature of developments in Novgorod and Pskov did not change. This is explained by the desire of the boyars to maintain sovereignty from Moscow.

This period is characterized by the development of Novgorod-Pskov and Moscow architectural styles. The Moscow school has a leading role, as Moscow is gradually acquiring the status of a capital. Buildings made of stone acquire leading importance.

Assumption Cathedral

On the territory of the wooden Kremlin, the first stone building was the Assumption Cathedral, the construction of which began at the beginning of the 13th century and was made of white stone. By the middle of the 13th century, the wooden walls of the Kremlin were replaced with stone ones, but the upper walls and towers remained wooden. The main purpose of such architecture was the military strengthening of Moscow.

These buildings were severely damaged during the invasion of Tokhtamysh, and only a hundred years later (in the 14th-15th centuries) was the final construction of the Moscow Kremlin, which has survived to this day.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

At the end of the 14th century, Pskov craftsmen erected a temple for Moscow rulers - the Annunciation Cathedral. Not far from the Annunciation Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral was built, which served as a tomb for the Moscow princes. The external wall decorations of the cathedral were made in the style of the palaces of Venice, but the entire structure of the cathedral was made in traditional Russian architecture.

At the same time, the Granite Chamber was built, the name it received from the edges that decorated the walls. The chamber was used as a throne room, and was made in the shape of a square whose walls rested on a constructed central pillar.

Russian architecture of the 15th-17th centuries is characterized by the emergence of new styles, such as hipped and pylon. Wood was used a lot during construction, but stone began to be used more often.
Buildings and temples were erected by both local craftsmen and invited Italian craftsmen.

Novodevichy Convent

Fortress structures were erected in Novgorod and Tula. In Moscow, the Kitay-Gorod wall was built and the Novodevichy Convent was erected, in the construction of which the styles of old schools were used.

Church of the Ascension

A striking example A new tent style was the construction of the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye. The church was erected in honor of the appearance of the new Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Unlike the established domed churches, tented churches did not have supports in their design. Inner space The temple was crowned with a tent. As time passed, such hipped vaults began to be built everywhere in Rus' - over mansions, huts and on grave crosses.

Stone has become increasingly used in architecture. And the next technological breakthrough was the use of red brick. Wooden fastenings gradually began to be replaced with metal ones, and lifting mechanisms were used for work.

St Basil's Church

For the first time, red brick was used for the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral, but the foundation, pedestal, and decorative elements were made classically of white stone. The architects put special effort into the decorative decoration of the cathedral. The temple amazes with its complex design and colorful tents.

In connection with the fall of Byzantium, in Rus' they are actively building a large number of churches and monasteries, so that Russia becomes a Christian stronghold for Orthodox people.

By the middle of the 16th century, non-church buildings, such as the famous Oprichnaya Dvor and Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda, were actively being constructed in Moscow.

Alexandrovskaya Sloboda

Distinctive features of local architecture are noticeable exclusively in Novgorod and Pskov. In the 16th century, Novgorod served as a defensive bastion in the northwestern territory of the country and therefore fortification construction was carried out there. The Kremlin in Novgorod, rebuilt in stone, acquired the features of Moscow. By the end of the 16th century, the architecture of secular buildings began to change and take on the characteristic features of the Moscow style.

In Pskov, during the 16th century, the personal Pskov school of architecture flourished. Being the citadel of Russia in the west, in the 16th century all the fortifications and defensive structures of Pskov were radically rebuilt from stone. And only later, five-domed churches and other architectural solutions that are characteristic of Moscow architecture began to appear on the territory of Pskov.

Russian architecture of the 17th century began to take on a more secular character. Buildings began to be actively decorated with tiles and platbands.

Tent churches, such as the Assumption Church, also continue to be erected.

Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary

Later, tent structures began to be decorative rather than structural. The last tented church that was built on the territory of Russia is the Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary. During this period, church authorities recognized some doctrines as incorrect and the construction of tented churches became strictly prohibited. From now on, only five-domed churches with domes should be built.

There was also a shift in secular architecture. Now stone structures began to be built not only for the king, but also for boyars and merchants. The kings, on the contrary, began to give preference to wooden architecture. A striking creation of wooden architecture was the royal palace erected in Kolomenskoye, which, unfortunately, has not reached us, but was reproduced from surviving records and clearly characterizes the architecture of this era.

At the end of the 17th century, it began to be used in the construction of churches and temples. a new style, which was named after the customer - Naryshkinsky. This style is characterized by a combination of white and red colors to decorate facades and the number of floors of buildings. Vivid examples are the buildings in Sergiev Posad, the Church of the Intercession.

Church of the Intercession

With the increase in the country's territory and the end of the Tatar raids, most monasteries and fortresses lost their defensive functions. It was because of this that construction was completed with bright decorations. Now architects gave preference to decorative qualities rather than defensive ones.

Residential and administrative buildings began to be built with two or three floors. The foundation of the building was stone, and the upper floor or the entire building was preferred to be made of wood.

After the country emerged from the turmoil, Russian architecture was filled with pomp and decorative features. A striking example is the decoration of the Moscow Kremlin with tents and the decoration of the walls of the Intercession Cathedral with picturesque ornaments. In the 30s of the 17th century, the Terem Palace was built with three floors, which had a stepped structure. Initially, the walls of the palace were decorated with paintings, and the upper floor was decorated with tiles.

Russian architecture of the 18th century is characterized by the emergence of such trends as Baroque, Rococo and Classicism.
At the beginning of the 18th century, architectural changes were associated with Peter I. In architecture, the main development was the development and improvement of the appearance of cities. Theaters and embankments were built, hospitals, schools and hospitals, and orphanages were being built. Instead of wooden material, brick is actively used, but brick remained unavailable for provincial territories for a long time.

It was Peter I who created the first commission that regulated architectural projects; it later became the main state design body. Great attention is paid appearance cities as a whole - buildings are starting to be built with street facades, buildings are being thinned out for fire safety purposes, the streets are being improved. The influence of Europe is felt in all architectural solutions and soon Russia reaches the European level in urban planning.

A significant architectural event was the beginning of the construction of St. Petersburg, from which the architectural transformations of other cities began. The northern capital was built in a mixture of Baroque style and native Russian trends. The result was majestic palaces and temples, institutions state power in a style called Russian Baroque.

After the death of Peter I, Rococo trends began to appear in architecture, and this can be clearly seen in the interiors of the premises.

At the end of the 18th century, an architectural style appeared, which was later called Russian classicism. This style is characterized by strict antique forms and rational designs.

By the beginning of the 19th century, the style of classicism ceased to satisfy aesthetic needs and was replaced by the empire style. This style is characterized by enlarged forms; builders are beginning to abandon small parts and are actively used in the decoration of buildings.

Mikhailovsky Palace

Vivid examples of the Empire style were the Mikhailovsky Palace, the Kazan Cathedral and many other buildings and ensembles in St. Petersburg.

Moscow, damaged by fire in the 19th century, was rebuilt in the Empire and Classicist directions under the leadership of a state commission headed by Beauvais, the successor of the Empire style. During this period, the ensemble of Manezhnaya Square was built.

The end of the 19th century was marked by the arrival pseudo-Russian style, which was caused by interest in Russian architecture and architecture of the 14th-17th centuries. A striking example of this style is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the large Kremlin Palace, which were decorated in the traditions of ancient Russian architecture (carved platbands, double arches).

Grand Kremlin Palace

Russian architecture of the 20th century is reflected in the dominant architectural styles - modern, eclectic and others. The Art Nouveau style is quickly gaining dominance. The most famous work in the Art Nouveau style is a mansion on Malo Nikitskaya, which was based on the contrast of tectonics.