7. Ансамбль Смольного.

Smolny is listed by The United Nations Organization as one of the most remarkable architectural ensembles in Europe. On the site of the complex there was a tar yard as it was a remote place. Tar was used for shipbuilding. The name was derived from Russian “smola” that in English means tar.

It was an Elizabeth idea to found a convent (nunnery) here. Elisabeth thought she would retire one day and would be mother-superior in this convent. But she died. Elizabeth summoned Rastrelli to build it. The construction of the nunnery was started in 1748. Unlike ancient Russian monasteries, this building was regular and symmetrical. Rastrelli created the edifice, which was admired by contemporaries and gave rise to a number of legends. One of them says that Giacomo Quarenghi, who later built Smolny Institute, used to take off his hat every time, he passed it. But Rastrelli didn’t finish the convent.

The nunnery came down to history as Catherine II favorite. In 1764 she turned it into a boarding school for girls of noble origin. The cathedral stood unfinished for 80 years. The style of Baroque, in which it was constructed, became out of fashion. The cathedral interiors were completed in the style of late Classicism in 1832-1835 by Stasov, who tried to adhere to the original design. And in 1835 it was consecrated as Resurrection Cathedral. It became the main cathedral of higher educational establishments in St. Petersburg. One time its premises were occupied both by widows dormitories and by school classes. The school was extremely popular. It was the only one of this kind and very good. Classes were basically in French, but they were taught other modern languages, chemistry, mathematics, physics etc. Girls received a good education, but they were also taught how to sing, dance and take care of the future household. After graduation they were not only very educated pretty girls but also they were very marriageable. They also were taught how to socialize and behave in the high society. They have balls, where they met young men and if a girl danced twice with one young man she was reprimand. So the extension was necessary. In the beginning of the 19th century Smolny Institute building was commissioned from Quarenghi. They say, that Quarenghi came to Rastrelli’s buildings to get a necessary inspiration. And after this he created the edifice as magnificent as Rastrelli’s one. He built it to the south of the Cathedral in Classical Style. But it’s still in harmony with the Baroque of Smolny Nunnery. So it took the collective genius of three architects to construct an architectural ensemble, which is one of the finest in the world. But this complex is of historical interest not only as an architectural monument, but also as a major center of political activities. In 1917 after Nicolas II had signed abdication, there was the disturbance in the city. Because of it the girls left the school. The building stood vacant till August of 1917. Then Petrograd Soviet moved in it from Tauride palace. Smolny Institute became the Headquarter of the October uprising. In fact there was a military committee set up by the government to defend the city from the approaching German troops. But the Bolsheviks made it a revolutionary committee, which was responsible for the preparation of the October uprising. After the Winter Palace had been taken by storm and the provisional government was arrested the Second All Russia Congress was convened and Lenin proclaimed 3 decrees: on piece, land and power. Decree on land. From that time we have no private property on land. Land in our country is state monopoly. They promised peasants the land but land was never theirs. Decree on power. It materialized in the form of the first Soviet State. Soviets mean councils. The first soviets were strike committees, when workers of the textile industry delegated their best representatives to defend their rights. Those people were given the power, which they gradually began to use not for benefits of those who elected them. Decree of peace, which began entirely new policy that is peaceful coexistence with all other countries in the world regardless of their political systems. The popular slogan was “From everyone according to their possibilities to everyone according to their demands” Smolny Institute was a sit of the First Soviet Government till March 1918. Then it housed the Leningrad regional and city party committees. In 1985 Gorbachev officially proclaimed Perestroika here. The rooms where Lenin lived and worked during the Revolution can be viewed by appointment. Now it accommodates the City Executive authorities. All kinds of offices occupy the building. The cathedral is used as a concert and exhibition hall. The imperial eagle has replaced the hammer and sickle on the pediment, but the statue of Lenin outside has survived from 1927. On Friday admittance to the complex is free. On other days tours are also arranged, but you should book it advance. The buildings, surrounding the Smolny are all post war buildings. They were built at 50ths. There are office buildings, administrative buildings and government buildings. That is because the Nazy Germans bombed the area around Smolny and practically all buildings were destroyed.