46. Памятник Екатерине II – отражение эпохи/Monument to Catherine II – the mirror of the epoch, 1862-1873

Authors: architects - C.I.Rossi (1820-1830s), I.Grimm, V.A.Schreter (1862-1873), painter – M.O.Mikeshin (1862-1873), sculptors – M.A.Chizhov and A.M.Opekushin

Address: ploshchad’ Ostrovskogo

The oritiinal design of the Monumeni to Catherine II was quite different from ihe one realized later on. Artisl M. Mikeshin depictured Catherine II as a charming woman with a natural grace holding a wreath and a lyre (the symbols of glory and art) in her hands. A four-side pedestal was planned to be adorned with medallions of the portraits of commanders Л. Suvorov. P. Rumyamscv. G. Potyomkin. and poci G. Der/havin.

The model was molded in bronze and look part in the World Hxhibiiion in London where ii was marked with a medal for a high technical quality. Alexander II liked the Monumeni and ordered lo place it in ihe garden in Tsarskoye Selo in 1862 to the anniversary of Catherine the Great's accession the throne. In 1863 Governor-General of Saint-Petersburg Prince A. Kuiuzov (the grandson of a famous commander) made an application to the Emperor ю erect the Monumeni to Catherine the Great in ihe city in front of the Alcxandrinskiy Theatre.

In June 1863 M. Mikeshin created a new design of the Monumeni. The height was increased to 15 in: the form of the pedestal was also changed - the artist planned to make it round. M. Mikeshin desired to decorate the pedestal with the statues of Catherine's associates. The project was discussed in the Academy of Arts and was radically changed. Thus the Monument couid not be more than 10.5 m high, the pedestal should be four-side and the number of associated was increased: commanders A. Orlov and V. Chichyagov. statesman A. Bezborodko, and Ye. Dashkova - the first Russia woman-academician.

The grand foundation-laying Look place on 24 November 1869, the Day of Si Catherine. The box with gold and copper coins and medals was pin in the foundation. Before the statues were moulded they were thoroughly examined by Alexander II himself. According to the Hmperor's advice the titles of Catherine's associates were to be engraved on the Monument. Copper details of the Monumeni had been casting since June 1872 to May 1873 (about 50 tonnes were spent). On 24 November 1873 the Monumeni to Catherine ihe Great (sculptors - M. Chi/.ho\ and A. Opckushin) was ceremonially unveiled in the centre of the square in from of the Alexandrin^ktv Theatre.

47. Воскресенская Церковь («Спас-на-Крови»)/The Church of Christ’s Resurrection (“The Savior on Blood”), 1883-1907

Authors: architects – A.A.Parland and I.V.Makarov (1883-1907), mosaics by A.A>Frolov (1883-1907), painters – V.M.Vasnetsov,M.V.Nesterov, A.P.Ryabushkin, N.A.Bruni, V.YeSavinskiy, etc (1883-1907)

Address: Naberezhnaya kanala Griboedova, 2b

On 1 March 1881, on the eve of the publication of the decree by which ihe constitutional government would have been established in Russia, Kmpcror Alexander II was killed by Ignatiy Grinevitskiy, the member of the terrorist organization - ihe People's Will (Narodnoya Volya) on ihe Catherine Canal (Griboyedov Canal originally River Krivusha ). The Rmperor died in Ihe Winter Palace from blood loss"¹" within hours. Alexander 111. son of the late Emperor, ordered to erect a church on the spot where his father was assassinated. On 27 April 1881 the Committee for the Immortalization of the memory of Alexander II announced the competition for the design of the church that should be buill in the purely Russian style of 17¹'¹ cent. The project finally approved belonged to architect A. Parland.The original plan of ihe church in the form of the five open petals of an immortelle, as well as the name were suggested by Abboi of the Triniiy-Si Scrgius Monastery - Archimandrite Ignatius (Ignatiy Malyshev). On 1 May 1X87 the final version of ihe design (with some adjustments requested by the Bmperor) was approved. The ceremonial foundation of the church took place on 6 October 1 8S3.The design suggested by A. Parland and Father Ignatius invoked certain techniques used in the architecture and ornamentation of the Si Basil's Church in Moscow which was considered to be a unique symbol of nationality at lhal lime. Though contemporaries viewed the edifice reminiscent of ihc Moscow and Yaroslavl' Churches of 16^th - I7^lh cent, the Church was built in the Neo-Russian St\le that first emerged in 1830s. The location of the Church on ihe very edge of the embankment was explained by the requirement to incorporate the spot on which the terrorist attack had taken place into the church premises. To prevent the ground water and ihe water of ihc Catherine Canal from penetrating the edifice it was sealed with a layer of clay.The Church on ihe Spilled Blood is 81 m high and has an area of 1,642.35 square metres. The building lacks symmetry and has two porches instead of one central entrance. The square body of the Church is crowned with 5 cupolas: the central one placed atop a pointed roof is surrounded by four onion-shaped domes (covered wilh gilded or enameled sheets of brass (the enamel covers an area of 1.000 square metres!)). On the west side a two-storey column-like bell tower is located crowned with a gold cupola. The area around the base of the Church is clad wilh a grey Serdobol granite, the facade is decorated with a dark red granite, while the walls are faced wilh a red-brown Sicrgersdorf brick that enhances a harmonious combination of carved marble columns, colourful patterns of porcelain and ceramic bricks, and mosaic ornamentations of the tympanums. The mosaics cover over 400 square metres depicting religious subjects and coats-of-arms of Russian towns and provincesA magnificent interior decor of the Church boasls marble tiles of the floor (the work oi' Italian masters covers the area of 698 square metres!). The iconostasis which stands in front of the main altar is decorated with a Genoese marble and crowned wilh topaz crucifixes on gilded bronze mounts. In the western pan of the Church one can see a special canopy (to the design by A. Part and. installed in July 1907) marking the spot of the tragedy - seven steps below floor-level, the part of the street and railings of the Catherine Canal stained with blood are demonstrated. The vault of the canopy is decorated with a Bokhara azure, a Siberian agate, jasper and topaz cut in [he form of stars. The main decor of the interior is the mosaics (covers 6.560 square metres) created by the mosaicisls from the Academy of Arts (to the design by the group of 25 artists). According to Parland's idea V. Vasnetsov would have been the author of all mosaics of the Church. The artist however being busy with other projects accomplished only two sketches - The Savior and The Mother of God and the Child for the iconostasis. and five mosaics on the outer walls - The Bearing of the Cross. The Crucifixion, The Descent from the Cross. The Descent into Limbo and The Seraph. Another artist chosen by the architect was A. Ryabushkin who executed 17 mosaics for the interior decor of the Church and produced 7 sketches for the outer walls. The major work was accomplished bv N. Kharlamov who created 42 of the mosaics inside the Church, the largest one being placed on the roof of the central dome - Christ the Pantocrator. An outstanding Russian artist M. Nesterov also designed a number of mosaics for the Church.In 1903 - 1907 magnificent railings of the Michael Garden from the direction of the Catherine Canal were constructed to the design by A. Parland. The Church on the Spilled Blood was closed on 30 October 1930, fora number of years being used as a warehouse of the Maiy Theatre of Opera and Ballet. During the siege the missile fell on the roof without explosion and was successfully defused by the team of sappers. In 1970 the Church on the Spilled Blood became the pan of the Slate Museum "St Isaac's Cathedral".