Art Nouveau is an international
style of art, architecture and
applied arts, especially the
decorative arts, that was most popular between 1893 and 1910. In the
Russian language it is called Art Nouveau or Modern (in Cyrillic: Ар-нувo, Моде́рн).
Some Russian Art Nouveau buildings were built on territories that were part of Germany and the Grand Duchy of Finland during the Art Nouveau period and were ceded to the
Soviet Union after
World War II. Russian architects also worked on the development of
Harbin in
China after 1898, which explains the presence of Art Nouveau architecture there.
Saint Petersburg
The first Art Nouveau building in Russia was built in Saint Petersburg in 1898.[nb 1] It was Hauswald summer house built by Vladimir Chagin and Vasily (Wilhelm) Schoene.
As Saint Petersburg was situated close to the border with
Grand Duchy of Finland, there was a strong influence of its
National Romantic style on Art Nouveau Architecture in Saint Petersburg. This style is called "Severny modern" in Russia (in Cyrillic: Северный модерн) meaning "Northern Art Nouveau". But European movements influenced local architecture as well.
Notable examples
Seven Saint Petersburg buildings[nb 2] are sometimes considered as notable examples of Art Nouveau,[2] all by different architects:
Many Russian Orthodox churches constructed in the Art Nouveau period are primarily examples of
Russian Revival architecture, though they often include some modern elements. In Saint Petersburg these are:
The
Old Believers Church of Our Lady of the Sign[8] by Dmitry Kryzanowski (1906–1907),
The Church of Peter the Metropolitan[9] by Andrey Aplaksin (1907).
Church of Our Lady of the Sign by Dmitry Kryzanowski (1906–1907)
The Church of Peter the Metropolitan by Andrey Aplaksin (1907)
Moscow
Lev Kekushev
One of first Art Nouveau buildings in Moscow was the
List House (1898–99) by
Lev Kekushev. Kekushev was acquainted with
Victor Horta, the initiator of Art Nouveau movement, and the house shows the natural curving forms, open interiors and floral designs of Horta. Kekushev's buildings are notable for his skilful use of ceramic and iron ornaments. His buildings also have a signature feature: a ceramic depiction on the facade or a sculpture of a lion, or 'Lev', after his first name.
Prominent buildings by Lev Kekushev in Art Nouveau style include:
Lev Kekushev also took part in the construction of the
Hotel Metropol Moscow. In 1898–1899, he won the first prize in the open contest, but the commissioner of the project
Savva Morozov discarded the decision of a professional jury and awarded the prize to
William Walcot. However, the owners retained Kekushev as an overall project manager. Kekushev's assistance was probably crucial to the final realization of the complex structure.[10]
Another influential master of Russian Art Nouveau who worked in Moscow was
Franz (Fyodor) Schechtel. Starting his career with
Neo-Gothic buildings and finishing career with
Neoclassical ones, he built his best-known masterpieces in Art Nouveau style. In 1901 he was commissioned to build the pavilion of Russia at
Glasgow Exhibition. There he gained international recognition and got to know
Charles Rennie Mackintosh who influenced Schechtel's art. Another influence was
Joseph Maria Olbrich, the founder of the
Darmstadt Artists' Colony, whose Ludwig Habich House was an inspiration for the
Gorky Museum (1900–1903).[11] His other works in Moscow included:[12]
The influence of Nordic
National Romantic style was weaker in Moscow than in Saint Petersburg. Buildings with National Romantic influence in Moscow are:
Lomakina Apartments and Tsirkunov Heirs Apartments by Vitaly Maslennikov,
Kalinovskaya Apartments by Ernst Richard Nirnsee with ceramics of Alexander Golovin,
After the restriction to build
Old Believers churches was withdrawn in 1905, construction of numerous
Old Believers churches was started. Along with two churches listed above, some of them shared both
Russian Revival and Art Nouveau characteristics:
Holy Virgin Protection Church by Vladimir Adamovich and Vladimir Mayat (1907–1911),
Belfry Church of Resurrection by Fyodor Gornostaev (1910),
Saint Nicholas Church by Anton Gurzhienko (1914–1921),
Sergey Malyutin, an artist of
Mir iskusstva movement, who after leaving Talashkino colony stood behind Pertsova House (also known as Pertsov House, 1905–1907)
Bas-reliefs at facade of Trinity Church Apartments
Art Nouveau and Russian Revival style outside Saint Petersburg and Moscow
Art colonies
Art Nouveau in Russia was promoted not only by single architects but also by art colonies who worked in the
Russian Revival style. The two best-known colonies were situated in
Abramtsevo, funded by
Savva Mamontov, and
Talashkino, funded by
Princess Maria Tenisheva. They mostly dealt with interior and ceramics but also left architecture monuments:
Teremok House in Talashkino by
Sergey Malyutin (1901–1902) who later developed a project of Pertsova House in Moscow (see above).
Some researches include Church of the Holy Mandylion in Abramtsevo in the list of Art Nouveau buildings,[14] but it was built in 1881–1891, before the inception of Art Nouveau movement.
Other Orthodox churches
Most Art Nouveau churches in Russia are also considered
Russian Revival. Along with the already described examples, some notable exampled include:
Church of the Holy Trinity in Bekhovo,
Tula Oblast by famous artist
Vasily Polenov who acted as the architect for the church in his own estate (1904–1906),
Seraphimo-Znamenskiy Skit in Bityagovo,
Moscow Oblast by Leonid Stezhensky (1912),
Resurrection cathedral in
Tver by Nikolay Omelyusty (1912–1913),
Church of the Holy Mandylion in Klyazma,
Pushkino,
Moscow Oblast by Sergei Vashkov and Vasily Motylyov (1913–1916).
Wood carving is also a distinctive feature of the Russian Revival style and has become a feature of Russian Art Nouveau wooden houses. Houses with wood carvings can be found not only in
Central Russia but also in
Ural (
Kungur and
Kurgan) and
Siberia (
Tomsk and
Tyumen).
^Some researchers (e.g. Boris Kirikov) note that the first Art Nouveau building in Russia was the estate of Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich in
Tsarskoye Selo that was built in 1896–1897Kirikov, Boris (2014). Architecture of Art Nouveau in Saint Petersburg. Estates and Tenement Houses (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Kolo. pp. 15–27.
ISBN978-5-4462-0044-3.
^One masterpiece is the interior of Grand Hotel Europe rather than a building itself
References
^
ab[1] Lecture on Art Nouveau of Alexander Ivanov (in Russian)
^[2] List of Art Nouveau objects in Saint Petersburg – Art Nouveau World
^Kirikov, Boris (2017). Architecture of Art Nouveau in Saint Petersburg. Public buildings. Book 2 (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Kolo. pp. 353–370.
ISBN978-5-4462-0083-2.
^Vityzeva V.A. Saint Petersburg Mosque — a monument of National Romanticism in Saint Petersburg // History of Saint Petersburg. — SPb., 2002. — № 1. (in Russian)
^[4] Saint Petersburg Mosque — Citywalls.ru (An architecture website of Saint Petersburg, in Russian)
^Kirikov, Boris (2017). Architecture of Art Nouveau in Saint Petersburg. Public buildings. Book 2 (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Kolo. pp. 485–514.
ISBN978-5-4462-0083-2.
^Kirikov, Boris (2017). Architecture of Art Nouveau in Saint Petersburg. Public buildings. Book 2 (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Kolo. pp. 405–420.
ISBN978-5-4462-0083-2.
^Kirikov, Boris (2017). Architecture of Art Nouveau in Saint Petersburg. Public buildings. Book 2 (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Kolo. pp. 431–454.
ISBN978-5-4462-0083-2.