St. Petersburg has become a platform for the creativity of many famous architects. Even Peter I began the tradition of inviting European masters who created projects of the main attractions of the northern capital.
Nowadays in St. Petersburg it is impossible to single out any one style. Baroque, classicism and Soviet modernism are mixed here. Each building has its own unique architecture. We have identified several interesting styles that can be found in the historical part of the city.
Baroque
Popular in Europe at that time, Baroque began to be introduced in Peter's Russia, diluting Russian traditional motifs.
The Baroque is characterized by volume and space, vertical elements. The first buildings were built according to the project of Rastrelli, Leblon and Trezzini.
In Russia, the Baroque style has adapted to the preferences of the rulers. So, under Peter I, all the pretentious elements were removed from the Baroque, and made it more modest.
Examples of Peter's Baroque are the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Summer Palace.
Elizabethan Baroque is already distinguished by brightness and luxury, turning into rococo. The Winter Palace, Smolny Cathedral, Peterhof and Catherine Palace were built in this style.
Classicism
This style became popular in St. Petersburg in parallel with the Baroque, but its heyday fell during the reign of Catherine II. Architects added sculptures and antique elements to their projects, which looked very unusual in Russia at that time.
Classicism underwent changes, but for many decades it occupied a leading position among other architectural styles. Examples include the Mikhailovsky and Tauride Palaces.
Nikolsky Dvor, where the Theatre Square Hotel is located, has also adopted the features of classicism. You can book a room in the historic building on the official website of the hotel.
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire is the successor of classicism, but reflected the national features of the Russian Empire and its military victories.
The Empire style was based on the features of classicism, but it was diluted with military-themed decor and antique elements.
The arch of the General Staff and the Admiralty were built in the Empire style.
The popularity of the Russian Empire decreased along with the increase of instability in society. It was increasingly difficult for the authorities to sell the significance of military victories to the people. The country was getting on the rails of democratization, and the abolition of serfdom only accelerated it.
Soviet styles
The revolution and the rise to power of the Bolsheviks significantly influenced architectural decisions in St. Petersburg.
Starting with the renaming of the city itself to Leningrad, the Soviet authorities abandoned pretentiousness and bourgeois luxury in favor of practicality and functionality.
The first style was constructivism, which is characterized by economy in the decoration of external facades. Stalin's neoclassicism reflected the cult of the leader's personality.
After Stalin's death, Leningrad did not escape the fate of changes, and planned construction appeared in the city. The fashion for the construction of monotonous houses was replaced by Soviet modernism. And in its place came the modern style and the renaming of the city back to St. Petersburg.
Where is the best place to rent a hotel in St. Petersburg? Choose the historical center of the city to look at buildings with different architectural styles from the room window.
