Reveal

Petersburg: Neo-Gothic

For Browsing

Pointed arches, tall slender turrets, wrought iron spires, tall windows, stained glass – all of this is the mysterious and majestic Gothic style. In the mid-18th century, after a prolonged period dominated by Classicism, Europe suddenly made a sharp turn toward Romanticism. Gothic castles and cathedrals of the 12th-13th centuries abruptly became models to emulate in construction, although not long before they had been considered old-fashioned and tasteless. At the end of the 19th century, during the Art Nouveau era in Russia, pseudo-Gothic buildings experienced a revival. Architects and patrons of the Russian Empire noticed new trends, but the country had no native historical Gothic architecture. Therefore, Russian and foreign architects working in St. Petersburg began borrowing features of medieval European Gothic architecture. Initially, individual elements were used, and then entire majestic carved facades were created. It was during these years that the buildings of the famous architect Yuri Felten, a student of the great Rastrelli, appeared. He was able to combine Gothic features of European architecture with traditional Russian elements in construction. This is how Russian Gothic, or pseudo-Gothic, came into being.

Jermaine Jermaine

Map