St. Petersburg As Imperial Tragedy

SLIDE DETAILS -- 4/7/2002

[Not for Publication]

[Note 1: All the paintings are oil on canvas unless otherwise specified. At times, this was specified to avoid confusion, especially where an artist is represented by different media.]

[Note 2: Images from the Internet often have little or no details of provenance, context or other reference point. Of course, sometimes quite the contrary is the case. But the latter is more likely to be the norm. In such cases, images were nevertheless selected if their significance warranted inclusion.]

Slide 1. Title Page of Presentation.

Slide 2. Part I: Maps of Russia.

Slides 3-8. Maps of Russia and St. Petersburg.

Slide 9. Part II: Coat of Arms.

Slide 10. Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire:

The Two-headed Eagle serves as the Russian Coat of Arms since 15th century, when it was borrowed by Tsar Ivan the III from Bysanthy. The original color was black, as one can still see it on the Albanian State Flag. With the expansion of the Russian Empire the Eagle was decorated with shields of conquered countries and regions. After the Socialist Revolution in 1917 such a coat was abandoned. Since 1991, when Russia restored its independence, a number of attempts to adopt the official coat of arms were undertaken. In 1994 Russian Duma approved the coat featuring the Two-headed Eagle as the official one. The shield of St.George The Victor serves as the Moscow city shield since 15th century even without interruption and is added to the coat of arms as a symbol of the capital.

Slide 11. Part III: Architectural Monuments.

Slide 12. Zayachy Island with Peter and Paul Fortress. Building of fort began in 1703.

When Peter the Great re-conquered the lands along the Neva River in 1703, he decided to build a fort to protect the area from possible attack by the Swedish army and navy. The fortress was founded on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27,═1703 (May 16 according to the old calendar) and that day became the birthday of the city of St Petersburg. The Swedes were defeated before the fortress was even completed. For that reason, from 1721 the fortress housed part of the city’s garrison and rather notoriously served as a high security political jail. Among the first inmates was Peter’s own rebellious son Alexei. Later, the list of famous residents included Dostoyevsky, Gorky, Trotsky and Lenin’s older brother, Alexander. Parts of the former jail are now open to the public... In the middle of the fortress there is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a church where all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Alexander III are buried. The Cathedral was the first church in the city to be built of stone (in 1712-33). The design of the cathedral is most unusual for a Russian Orthodox church. On top of the gilded spire is an angel holding a cross. This weather-vane is one of the most prominent symbols of St Petersburg. At 404 feet, the cathedral is the highest building in the city.

Slide 13. Winter Palace (Hermitage). Architect: Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Built 1754-1762:

From the 1760s the Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps the major attraction of St. Petersburg. Many visitors also know it as the main building of the Hermitage Museum. The green-and-white three-storey palace is truly impressive: it has 1786 doors, 1945 windows and 1057 halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public. The Baroque Winter Palace was built in 1754-62 for Empress Elisabeth, daughter of Peter the Great. By the time it was completed Elisabeth had already died, and only Catherine the Great and her successors could enjoy their new home. Many of the impressive interiors have been remodeled since then, particularly after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the palace. Nowadays the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world. The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin. Nowadays, the Hermitage has about 2.7 million exhibits and displays a full range of world art from Ancient Egypt to early 20th century Europe. It includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, unique collections of Rembrandt, Rubens, French Impressionists (Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet, Pissarro), plus Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and sculptures by Rodin. The collection is huge and very exciting. They say that "you can be absorbed for days in its treasures and still come out wishing for more". It has been calculated that if you decide to spend only one minute in front of each exhibit, you will have to stay in the Hermitage for 11 years.

Slide 14. Palace Square:

This square is considered to be the main square of the city and serves as a good example of how different styles can be combined in the most elaborate way. On the northern side of the square stands the picturesque Baroque Winter Palace (built in 1754-62). Across the square, on the southern side, there is a classical yellow-and-white building of the former Imperial Army General Staff (built in 1819-29 by Carlo Rossi). This building encircles the Southern side of the square and through its central arch, designed as a Triumphal Arch of the Classical World, one can get to Nevsky Prospekt. On the eastern side a building of the former Royal Guards' General Staff tastefully closes the panorama of Palace Square, while on the West the square borders with the Admiralty and the Admiralty Garden. With the guided spire of the Admiralty and the dome of St. Isaac’s clearly seen from here, the view westwards across the stone-clad expanse of the Palace Square is quite breathtaking. In the middle of the square the Alexander Column creates an important focal point for this great architectural ensemble.

Slides 15-22. Russian Museum (Mikhailovsky Palace) . Architect: Rossi. 1819-1825:

The State Russian Museum (once the Mikhail Palace, built for Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, youngest brother of Alexander I) typifies the pure classical style of its architect, Carlo Rossi. This beautifully proportioned classical mode, enlivened by pilasters and sculptural decoration, emerged in the late eighteenth century, providing a handsome contrast for the earlier splendor of the Russian Baroque style seen in the Winter Palace, the Smolny Convent, and the Stroganov Palace. Classicism continued to characterize St. Petersburg's finest structures in the first three decades of the nineteenth century, when the Mikhail Palace was constructed. Carlo Rossi designed a square in front of the palace, and a new street leading to Nevsky Prospekt gave an excellent view of his just-completed ensemble. Carlo Rossi was the most renowned exponent of classicism in Russia. Rossi's mother was a famous Italian ballerina who made her name in St. Petersburg. The architect grew up in the city and was intimately familiar with its flavor and potential. St. Petersburg as it appears today is still largely the product of his creation, his design noticeable in the perspectives established by his buildings as much as in the streets and squares surrounding them. Indeed, Rossi has been called a master of ensemble design, for if commissioned to plan a building, he would also prepare drawings for its immediate environs -- a square, statuary, etc.

Slide 23. Alexandrisky Theater. Architect: Carlo Rossi. Built in 1756:

The Alexandrinsky Theater (formerly Imperial Opera and Ballet Theater) was founded in 1756 when Tsarina Elisabeth I (the daughter of Peter the Great) commissioned the architect Carlo Rossi to construct a Court institution with the purpose of maintaining the noble and dazzling atmosphere of the Russian Royal Court. Now known as the Pushkin Theater.

Slide 24. Paul and Peter Fortress. See slide 12.

Slide 25. St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Architect: Auguste Monferrand. Built 1818-1858:

The present version of St. Isaac's, the fourth, was constructed from 1818 to 1858. Everything was done on a grand scale. The portico columns, cut from red granite, are seventeen meters high; the mosaic inside has twelve thousand shades and colors; the walls are five meters thick; the cupola is coated with one hundred kilos of gold; and the whole thing weighs three hundred thousand tons. Inside there are hordes of paintings, sculptures, and mosaics by 19th century Russian and European masters, including a huge fresco on the inside of the cupola by Karl Bryullov and a bust of Montferrand made of different colored marbles and other minerals. Also of note are the intricately sculpted bronze doors, the white marble central iconostasis with its columns of malachite and lazurite, and the huge stained-glass Jesus in Catholic colors (Orthodoxy has Christ wearing blue). A series of documents, plans, engravings, and models serves as an exhibition of the building of the cathedral.

Slide 26. View from the Neva River. Details unavailable.

Slide 27. Kazan Cathedral. Architect: Andrei Voronikhin. Built 1801-1811:

On Nevsky Prospekt there's a building that immediately attracts your attention. Kazan Cathedral encircles a small square with a double row of beautiful columns - an impressive colonnade. The architect Andrei Voronikhin, who built this church in 1801-1811, was greatly inspired by Basilica of St Peter's in Rome. Kazan Cathedral was meant to be a Russian version of St Peter's and the main church of Russia. After the War of 1812 (during which Napoleon was defeated) the church became a monument to the Russian victory. The captured enemy banners were put in the cathedral and the famous Russian field marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, who won the most important campaign of 1812, was buried inside the church. The cathedral was named after a "miracle-making" icon of Our Lady of Kazan, which the church housed till the early 1930s. The Bolsheviks closed the cathedral for services in 1929, and from 1932 it housed the collections of the Museum of History of Religion and Atheism, which displayed numerous pieces of religious art and served anti-clerical propaganda purposes. A couple of years ago regular services were resumed in the cathedral, though it still shares the premises with the museum (no "atheism" in its title any more!) When you visit Kazan Cathedral, be sure to see its great classical interiors.

Slide 28. Winter Palace. See slide 13.

Slide 29. Nevsky Prospekt. View of the famous avenue today.

Slide 30. Winter Palace. See slide 13.

Slide 31. Peter and Paul Fortress. See slide 12.

Slide 32. A Church in St. Petersburg. Details Unavailable.

Slide 33. Summer Garden. Architect: Tressini. Built in the 18^th century.

Across the river from the Peter and Paul Fortress and the wooden Cabin of Peter the Great (see slide 81), one can visit the historic Summer Garden. Behind the beautiful wrought iron fence there is an old park that witnessed the most spectacular moments of St. Petersburg's early history. Impressed by the royal parks that he had seen in Europe, Peter the Great was very keen to have such a park in his new and beloved "paradise", i.e. St. Petersburg. In Peter's new park everything was done according to the latest fashion: all trees and bushes were trimmed in the most elaborate way, all the alleys were decorated with marble statues and fountains. Peter the Great used to organize receptions and balls there, which were called assamblei - assemblies. The most popular entertainments of the day were illuminations and fireworks, plus dancing, drinking and more.

Slide 34. St. Petersburg Metro.

St. Petersburg's metro is some 110 km long (total length varies according to criteria applied) and has 60 stations (average station distance 1770m). Like in Moscow, older stations are elegantly decorated whereas newer stations show a more functional design. The metro works between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. and trains pass every 95 seconds during rush hour and every 4 minutes the rest of the day.

Slide 35. Pushkin Museum.

This literary museum, dedicated to Russia's most celebrated poet, stands just a few yards away from Palace Square and two blocks from Nevsky Prospekt on the quiet embankment of the Moika River. The museum is centered around Alexander Pushkin's memorial apartment where he lived in 1836-37, and died after being mortally wounded in a dramatic duel. On a wave of nationwide grief for the untimely death of this major Russian literary figure, Pushkin's apartment was carefully preserved, and remains a fine example of a nobleman's residence of the 1830s. One can visit the study of the poet and writer who gave the world the stories of "Eugene Onegin" and "The Queen of Spades", and set a standard of perfection for Russian poetry and literary language.

Slide 36. St. Isaac’s Cathedral. See slide 25.

Slide 37. The Bronze Horseman by Falconet. Completed in 1782.

An impressive monument to the founder of St. Petersburg – Peter the Great - stands on Ploschad Dekabristov, facing the Neva River and surrounded by the Admiralty, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the buildings of the former Senate and Synod - the civil and religious governing bodies of pre-revolutionary Russia. The monument was meant to be a tribute by Catherine the Great to her famous predecessor on the Russian throne. Being a German princess by birth, she wanted to establish a line of continuity with the earlier Russian monarchs. For that reason an inscription on the monument reads in Latin and Russian: Petro Primo Catarina Secunda - To Peter the First from Catherine the Second. An equestrian statue of Peter the Great, created by the famous French sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet, depicts the most prominent reformer of Russia as a Roman hero. The pedestal is made of a single piece of red granite in a shape of a cliff. From the top of this "cliff" Peter shows the way for Russia, while his horse steps on a snake, which represents the enemies of Peter and his reforms. Ironically, the "evil" snake serves as a third point of support for the statue. According to a 19th century legend, enemy forces will never take St. Petersburg while the "Bronze Horseman" stands in the middle of the city. During the Second World War the statue was not taken down, but was protected with sand bags and a wooden shelter. In that way, the monument survived the 900-day Siege of Leningrad virtually undamaged.

Slide 38. The Bronze Horseman. See slide 37.

Slide 39. A Church in St. Petersburg. Details unavailable.

Slide 40. A Canal in St. Petersburg. The apartment on Moika 12 was Alexander Pushkin's last apartment and after the duel, he died here on January 29, 1837.

Slide 41. Summer Garden. See slide 33.

Slide 42. General Headquarters. Architect: Carlo Rossi. Built: 1819-29.

General Staff Headquarters (which also housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) on Palace Square opposite from the Winter Palace. Carlo Rossi designed the bow-shaped Headquarters in the Neo-Classical style in 1819-29. The design made the Palace Square unusually large and a good space for parades etc., still used for May 1st and other celebrations and political rallies. In 1977 the square was resurfaced for the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution. The two wings of the building are divided by the triumphal arches which commemorate the victory over Napoleon.

Slide 43. Marinsky Theater. Architect: Unknown. Built: 1855-1881.

This theater played an important role in Russian culture. It was designed especially for the elite. It was an example of Russia's rich culture, one that they wished to share with the rest of the world. The theaters were massive and elegant which soon became the highlight and an important attraction to Russia as a whole. The Marinsky Theater, also known as the Kirov, was most famous for its exquisite structure and ballets. The theater not only represented a place of entertainment, but to many, a chance to express oneself freely without any censorship. Choreographers such as Mikhail Fokine and playwriters such as Anton Chekhov challenged the traditional practices of dance and drama. They moved away from following the conventional art forms and created their own, demonstrating their ability for self-expression. Choreography, created by Fokine allowed him to stray away from the rigid rules of dance to a style much more freely expressive. Chekov revolutionized drama by rejecting the defined actions and character confrontation of conventional theater.

Note on the Kirov Ballet:

The mere mention of the legendary Kirov Ballet creates a stir in the ballet world. This is the extraordinary company for which Tchaikovsky composed some of his most soaring scores-for which the great choreographer Marius Petipa created his most glorious dances-and which gave the world immortal dancers such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Markova, and Rudolf Nureyev. The Kirov Ballet is the world's oldest company; it was formed more than 250 years ago in St. Petersburg, Russia, where it still resides today, performing in the grand Mariinsky Theater. For two centuries the Kirov has been the epitome of classical ballet at its finest, with astonishing dancers whose grace, skill, and athleticism are unparalleled; to witness them is "a most precious gift" (The Times of London). This February, the Kirov Ballet performs the first engagement of a historic 10-year commitment to the Kennedy Center, dancing two of its most famous productions: Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty and George Balanchine's Jewels.

Slide 44. The Marinsky Theater. Interior. See slide 43.

Slide 45. Peter and Paul Fortress. See slide 12.

Slide 46. The Stock Market (Birzha). Architect: Toma de Timon. Built: 1805-1810.

Slide 47: Russian Museum (Mikhailovsky Palace). See slide 15.

Slide 48. St. Isaac’s Cathedral. See slide 25.

Slide 49. Peter and Paul Cathedral. See slide 12.

Slide 50. St. Isaac’s Cathedral. See slide 25.

Slide 51. Palace Square. See slide 14.

Slide 52. Kazan Cathedral. See slide 27.

Slide 53. Smolny Monastery. Architect: Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Begun in 1748.

The magnificent Smolny complex was created by architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli for the Empress Elizabeth, who had founded the Smolny convent. Begun in 1748, the cathedral is considered Rastrelli's masterpiece, perfectly fusing together Baroque forms with traditional Russian elements such as the five onion domes. Rastrelli was the favored court architect of Elizabeth, who had lavishly exuberant taste and loved the color blue highlighted with generous amounts of gilt. When Catherine the Great succeeded to the throne, she found all this extravagance garish, sacked the Italian architect, and steered Russia towards more restrained Classicism.

Slide 54. The Admiralty. Architect: Adrian Zakharov. Built 1806-1823.

The original Admiralty was one of the first structures to be built in St Petersburg. It was designed to be a dockyard, where some of the first ships of Russia's Baltic fleet were built (some with participation of Tsar Peter himself who was an expert in shipbuilding). The Admiralty was also fortified to be an extra defense for the newly obtained Neva delta.

The Admiralty that we can see today was built in 1806-23 by Adrian Zakharov. He maintained the original plan of the building, but turned it into a marvelous example of the Russian Empire style, with rows of white columns, plentiful reliefs and statues. The gilded spire of the Admiralty (and particularly its weather-vane korablik - "a little ship") is a famous St. Petersburg landmark. The tower of the building, topped with the spire, can be clearly seen from three streets: Nevsky, Gorokhovaia Street and Voznesensky Prospect. The Admiralty used to be the naval headquarters of Russia till 1917, and now serves as a naval college.

Slide 55. Part IV: Peterhof.

Slides 56-69. The Baroque splendour of the Peterhof architectural ensemble, the “Versailles” of St. Petersburg.

The world-famous palace, fountain and park ensemble of Peterhof is an outstanding landmark of Russian artistic culture of the 18-19th centuries. It is world-famous for its unique fountains and cascades, luxurious palaces, wonderful parks, numerous gilded statues of ancient gods and heroes, remarkable collections of sculpture and paintings. Founded in the very beginning of the eighteenth century by Emperor Peter the Great Not far from his new northern capital St Petersburg, Peterhof was intended to become the most splendid official royal summer residence. Credit for its creation should go to a great number of eminent architects, artists, and anonymous folk craftsmen. Its wonderful parks, 176 fountains of various forms and styles and four cascades, majestic palaces, numerous gilded statues of ancient gods and heroes, remarkable collections of sculpture, painting and works of the minor arts make Peterhof a veritable gem of art, often called "Capital of Fountains", unique in the world. For almost 300 years, Petehof was the official summer residence of the royal family. After 1917 the Peterhof ensemble was nationalized and turned into architecture and art museum. Badly damaged during the time of World War II the whole ensemble was painstakingly restored. Nowadays, due to the unsurpassable beauty of its fountains, parks and palaces Peterhof attracts numerous Russian and foreign tourists who come here to enjoy its magic charm.

Slide 63. Samson Opening the Jaws of the Lion. Sculptor: Mikhail Kozlovsky. 1802.

Slide 70. Part V: Peter the Great.

Slide 71. Peter the Great. Painter Unknown. Oil on Canvas. 1720-1725 ca.

Slide 72. Peter the Great. Artist: Godefroy Kneller. 1697. Detail.

The first portrait painted in oil of the young Russian tsar was taken from the life on September 9, 1697 when Peter and the King of England were staying in Utrecht. At William III's request, Peter permitted Sir Godefroy Kneller, the famous king's artist, follower of Rembrand, to paint a portrait of him. The portrait represents Peter I in full-length. He is dressed in a suit of armour and the emperor's brocade purple that is lined with ermine. He is holding a warder in his right hand while the bent left one is lying on his hip, close to a sword. There is a table next to Peter. The Emperor's crown is on the table, resting on a cushion. The original portrait is kept in England. A first engraving was made after the portrait by a famous engraver John Smith, in 1698, whereas it was half-length rather than full-length. More than 70 different versions of the same engraving were made later. One of those is presented here.

Slide 73. Peter the Great. Painter Unknown.

Slide 74. Peter the Great’s Wedding Feast. Engraving by A. F. Zubov. 1712.

Slide 75. Peter the Great’s Wedding Feast. Detail.

Slide 76. Peter the Great on Faberge egg.

Slide 77. Peter the Great. Bronze sculpture by A. M. Opekushin. 1872.

Slide 78. Peter the Great. Bronze sculpture by I. N. Schreider. 1872-1873:

Peter I, model of the figure for the monument in Petrozavodsk

Slide 79. Peter the Great. Mosaic workshop of M. V. Lomonosov. Mid 18^th century.

Slide 80. Peter the Great. In honor of his victory at Poltava:

Battle of Poltava

In 1708, Charles XII marched to Russia with a large army. The Russians however avoided direct combat and used their usual defence method, to burn and destroy their land. Then the Swedish army had nothing to feed on, and it soon became hard to keep the army in good shape. Charles then decided to turn his steps south, towards the Ukraine. The king was of course worried but thought that the solution to the problem was near: an officer named Lewenhaupt would any day join the main force with his large supplies. But since the summer of 1708 was cold and rainy, the roads were only mud, and it was not easy for him to travel. The fact that Lewenhaupt and his expedition contained 11000 men, 16 cannons, a large column of cattle and thousands of transport wagons didn't exactly help them go forward. So Charles waited, and the days went on, but no Lewenhaupt turned up. On his way to Charles’s camp, Lewenhaupt and his huge column passed through a village named Ljesna where the Russians attacked them. This also delayed Lewenhaupt and it also forced him to leave all the artillery, the cattle and the wagons. When he gave that order, to leave everything that they had carried for the last three months, the soldiers went mad. They got drunk and Lewenhaupt had to leave about 1000 men drunk in the woods. An even greater number had been killed. So when they finally reached Charles and the main force, they were only about 6000 men and had no luggage.
The winter came. It was extremely cold. The army was starving and their diaries tell us about horrible things, such as men riding around dead on their horses, backs breaking with a crack and the army surgeon's daily work with amputating noses, fingers and toes. Finally the spring came and Charles started to besiege the fort of Poltava. The battle of Poltava took place in the summer of 1709 and may be said mark the end of Sweden's role as a major power in Europe. Tsar Peter himself came with a huge army, far larger than the Swedish one. Worse yet: the Swedish king was wounded, and command was handed over to Field Marshal Rhensköld. Rhensköld had problems with the other officers, while confusing orders contributed to the defeat. The Swedish army couldn't use their artillery, they had no gunpowder and the infantry was almost wiped out in this the most famous defeat in Swedish history. Several thousands of prisoners were taken: some were put to work in the mines of the Ural Mountains, others to build the new city of St Petersburg, while the officers were mostly sent to Siberia and very few ever returned home. But what did Charles do? Well, he managed to take a small unit and escape to Turkey.

Slide 81. Peter the Great’s House. The Tsar’s cabin.

Slide 82. Peter the Great’s Summer House.

Slide 83. Peter the Great on Horseback.

Slide 84. Peter the Great and His Son Alexei.

Russia: Tsar's Son Takes Center Stage In Historical Film

By John Varoli

St. Petersburg, 11 December 1997 (RFE/RL) -- Is nothing sacred in post-Soviet Russia? Maybe not. Soviet-era heroes have been fair game for re-examination and even vilification for almost a decade now, but reverence for Russian national personages seemed to be increasing. Nevertheless a new film by St. Petersburg director, Vitali Melnikov, The Tsarevich Aleksei, challenges the traditional view of Peter the Great as a great hero, fearlessly laboring away for the good of the nation. It, portrays him rather as an ambivalent personality who errs and doubts. His son, the Tsarevich Aleksei (1690-1718), who supposedly died at his father's own hands, is the central figure in this film. Traditionally, Alexei has been portrayed as a weak and indecisive figure who joined the opposition to his father's reforms and efforts to make Russia a powerful force in Europe.

Melnikov tells RFE/RL that in Soviet times anything written about Alexei was negative because he resisted his father's efforts to create a great state. Peter, despite being a tsar, was still praised by the Soviets for his state-building, which resembled the Soviet model. Melnikov says he sought to reexamine Alexei as a historical figure. In this new film, the directors depicts him as a saint and martyr, representing the old Russia that was being destroyed by Peter's efforts to Westernize and modernize. Peter is not vilified in the film. Rather, he emerges an ambivalent figure -- a tragic one, torn between his desire to serve his country, to make it great, and his love for his son. Central to the plot is Tsarevich Alexei's disgust with how his father is attaining his goal -- through cruelty and violence. Alexei tells his father in the film: "I do not want to have a kingdom built on the blood of my people." Peter answers: "How can one rule without blood? I serve Russia as best I can." Some Russian film critics, searching for a subtle political meaning in the film, portray Melnkov's latest work as criticizing the current political process in Russia. But Melnikov denies this. As he puts it: "I did not intend any historical parallels as some critics think. I wanted to make a historical film about people."

Slide 85. Peter the Great.

Slide 86. Peter the Great on His Deathbed. Artist: A. I. Nikitin. 1725.

Nikitin's portraits of Peter I on his Deathbed and of a Cossack leader are exceptional early eighteenth-century paintings, for they have a vitality and dignity not unlike certain masterworks of the Spanish school from the previous century. The painter's likenesses of members of the Tsar's family generally lack the forthright presentation and immediacy conveyed so well by these two works. Born in Moscow, the son of a priest, Ivan Nikitin's first paintings date from 1714 to 1716. His career should be understood as reflective of the changes in receptivity to art of the West affected by Peter the Great. An aspiring artist, Nikitin was sent to Venice and Florence by Peter. There, he spent four years perfecting his skills in the revered Western style. In the 1720s, Nikitin produced a series of portraits of nobility which displayed his mature talent. In 1732 Nikitin's career as a court painter was seriously impaired when he was discovered in possession of a letter which slandered Feofan Prokopovich, close companion of the Empress Anna Ioannovna. For this treasonous affront, he was lashed and exiled to Tobolsk. Ten years later the painter was pardoned by the newly crowned Empress Elizabeth and invited to return to St. Petersburg. He died on his journey back to the capital.

Slide 87. Peter the Great. Bronze sculpture by Shemiakin. Unveiled in 1991.

Mikhail Shemyakin's statue of Peter the Great is one of St. Petersburg's newest and most controversial attractions. The small head and long limbs are viewed as an outrage against Peter the Great's memory, but others enjoy the modern interpretation. Rubbing the pointing fingers on each hand is said to bring health and wealth, a theory well tested as their shiny, well-buffed condition attests to.

Slide 88. Peter the Great. Bronze sculpture by Shemiakin. Detail.

Slide 89: Part VI: Earlier Views of the City.

Slide 90. Mikhailovsky Musem (Russian Museum). Artist K. P. Beggrov. Gouache on paper. 1840.

Slide 91. Hermitage Pavilion. Engraving by A. A. Grekov. 1759.

The Hermitage Pavilion in Her Imperial Majesty's Garden at Tsarskoye Selo from M. I. Makhaev's drawing, sheet from the series of engravings showing views of St. Petersburg's suburbs. "The Hermitage Pavilion" was part of a series entitled "Plan of the Capital City of St. Petersburg with Depictions of its Most Famous Views." The series was created in 1753 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Russian capital.

Slide 92. View of Palace Square by P. S. Ivanov. Lithograph. 1835.

Detail from "View of the Palace Square" from V. S. Sadovnikov's drawing, part of "Panorama of Nevsky Avenue" (left side).

Slide 93. Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth. Architect: Rastrelli. Engraving by A. A. Grekov.

The most important building in St. Petersburg until the construction of the Winter Palace, the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was designed by the architect Francesco Bartolommeo Rastrelli between the years 1741-1744 and destroyed in 1796 to make way for the Mikhail castle, which eventually became the home of the State Russian Museum. Grekov's etching of the Summer Palace is perhaps one of the best preserved records of this architectural masterpiece.

Slide 94. Stock Exchange. Architect: Toma de Timon. Built 1805-1810.

Slide 95. View of Moika River. Artist: M. I. Makhaev. Indian ink on paper. Circa 1738.-1770 ca.

Slide 96. Nevsky Prospekt. Artist: I. E. Repin. Graphite pencil on paper. 1887.

The winter bustle of horses, sleighs, and people is captured with admirable facility by Repin in this drawing, one of a series depicting Nevsky Prospect, the main street of St. Petersburg.

Slide 97. Bronze Horseman with View of Stock Exchange. Source Unknown.

Slide 98. Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth. Architect: Rastrelli. Unknown Artist. Oil on Canvas. 1750-1775 ca. See also slide 93.

Slide 99. Peter and Paul Fortress. See slide 12. Source unknown.

Slide 100. Peter and Paul Fortress. See slide 12. Source unknown. Detail.

Slide 101. Admiralty and Palace Embankment. Source unknown.

Slide 102. View of St. Petersburg. Engraving by A. F. Zubov. 1727.

Slide 103. Twelve Colleges of St. Petersburg. Unknown Artist. Oil on Canvas. 1750-1775 ca.

Slide 104. St. Petersburg. Artist unknown.

Slide 105. St. Petersburg around 1800. Artist unknown.

Slide 106. Part VII: Catherine the Great.

Slides 107-114. Portraits of Catherine the Great.

Slide 107. Portrait of Catherine the Great by Alexei Antropov. Painted between 1752-1773.

Slide 108. Catherine the Great. Painted by D. G. Levitsky for her coronation. Painted between 1752-1773:

Comparison of Portraits by Antropov and Levitsky

Commentary by Prof. Alexander Boguslawski of Rollins College

In the portrait of Catherine the Great, the Empress is depicted in a less formal pose -- instead of standing, she is seated on her throne. But this lesser formality is amply compensated by many attributes of the Empress' imperial status. In her right hand Catherine is holding a bejeweled scepter which she has just picked up from a red pillow decorated with gold embroidery and gold tassels. Two other attributes of royalty, a crown and an orb, rest on the pillow. The crown, made especially for the coronation, is the work of Jeremie Posier (Ieremiia Pos'ie) and consists of over 5000 diamonds (about 3000 carats) topped by an enormous 415-carat red spinel. The orb, made of solid gold, is enhanced by a band of diamonds and by a 47-carat sapphire. Antropov's artistic and technical ability is well attested by his attention to the details of the Empress's dress. Her narrow-waisted silken gown with golden double-headed eagles embroidered on its skirt is partially concealed by an ermine mantle made of four thousand ermine skins and brocade covered with similar embroidered black and red double-headed eagles. The double-headed eagle appears in the painting so many times -- in embroidery, on the throne, and in the ornamental treatment of the table -- that it may be called a leitmotif of the painting. Lace sleeves of the dress barely protrude from under the ermine. Antropov's gift of observation and his technical excellence allow him to notice and render delicate pearl bracelets and a ring on Catherine's finger, as well as a diamond tiara, diamond earrings, and a diamond necklace with the large order of St. Andrew the First Called. The artist's apparent predilection for various shades of red -- from the brilliant red of the pillow, through the red spots in the embroidered two-headed eagles and the Empress's heavily rouged cheeks, to the slightly subdued carmine on the back of the throne contributes to the overall "shimmering" and sumptuous effect of the portrait. Now we can compare Antropov's work to two other portraits of Catherine, by Levitskii(?) and by Rokotov(?). Unlike Antropov's portrait, both canvasses show the Empress standing. Please note that the work attributed to Rokotov is a tapestry, dated 1833 and based on Rokotov's original portrait. However, the Hillwood Museum has a very similar oil portrait of the Empress attributed to . . . Levitskii. Levitskii shows the Empress in the same royal garb as Antropov. On both portraits the Empress seems to be quite young and she is still wearing her hair in a long braid. It is quite probable that both paintings were executed shortly after Catherine's successful coup d'etat and her ascension to the Russian throne in 1762, when she was only 33. Levitskii's portrait is dominated by the central majestic figure of the Empress and by the huge double-headed eagle behind her. Our eyes move to the eagle, following the direction of the Empress' scepter, perhaps a symbolic indication of her dedication to the well-being of Russia. As far as the reproductions allow us to see, the scepter does not yet have the spectacular Orlov diamond mounted on its top. The 196-carat diamond was presented to the Empress in 1773; this allows us to date both paintings to between 1762 and 1773.

(Source: http://www.rollins.edu/Foreign_Lang/Russian/antropov.html)

Slide 109. Catherine the Great as Minerva, the goddess of Wisdom.

Slide 110. Catherine the Great by Richard Brompton. 1782.

Slide 111. Catherine the Great Artist unknown.

Slide 112. Catherine the Great as Legislator.

Slide 113. Catherine the Great in 1762.

Slide 114. Catherine the Great as Legislator. Sculpture in marble by F. I. Shubin. 1789.

The best-known sculptor of Catherine II's era, Fedot Shubin was the son of a fisherman. In 1761 he entered the Academy in St. Petersburg, where he studied under Nicholas François Gillet, head of the school of sculpture. Shubin received a scholarship to continue his formal training in Paris. After six years in France, he returned to Russia and executed portrait busts of prominent men of Catherine II's time. Shubin was also an expert in bone carving, a uniquely Russian craft, which was popular in the eighteenth century.

Slide 115. Part VIII: Alexander Pushkin.

Slides 116-124. Portraits of Alexander Pushkin.

Slide 116. Pushkin as a Young Man. Engraving by E. Geitman. 1822.

Slide 117. Pushkin. Artist: Kiprensky (?).

Slide 118. Pushkin. Artist: Orest A. Kiprensky. 1827.

Slide 119. Pushkin. Artist and date unknown.

Slide 120. Pushkin. Artist and date unknown.

Slide 121. Pushkin declaiming his poetry at Tsarskoe Selo. With Derzhavin at the left.

Slide 122. Pushkin’s Study.

Slide 123. Pushkin. Cast iron sculpture by A. I. Terebenev. 1837.

Slide 124. Statue of Pushkin in front of the Russian Museum.

Slides 125. Part IX. The Bronze Horseman.

Slide 125. Drawing by Benois from his famous illustrations for Pushkin’s The Bronze Horseman. 1890-1960 ca. Indian ink, pencil on paper. The Bronze Horseman in Pursuit of Yevgeny.

Illustration for A. S. Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman"

The multi-talented Alexander Benois worked as a painter, art critic, and art historian as well as a curator. He studied both at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg (1887-1888) and at the Law School of St. Petersburg University. He lived in St. Petersburg until 1926, when he moved to Paris.

As an intellectual Benois made formidable contributions to both the practice and study of Russian art. He was a founder of the World of Art (Mir Iskusstva) in 1898. This group, which published a journal of the same name and staged exhibitions, had multiple interests in music, theater, and literature, but principally in painting. Many of the members were dilettantes (amateur rather than professional writers or artists) in the best sense of the word, and they saw dilettantism as a way of escaping the constricting beliefs and practices of the academy and a means of forging a path to expressive freedom. Members of the World of Art believed in an "art for art's sake" approach, which Benois championed in his book, "History of Nineteenth-Century Painting: Russian Art." In supporting "art for art's sake," Benois was critical of members of the Peredvizhniki such as Repin and Perov, who believed in a populist and nationalist art with a sociopolitical basis.

Slides 127-136. Photos of The Bronze Horseman, the equestrian statue commissioned by Catherine the Great in honor of Peter the Great. Unveiled in St. Petersburg in 1782.

Slide 137. Part X: Briullov and Ivanov.

Slide 138. Self-portrait by Briullov. Oil on cardboard. 1848.

An archetypal image of the Romantic artist, this self-portrait of 1848 captures the passion and insight which characterize this exceptional nineteenth-century painter. According to contemporaries, Briullov painted this sketch in a few hours while recovering from a long illness. Karl Pavlovich Briullov is perhaps the most fascinating of the Russian Romantic artists of the nineteenth century. He was active as an historical painter, draftsman, and watercolorist, and achieved considerable recognition for his portraits.

Slide 139. The Last Day of Pompey by K. P. Briullov. Oil on Canvas. 1833. 456.5 x 651 cm.

The Last Day of Pompeii created a sensation when exhibited in Rome at the Roma Exhibition of 1833. With its ambitious, multi-figured scene, dramatic action, and wealth of detail, the painting changed the course of Russian history painting, inspiring others to attempt similarly complex compositions. One of the leading Italian artists of the day, Vincenzo Camuccini, proclaimed it a "flaming colossus," and it was the talk of the city. When the work was subsequently shown in Milan, Briullov was carried through the streets of the city on the shoulders of admiring fans. Commissioned by Count Demidoff, who also patronized other Romantic-period artists, "The Last Day of Pompeii" was really not a Romantic canvas in the way that Delacroix's canvases were. Unlike the French painter's "The Algerian Women," which hung next to Briullov's painting at the Salon of 1834, the young Russian's tour-de-force displayed Classical figure types. This choice alone caused the French to view the painting as somewhat retardataire. Nevertheless, the salon jury awarded Briullov the First Gold Medal. In preparing this monumental canvas, a process which took three years, Briullov insisted on historical accuracy. He visited the ruins of the ancient city (which was being excavated at the time he conceived the painting), studied artifacts of everyday life at the Naples Museum, and read Pliny the Younger's account of the eruption of Vesuvius. He even portrayed Pliny with his mother in the painting, interpreting a passage from the writer to the Roman historian, Tacitus: "Then my mother began to plead, to beg, to persuade, and at last to order me to flee . . . I, being a youth, will succeed; she, bearing the weight of her years and illnesses, would die in peace, knowing she hadn't held me back and caused my death." Many of Russia's greatest writers and musicians responded enthusiastically to "The Last Day of Pompeii." Pushkin celebrated the work in verse. Herzen, the great Russian intellectual, argued that Briullov took the moral inspiration for the painting from the tragic events of December 1825, when a group of anti-autocratic intellectuals and aristocrats in St. Petersburg failed in their attempt to overthrow the government, which, in response, became even more reactionary. Gogol, however, claimed the work asserted man's heroism and dignity, calling it "a feast for the eyes" and proclaimed Briullov "a genius." It is of interest to note that Briullov's painting and its fame are rarely discussed in Western texts on the history of Romanticism.

Slide 140. Last Day of Pompey by Briullov. 1833. Detail.

Slide 141. Christ’s Appearance to the People by A. A. Ivanov. Oil on canvas. 1836-1855. 172 X 247 cm.

This canvas is a smaller, autographed version of Alexander Ivanov's principal work, "The Appearance of Christ to the People" (1837-1858). The large canvas (212-1/2" x 295-1/4"), now in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, was prepared for, in part, by Ivanov's "Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection". Never really completed, the masterwork was begun in Rome, remained in the artist's studio for 20 years, and then accompanied him back to St. Petersburg shortly before his death. Ivanov chose the episode because he felt it embraced the religious, historical, and philosophical ideas with which he was most concerned: the spiritual and moral transformation of mankind. The painting combines a number of separate events in the Gospel: the preaching of St. John in the foreground and his baptism of the people and the coming of Christ in the distance. Ivanov made many drawings and painted sketches for the final unfinished canvas, including some superb plein-air nature studies, executed in the Pontine marshes of Rome, which the artist felt best resembled the area around the Jordan River. Despite the fact that it was never completed, the epic nature of the canvas inspired many Russian painters of the later nineteenth century. It could be argued that Alexander Ivanov, son of the history painter Andrei Ivanov, was the most significant Russian artist of the second quarter of the nineteenth century though paradoxically he spent most of his life in Italy. His philosophical insight, Romantic-Realist style, and innovative studies characterize the directions of Russian art in the nineteenth century.

Uniquely gifted and trained to fulfill his potential, Ivanov lived in the city of his birth, St. Petersburg, until his departure for Italy. He studied initially with his father, a professor at the St. Petersburg's Academy of Arts, and became an official student at the Academy in 1817. In 1830 the artist moved to Rome with support from the Society for the Encouragement of Artists. While he devoted much of his time to copying the works of the Italian masters, he also created his own compositions. He focused on Old and New Testament subjects since they offered the psychological complexity which fired his imagination and tested his facility as a realist. Tragically, the artist isolated himself from the world as he grew older, perhaps the result of the sensitivity which made him a skillful interpreter of others' emotional states. Though his circle was small, Ivanov's friends included a talented group of individuals including Rozhalin, Chizhov, and Gogol as well as Friedrich Overbeck, the German Nazarene artist. In effect, these men guided Ivanov through the realms of philosophy and history, subjects which had been neglected at the technically-oriented Academy but were crucial to Ivanov's life-long fascination with issues of virtue, truth, morality, and enlightenment. With good reason, many regard the painter's masterpiece to be "The Appearance of Christ to the People" (1837-1858) which he prepared for, in part, with his "Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection" but never finished. Though the painting is intended as an early but in-depth summation of his philosophy with respect to the central questions of human existence, an unresolved tension between the pursuit of idealism and a commitment to realism characterizes some parts of the composition and some of the figures. In contrast, the numerous plein-air and figure studies for the final canvas exhibit an engaging sense of spontaneity and confidence in their conception and execution. Ivanov's combination of philosophical insight, manifest in a Romantic-Realist style, and stylistic innovation, revealed in his studies, make the artist a critical figure for Russian painting. His work and life prefigure much that was to characterize the direction of Russian art in the nineteenth century.

Slide 142. Christ’s Appearance to the People by Ivanov. Detail.

Slide 143. Christ’s Appearance to the People by Ivanov. Detail.

Slide 144. Christ’s Appearance to the People by Ivanov. Detail: St. John the Baptist.

Slide 145. Part XI: Gogol and Dostoevsky.

Slide 146. Portrait of Gogol by Fyodor Moller. 1840.

Slide 147. Portrait of Gogol. Artist unknown.

Slide 148. Bust of Gogol by N. A. Ramazanov. Marble. 1854.

Slide 149. Sculpture by N. A. Andreev. Polychrome plaster. 1906. The sculptor Andreev created a highly mysterious vision of Gogol by concealing most of the writer's twisting figure in drapery.

Slide 150.