Location: South suburbs of Moscow Map
Constructed: 1775 on the orders of Catherine the Great
Subway: Orechovo, Tsaritsyno
Tsaritsyno Palace (Царицыно) is a palace and park complex in
the south of Moscow; it was founded by order of Empress
Catherine II in 1776. It is under the jurisdiction of the
Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, founded in 1984.
This is the
historically formed, most famous and well-maintained part of the
specially protected natural area (SPNA) Tsaritsyno, located
between the Moscow districts of Tsaritsyno, Biryulevo
Vostochnoye, Orekhovo-Borisovo Yuzhnoye and Orekhovo-Borisovo
Severnoye.
The Tsaritsyno palace and park complex,
occupying an area of more than 100 hectares, is located on a
hilly terrain intersected by ravines, on the site of the former
estate of the princes Kantemirov and has inherited some of its
features. The territory of the ensemble and park is bounded by
two deep ravines in the north-east and south, by the Tsaritsyno
ponds in the west, and by a complex of greenhouses in the east.
Tsaritsyno is a monument of the so-called "Russian Gothic"
(pseudo-Gothic); two of the most famous Moscow architects of
their era, Vasily Bazhenov and Matvey Kazakov, worked on the
creation of the imperial residence for 20 years. Tsaritsyno is
the largest pseudo-Gothic building of the 18th century in Europe
and the only palace complex designed in this style. The features
of the palace and park ensemble largely determined a new
direction in Russian architecture: in different parts of the
former Russian Empire there are many buildings from the late
18th and early 19th centuries that were created under the
influence of Tsaritsyno.
Selfless work on the Tsaritsyno
ensemble, which became one of the peaks of creativity of the
bright and extraordinary architect V. I. Bazhenov, turned into a
difficult life drama for him at the same time.
The
Tsaritsyno landscape park, founded together with the palace
complex, became one of the first landscape parks in Russia
outside the St. Petersburg palace and park ensembles
The area that later became Tsaritsyn has been known since the end of
the 16th century as the patrimony of Tsarina Irina, the sister of Boris
Godunov, under the name of the village of Bogorodskoye. No documentary
evidence of the buildings of that time has survived, but in 1982, during
archaeological work, parts of a ramp leading to the Upper Tsaritsyn Pond
were discovered, which most likely belong to the remains of the estate
or hunting yard of the Godunovs. During the Time of Troubles, Irina
Godunova's buildings were destroyed, the area fell into disrepair, but a
cascade of ponds, built under the Godunovs, has survived.
In
1633, the wasteland of Chernaya Gryaz (as Bogorodskoye became known)
passed into the possession of the boyars Streshnevs, relatives of the
wife of the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fyodorovich. In
1684, boyar Ivan Fyodorovich Streshnev ceded the village of Chernaya
Gryaz to his grandson, Alexei Vasilyevich Golitsyn (the son of Prince
Vasily Golitsyn, the favorite of Princess Sophia).
After the
deposition of Sophia, the property of Prince Vasily Golitsyn and his son
was confiscated. Peter I, after the end of the Prut campaign in 1712,
granted Chernaya Gryaz and the nearby villages to Prince Dmitry
Kantemir, the Moldavian ruler, an ally of Russia in the confrontation
with Turkey, who was forced to move to Russia. Together with him, about
six hundred Moldavian warriors loyal to Kantemir with their wives and
children settled in Russia; they settled in the villages of Chernaya
Gryaz, Saburovo, Bulatnikovo, in the villages of Orekhovka and
Khokhlovka. By order of Dmitry Kantemir, in 1722, a stone single-domed
church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring"
(its dedication remained the same as that of the previous church) was
built on the estate on the site of a wooden church built during the
Golitsyn era. It is known that an interesting wooden palace was built in
the new Kantemir estate. In 1722, Berchholz, chamberlain to the Duke of
Holstein Karl Friedrich, described the structure in detail, noting that
the palace was located on a high hill, was made in the Chinese style
(perhaps it was D.K. Kantemir who brought the fashion for chinoiserie to
Russia), and had spacious galleries with beautiful views of the park and
ponds. The park had a regular layout and included extensive fruit
gardens (probably laid out during the Golitsyn era); it was
distinguished by the rationality and beauty of its planning solution.
The garden facade of the estate's main house was adjoined by a
"geometric garden", while the remaining parts of the garden with fruit
trees were surrounded by park groves.
In the spring of 1775, Empress Catherine II, passing through the
territory of Chernaya Gryaz during a walk from Kolomenskoye, was
enchanted by the beauty of the estate and immediately bought it from
Prince Sergei Dmitrievich Kantemir. The deed of sale was executed on May
18 (29), 1775; the Empress paid 25,000 rubles for the estate, although
the Prince was ready to sell it for 20,000. It could not have been done
without the recommendations of Prince Grigory Potemkin (he knew the
estate well); it was probably he who came up with a new sonorous name
for Chernaya Gryaz and gave Catherine the idea of building a new
imperial residence near Moscow. In one of her letters to her regular
correspondent Baron Grimm, Catherine wrote:
I called my new
estate Tsaritsyn and, by all accounts, it is a real paradise. Nobody
wants to look at Kolomenskoye now. See what kind of light it is! Not
long ago, everyone admired the location of Kolomenskoye, but now
everyone prefers the newly discovered estate.
In June 1775, a
small wooden palace with six rooms (designed by architect Pyotr
Plyuskov) and several temporary utility and park buildings were built
for Catherine II and her favorite next to the main house of the
Kantemirov estate in two weeks.
One summer day, Catherine went to
inspect the new acquisition in detail. Prince Potemkin, who met the
empress at the estate, made a lot of effort to ensure that it made the
most favorable impression on the new owner. Piers were built on the
picturesque ponds, bright boats sailed; in the depths of the park, a hut
was built, in which the empress was served afternoon tea. A "haymaking
festival" was organized in a pastoral spirit: peasant girls in bright
sarafans danced in a circle, young men competed in daring and agility;
tall, specially selected Moldavian mowers in Russian shirts with red
gussets, in felt hats with peacock feathers mowed the grass to the
sounds of songs, and women and girls raked hay. At some point, Prince
Potemkin took a scythe in his hands and stood in a row of mowers to
demonstrate his dexterity and skill. In the evening, a grand fireworks
display took place on the ponds. Catherine was very pleased.
The
Empress and her secret husband, who had married a year earlier, spent
the rest of the summer of 1775 in Tsaritsyn. Not only court festivities
took place here, but also meetings of the State Council. According to
the memoirs of G. R. Derzhavin, on August 6 (19), 1775, on the day of
the Transfiguration of the Lord, a ceremonial reception was held in
Tsaritsyn in honor of the staff and senior officers of the
Preobrazhensky Regiment, of which Catherine II was a colonel.
The
purchase of Tsaritsyn by the empress and its subsequent fate are
connected with the celebration of the anniversary of the Treaty of Küçük
Kainardzhi, which ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. On July 10
(21), 1775, grand celebrations on this occasion opened on Khodynka
Field. Khodynka Field was an allegory of the Black Sea; pavilions were
set up on the field, to which the empress gave the names of fortresses -
places of military battles, and entertainment facilities depicted the
recaptured cities. S. M. Lyubetsky, a researcher of Tsaritsyn in the
19th century, described the festival as follows:
Khodynskoye Field
presented a magnificent panorama: a whole mass of buildings was erected
on it, constituting a whole temporary city. Each building, distinguished
by its color, in the Turkish style, with minarets, kiosks, watchtowers,
had the appearance of a fortress, an island, a horde and a ship. They
were called Azov, Taganrog, Kerch, Yenikale and so on.
The future
creators of Tsaritsyn were engaged in the design of the festival on
Khodynskoye Field - the project was supervised by V. I. Bazhenov, who
attracted his student M. F. Kazakov to work on the drawings and to build
the pavilions. Creating temporary pavilions of the "fairytale city", the
architects used a subtle stylization "under the East"; However, when
studying the festive buildings, their connection with the traditions of
ancient Russian architecture becomes obvious. Catherine II was pleased
with the celebrations and highly appreciated the skill of the
architects; the Khodynka festivities undoubtedly influenced her choice
of an architect to create Tsaritsyn. The celebrations lasted more than
two weeks, took place in an atmosphere of significant patriotic
enthusiasm and were so bright that they remained in the people's memory
for a long time. The Empress wanted to capture the new, imaginative
stylistic approach that manifested itself at Khodynka - and therefore
she ordered Vasily Bazhenov to prepare a project for the Tsaritsyn
ensemble, and Matvey Kazakov - the Petrovsky travel palace.
Contemporaries of the construction of Tsaritsyn, who remembered the
holiday, noticed the similarity of the palace ensemble with the
pavilions at Khodynka; Moreover, even at the beginning of the 19th
century, Tsaritsyno was perceived as a monument to the glory of the
heroes of the Russo-Turkish War, as a memorial ensemble. Andrei Raevsky
wrote in the article “The Environs of Moscow”:
With what
indescribable pleasure I spent several golden days of my life, enjoying
the diverse beauty of nature and the power of art in the only Tsaritsyn
<…> The name of the victor at Kagul, the name of the hero
[Rumyantsev-]Zadunaisky will always be unforgettable Russian, but upon
entering these magnificent gardens, the charm of the walk gains new
strength from memories of the past.
Finally, it was in Tsaritsyn
that the “solemn confirmation” (that is, the ratification of the
ratification by Turkey) of the Kuchuk-Kainarji peace treaty by Catherine
II took place.
In the same year of 1775, the Empress gave the task to her court
architect Vasily Bazhenov to develop a project for a pleasure residence
near Moscow (in letters of that time, Catherine called the architect "my
Bazhenov", which indicates her special affection for him). The Empress
expressed several wishes: that the building be in the "Moorish" or
"Gothic style", and that the park be arranged as a landscape - both
wishes corresponded to the established fashion of the time. It is
important that this project was the first task of this kind for a
Russian architect: from the time of Peter I to Elizabeth Petrovna, the
construction of imperial residences was mainly carried out by
foreigners.
The modern concept of "Gothic" differs from what was
understood by this in the 18th century. The Age of Enlightenment
understood ancient art as the standard of "fine", contrasting it with
"Gothic", that is, "barbaric", medieval: everything that existed after
the ancient era and before the Age of Enlightenment. On the other hand,
in the choice of personal aesthetic preferences for the era, the
principle of "pleasure from variety" formulated by Montesquieu is
characteristic; in other words, polystylism was allowed in art - within
certain limits. The "Gothic" was given a place of whim, exotic
undertaking, aesthetic liberty, the appropriateness of which was
determined exclusively by subjective taste. At the same time, the
"Gothic" served as a necessary opponent for the assertive classicism.
Thus, having received an order to create a "Gothic" ensemble, Bazhenov
essentially received wide freedom to realize bold fantasies, to fully
demonstrate his creative skill and erudition. At the beginning of 1776,
the project in the form of a panoramic drawing "View of Tsaritsyn
Village" was ready. The architect took into account the wishes of the
empress, but did not follow their lead. A simple combination of Gothic
decorative details with order architecture was an impossible solution
for Bazhenov, as was a simple imitation of any medieval models. He
preferred to create a special kind of architectural fantasies, in which
medieval styles appear as a metaphor, suggesting reflections on the
"Gothic" in general - and a penchant for metaphors was a characteristic
feature of the Age of Enlightenment. Passing Gothic through classicism,
Bazhenov looked for principles of spatial organization that were common
to them. The basis for the search for the unique Tsaritsyn style, called
"gentle Gothic" by Bazhenov, was Russian architecture of the last years
of the 17th century:
[The architect] undoubtedly proceeded from
elements of the so-called Moscow Baroque, and not from a foreign,
already dead Gothic style. Turning to Russian architecture of the 17th
century, Bazhenov did not copy it, he revived it in a transformed form,
enriching it with new techniques and motifs.
Bazhenov chose red
brick and white stone as the main building materials for the Tsaritsyn
buildings (which already indicates a blood relationship with Moscow
Baroque and the traditions of the construction of the Moscow Kremlin).
The desire to reveal the natural beauty of the combination of stone and
brick, the refusal to finish with plaster were unusual decisions for
that time: no one built like that anymore; Bazhenov went against the
canons of the aesthetics of classicism. But such a decision was
justified in the concept of the Tsaritsyn pleasure residence as a
"whim".
In the 1770s, classical tendencies in Russian
architecture had not yet formed into a dominant direction; a search for
a new architectural language was underway, in the process of which
unusual ideas arose. Bazhenov, who received an academic education in
France and Italy, had a deep knowledge of the principles of classicism,
and his unrealized project for the Kremlin Palace is considered by many
to be one of the most significant works in the history of classicism.
Another departure from the canons of classicism was the general
principle of the solution of the palace ensemble: Bazhenov rejected
monumentality, the majestic forms of a single palace, which seemed to be
obligatory for an imperial residence. Nevertheless, the architect
adhered to the clarity of the arrangement of parts of the ensemble,
characteristic of classicism, the binding of objects to a modular grid
of axes. Bazhenov's plan is based on strict logic and geometric
correctness of construction, only stylized as a picturesque chaos of old
pre-Petrine sovereign courtyards. These principles, along with the ideal
fit into the landscape, compatibility and proportionality with the
surrounding environment, ensemble-like nature formed the basis of
Bazhenov's project. Not to tyrannize nature, not to impose one's will on
it, but to use the natural beauty of the area as an important
architectural element - this was the leading idea of the Tsaritsyn
development. Bazhenov sought to preserve the existing landscape as much
as possible, dividing the Kantemirovskaya estate into palace, garden and
park zones. This approach was understood and fully approved by the
crowned customer.
The architect planned the construction of an
entire town: in its center were five palaces for Catherine II and her
son, Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, with his family; around them was a
scattering of buildings for the court nobility, servants' cottages, and
pavilions. The ensemble was complemented by bridges and decorative
structures, as well as the Kitchen Building, an impressive building that
nevertheless fit into the surroundings so well that it did not overwhelm
the neighboring buildings with its size. The layout of the Tsaritsyn
buildings is such that it allows us to speak of the "poetry of
geometry": here we encounter a variety of geometric figures, always
correct and symmetrical. The pavilions are in the form of hexagons and
octagons, cross-shaped; the Small Palace is in the form of a semicircle,
the Kitchen Building is in the form of a square with rounded corners.
The same applies to the interior layout: round, oval and semi-oval halls
are masterfully combined with rectangular halls. Bazhenov designed
almost all the interior spaces of the Tsaritsyn buildings with vaulted
ceilings, which achieved an even greater effect of the play of geometric
shapes.
Along with the projects for the buildings of the
ensemble, a landscape park was planned while preserving most of the
plantings of the existing regular park. The main alleys of the regular
park were preserved in the new project, and the Birch Prospect became
one of the central compositional axes of the development.
A
feature of Bazhenov's project was that the main palace as a single
building was absent - it was divided into three independent buildings:
the central one with ceremonial halls (the Grand Cavalier Palace, or
building), the right and left with the personal chambers of the empress
and the heir to the throne. This decision was dictated by the idea of
preserving the natural environment, including the landscape and
scenery in the interiors. The green lawn framed by three buildings was
to become an important element of the development. The architect,
innovatively solving the problem of Tsaritsyno planning, abandoned the
traditional arrangement of the ensemble as an estate, placing the main
volumes of the palace buildings in the center of the composition instead
of the ceremonial square.
Later, after the birth of Pavel
Petrovich's sons Alexander and Konstantin, Bazhenov made changes to this
part of the ensemble: a small building for Catherine's grandchildren
appeared between the buildings of Catherine II and her son.
Bazhenov, designing Tsaritsyno, solved a number of architectural
problems in a completely new way - before him, no Russian architect had
been involved in the implementation of such ideas. The architect set
himself the goal of designing the ensemble in such a way that on the two
main approaches to it - from the western side (the main road from
Moscow, turning into an alley through the dam of the Tsaritsyn ponds)
and from the northern side, from the Kashira road leading from
Kolomenskoye (a branch from it, turning into the Beryozovaya prospect) -
individual buildings were perceived as a single whole. The
four-hundred-meter facades of Tsaritsyn were to be perceived as one from
distant vantage points. This effect of perception was calculated by the
increasing volumes - from the one-story pavilions in the foreground
through the two-story palaces on the hill to the dominant Clock Tower at
the highest point (the tower was not built), and the length of the
individual buildings - from the small pavilions in front to the long
buildings of the background - the Bread House and the Stables Building
(which also remained only in the plans). Another urban planning task for
Bazhenov was the visual connection of Tsaritsyn with Kolomenskoye. It is
no coincidence that he attached great importance to the Clock Tower,
which was to become a vertical accent, echoing the Kolomna Church of the
Ascension of the Lord.
Finally, Bazhenov solved two more urban
planning tasks in the layout of Tsaritsyn - to solemnly decorate the
southern approach to the First Throne capital and to plan to connect it
with the Kremlin and the ceremonial Petersburg perspective. The ensemble
opened up not only from Kashirskaya, but also from the Serpukhov road in
the area of the village of Kotly - at this point one could
simultaneously see both Tsaritsyn and the Kremlin. Such a decision was
politically significant for the reign of Catherine: it was along the
Serpukhov road that embassies from Persia and Turkey arrived in Moscow.
It is now impossible to evaluate these urban development plans of
Bazhenov - modern development has completely hidden the views of
Kolomenskoye from Tsaritsyn, as well as the majestic panoramas from
Kotly.
Catherine II liked the presented project, and in May 1776,
construction began. Three buildings along the Birch Prospect (the Small
and Middle Palaces and the Third Cavalier Corps), pavilions and the
Figured Bridge were laid. The work was going well: already in August,
Bazhenov reported that the Figured Bridge was almost finished, and "the
other three houses are half-built, which will certainly be finished this
summer, if the bad weather does not catch us." However, by the end of
the year, problems with building materials and financing began; this was
repeated at times throughout the entire construction, which lasted for a
decade - contrary to the architect's plans to finish it in three years.
Bazhenov wrote numerous letters to officials, finding out the reasons
for the difficulties. Nevertheless, in 1777-1778, the previously started
construction was completed, and in 1777, they began building the Figured
Gate and the main palace, which consisted of three buildings. It was
completed in 1782; at the same time, the Great Cavalier Building,
several outbuildings, and the gallery arch were laid.
To keep the
construction going, Bazhenov even had to take out loans in his own name
and carry out the construction at his own expense. While working on the
Tsaritsyn ensemble, Bazhenov was forced to sell his house in Moscow
along with all the furnishings and the library. By 1784, Bazhenov had
about 15 thousand rubles in debt.
Finally, at the beginning of
1784, 100 thousand rubles were allocated to complete the construction.
The unexpected generosity of the treasury was due to the fact that the
empress planned a trip to Moscow the following year. Among other things,
she wanted to inspect the new Moscow buildings she had started: at the
same time as the Tsaritsyn ensemble, the palace in Kolomenskoye was
being built under the supervision of Karl Blank, and in the Kremlin, the
Senate Palace by Matvey Kazakov. Bazhenov went to St. Petersburg for a
personal audience with Privy Councilor A. A. Bezborodko, who enjoyed
great influence with the Empress, and convinced him that the allocated
amount was not enough to complete the construction as quickly as
possible. Bezborodko conveyed Bazhenov's opinion to Catherine II, the
amount was doubled, but with the condition that Bazhenov prepare a
project for another palace, a small one, in Bulatnikovo.
During
1784-1785, Bazhenov had to manage two construction projects. After part
of the promised amount was allocated, the Tsaritsyn construction
proceeded at an accelerated pace: in a year, the Great Bridge over the
ravine, the First and Second Cavalier Buildings, and the kitchen
building (Bread House) were built. However, even during this period,
despite the Empress's order to complete the construction by her arrival,
there were serious disruptions in financing. In September 1784, Bazhenov
wrote a letter to Bezborodko, filled with genuine despair:
With
all my collected strength and zeal, I strove, suffered, and built a
great deal in both places entrusted to me [that is, in Tsaritsyn and
Bulatnikovo]. But what is happening to me now: only fifty thousand were
received in March, with which the suppliers and contractors were somehow
satisfied. Come up, dear sir: is it possible to build such a huge
building with such little money. <…> Plasterers from three hundred
people <…> were dressed up under a contract for 8450 rubles, but they
were given only 2450 rubles, but when they will receive six thousand
rubles is still unknown. These poor people must go home - what will they
bring to their wives and children! <…> The poor carpenters, blacksmiths,
stove-makers, joiners, and all sorts of other craftsmen suffer
everything. But I am forced to borrow another five thousand rubles and
have spent them all on the most urgent needs for the building. And with
all that, the suppliers are still coming, asking and tormenting me, and
they still do not retreat and do not give me a break anywhere. <…> I
have no more patience: I will be forced to flee from Moscow to you; I
will leave my wife, children in illness, of whom I have already buried
one son just these days.
During the construction of Tsaritsyn,
Bazhenov had to write more than one such letter; but this most vividly
illustrates the reverse side of the palace magnificence. The missing
amount was nevertheless allocated; finally, all the planned buildings
were erected, except for the Stables Building and the Clock Tower.
Finishing works were in full swing: all the buildings were equipped with
tiled stoves, and the rooms were plastered (tempera painting on plaster
was probably planned as an artistic decoration), the floors were laid
with tiles. Bronze items were ordered for the halls of the Tsaritsyn
palaces, as well as mirrors from the Nazino Glass Factory.
In
early June 1785, Catherine II visited Moscow. The visit was brief and
somewhat unexpected - the empress had planned her visit for a later
date. Having left St. Petersburg on May 21 (June 1) accompanied by her
retinue (Potemkin, Bezborodko, Shuvalov, Count Stroganov) and foreign
ambassadors (French - de Segur, Austrian - Count Cobenzl and English -
Fitzberberg) for a walk to inspect the Vyshnevolotsk Canal, the empress
met with the Governor-General of Moscow, Count Ya. A. Bruce, who arrived
here specifically to persuade Catherine to visit Moscow. The idea of
an unexpected pleasure trip pleased the empress. On June 2 (13), the
"merry company" (the description of Count de Segur and Catherine
herself) was in Moscow, and an inspection of Tsaritsyn was planned for
June 3 (14). The most widespread version of what happened next, based on
the memoirs of Senator I. I. Kozlov, an eyewitness to the events, states
the following.
The Empress wanted to inspect the Tsaritsyn
construction without delay. On the day of the inspection, Bazhenov was
ordered to also present his wife and children. The Empress, accompanied
by a small retinue, went to Tsaritsyn by roundabout routes, bypassing
the main entrances, as she was frightened by rumors of a possible
assassination attempt - the Empress did not have a chance to admire the
majestic distant perspectives and the opening of the Tsaritsyn facades
conceived by Bazhenov. The inspection of the buildings themselves did
not last long. Catherine II, without stopping anywhere, only went
through the reception halls on the second floor of the main palace and
inspected the ceremonial suite, as well as the anterooms; she visited
the side building, where her living quarters were located. The Empress's
verdict after a cursory inspection was harsh: the money spent on the
construction had been wasted, the staircases were narrow, the ceilings
were heavy, the rooms and boudoirs were cramped, the halls were dark
like cellars. Catherine ordered "to make considerable damage" and to
present a new project for the main palace. I. I. Kozlov went on to say:
The Empress, returning to the carriages in anger, ordered the head
of the Kremlin expedition M. M. Izmailov to tear [the palace] down to
the ground. Bazhenov stopped her: "Empress! I am worthy of your anger, I
have not had the good fortune to please you, but my wife has not built
anything." The Empress, turning around, allowed the entire family to
kiss her hand and, without saying a word, left.
The empress's
decision made a proper impression on many: it is obvious that Vasily
Bazhenov fell into disgrace, and the "monarch's wrath" was revealed to
him. Bazhenov was immediately suspended from construction, and his
pupil, Matvey Kazakov, was appointed the new architect of the Tsaritsyn
residence, which became another humiliation for the retired architect.
It is difficult to imagine that an extremely gifted architect, who
had previously successfully built more than one building, could have so
grossly miscalculated the proportions. In addition, the Tsaritsyn
buildings were approved personally by the Empress, everything was built
with her approval; the approximate dimensions of future buildings and
interiors were known to her in advance. It is also unlikely that the
architect would have dared to contradict the wishes of Catherine
herself. Most likely, Ekaterina's verdict — "it is impossible to live
here" — was only a pretext for Bazhenov's removal. But, probably, the
Empress had certain grounds for scathing criticism of Bazhenov's
buildings. In November 1784, the Governor-General of both capitals,
Count Bruce, inspected the Tsaritsyn construction. In his report, which
contained a lot of enthusiasm, Bruce also expressed perplexity about the
relative location of the three main palace buildings, and wrote about
the Grand Cavalier Palace: "It seems that the building assigned to the
cavaliers is crowding the building a lot and in some rooms it takes away
some of the light."
Some researchers suggest that the real
reasons for the monarch's anger were Bazhenov's belonging to the Masons
(the architect passed the rite of initiation in 1784 on the guarantee of
the educator and publisher N. I. Novikov and was accepted into the
Deucalion lodge, the master of the chair of which was S. I. Gamaleya)
and his secret contacts with Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich. The Empress's
attitude towards her son is well known: she disliked him and did not
allow him to rule the empire, kept him away from making important state
decisions. One of the goals of the Russian Freemasons was to attract the
heir to the throne to their ranks. Vasily Bazhenov was chosen by the
"brothers" as a courier intermediary between the Moscow Masons and the
Tsarevich. Often traveling to St. Petersburg on business of Tsaritsyn
construction, the architect secretly visited the Maly Dvor, met with
Pavel and gave him Masonic literature. Bazhenov did not have high
"degrees" among Freemasons (that is, Masonic ranks) and did not take any
other active part in the Masonic movement. In general, the secret became
clear: during the Empress's visit to Moscow in 1785, she was informed
about the activities of Moscow Masons, including secret contacts with
the heir. Catherine probably saw the beginnings of a conspiracy in this
and decided to nip it in the bud. In addition, in 1785, N. I. Novikov,
one of the most prominent Russian Freemasons and a close friend of the
architect, began serious problems with the authorities. The culmination
of the Novikov case was his arrest in 1792; as evidence against him,
there was a note by Vasily Bazhenov dating back to 1784, in which the
architect reported on a secret meeting with the tsarevich (by oversight
Novikov did not destroy it). Bazhenov was not involved in the
investigation — apparently, the Empress considered that he had already
been punished enough.
Bazhenov's Freemasonry was clearly
reflected in the Tsaritsyn buildings. The decor of many buildings,
mysterious lace stone patterns clearly resemble Masonic ciphers and
emblems. Tsaritsyno is often referred to as the "architectural reference
book" of Masonic symbols of the XVIII century; the very construction of
the ensemble, its layout is sometimes also considered a kind of Masonic
cipher. The iconographic program of Tsaritsyn's Masonic symbols has been
repeatedly tried to decipher, but without any reliable result; it is
recognized that this is not yet possible. In addition, Tsaritsyno is so
rich in meanings that no researcher has yet been able to explain it
exhaustively. Back in the 1830s, the philosopher I. V. Kireevsky
ironically noted:
About Bazhenov in Russia, everyone you meet
will tell you something new.
Another version — quite common —
explains what happened by the presence of Masonic signs on the Tsaritsyn
buildings. It is unlikely to assume that Catherine was fluent in the
symbolism of the "freemasons"; moreover, a number of Masonic symbols go
back to Christian emblematics. But even if this were the case, all
Bazhenov's Tsaritsyn buildings would be demolished.
However, when
comparing the version set out in Senator Kozlov's memoirs with archival
documents, an obvious fit of events in the senator's testimony is
revealed. So, leaving Moscow, Catherine II informed her correspondents
that the trip turned out to be fun and entertaining and gave her a lot
of pleasure. In particular, on June 8 (19), 1785, she wrote to her son
Tsarevich:
I am healthy and already on my way back; I will spend
the night in Torzhok, and tomorrow I will arrive in Vyshny Volochyok.
The Petrovsky House [that is, the Petrovsky Travel Palace] is a very
pretty apartment, the other two, that is, the new palaces, the Moscow
[meaning the Senate Palace] and the Tsaritsynsky, are not finished; the
latter must be changed inside, because it would be impossible to live in
it that way; Kolomenskoye is the same as I left it.
That is, the
letter does not even talk about the demolition of palaces, it only
expresses the intention to rebuild them from the inside. In a letter
dated September 1 (12), 1785, M. M. Izmailov stated that the Empress
ordered "architects Bazhenov and Kazakov to make plans for the transfer
with estimates" — thus, there is no question of scrapping here either.
Only after the approval of the new project was the official order of
Catherine II issued on February 6 (17), 1786 "On dismantling the main
building built in the village of Tsaritsyn to the ground and then
producing it according to the newly confirmed plan composed by architect
Kazakov." Comparing the dates makes it obvious that the decision to
demolish the Bazhenov buildings did not come to Catherine immediately.
The version of the "monarch's wrath" in the study of chronology and
archival documents looks rather shaky.
Perhaps not the least role
in the fate of the Bazhenov ensemble was played by Catherine's new
palace venture — the Pella estate; now the city of Otradnoye in the
Leningrad region). Acquired in 1784, Pella Manor subsequently became a
favorite residence of the Empress. On March 13 (24), 1785, that is, two
months before her trip to Moscow, Catherine II approved the design of
the new palace; it was prepared by architect I. E. Starov, an adherent
of strict classicism, who at that time enjoyed the favor of the Empress
and influenced her artistic tastes. The construction of the new palace
proceeded at a rapid pace; Catherine II was completely absorbed in the
fresh idea and was extremely proud of her new residence. She wrote to
Baron Grimm in 1786:
All my palaces are just huts compared to
Pella, which is being erected like a phoenix.
Empress Catherine,
of course, was fascinated by new architectural ideas; she devoted a lot
of time to construction, enthusiastically started new projects, not
always comparing them with the possibilities of the treasury. She wrote
about this, not without self-irony, to Grimm back in 1779:
Construction is a diabolical business: it consumes money, and the more
you build, the more you want to build. It's a disease, like binge
drinking…
Probably, by 1785, Catherine II had already cooled down
to the Tsaritsyn venture, and, most likely, she began to dislike "her
Bazhenov"; besides, she had a good reason to suspend construction near
Moscow in order to direct the released funds to a new residence. Some
kind of pretext was needed for this: perhaps the claims against
Bazhenov's buildings were just such an excuse. But in any case, what
happened has no analogues.:
An event unprecedented in the annals
of Russian architecture of the XVIII century took place: a huge palace,
built by an excellent artist, which required a lot of money, despite the
preliminary approval of the project by the Empress, was dismantled.
Another version (art criticism) claims that the reason for
Bazhenov's failure lies in the architect's very artistic approach to
creating a pleasure country residence:
The bitter paradox is that
this speculative, stimulating creative imagination architecture <...> is
incompatible with the very idea of the manor, that image of an ideal
world that guaranteed the emancipation of the owner's personality. <...>
Tsaritsyn's architecture <...> is too self-sufficient to accept living
people. She is endowed with a strong will of her own, which inevitably
comes into conflict with any manifestation of the will of an outsider, a
stranger. For this reason, Ekaterina rejected the already completed
ensemble with a loud scandal…
Also, the Tsaritsyn drama is
associated with the evolution of the Empress's worldview. In 1775, she
was 46 years old, she still shared some of the democratic ideals of the
Enlightenment, and was tolerant of dissent. Ten years later, Catherine
began to feel like an exceptional autocratic ruler. She was worried
about the mindset inside Russia, as well as the crisis of royal power in
France, which turned into a revolution four years later. The heir to the
throne, Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, was already 31 years old in 1785, and
some influential Russian nobles saw him as a legitimate pretender,
unfairly ousted from the throne. The Empress became increasingly
suspicious and intolerant. To assert the image of his absolute power,
Tsaritsyno, built by Bazhenov, — a pleasure "caprice" — did not fit in
any way. The "All-Russian Autocrat" needed another palace, large,
spacious, unified and majestic. There is a variation on the theme of
this version: allegedly, the Empress was offended when she saw the same
palaces for her and for Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, thus Bazhenov seemed
to hint at her usurpation of the Russian throne. However, in Pella in
the same years, Starov also built equally symmetrical palaces; it should
also not be forgotten that all Tsaritsyn buildings were approved by
Catherine at the project stage.
At various times, other versions
of the reasons for what happened were put forward (according to some
estimates, there are at least thirty of them). For example, one of them
suggests that the events around Bazhenov and Tsaritsyn became a visible
part of some court intrigue against Prince Grigory Potemkin (but it is
unknown which one). Another connects the suspension of Tsaritsyn
construction with preparations for the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792:
however, this version, like many others, is based mainly on assumptions.
The reasons for Bazhenov's removal and the demolition of the palaces
have still not been fully clarified and represent one of the biggest
mysteries of Tsaritsyn.
It took more than six months after Catherine II's inspection of the
Tsaritsyn palaces before a new palace development project was approved.
During this time, according to legend, M. M. Izmailov, the head of the
Kremlin expedition of buildings, whom the Empress entrusted with
overseeing the alteration, tried to help Bazhenov regain the Empress's
favor. Together with Matvey Kazakov, we decided to do this: Bazhenov
will prepare a new version of the palace and present it with the
mediation of Izmailov earlier than Kazakov will do. Apparently, nothing
came of the idea: it is not known for certain whether Ekaterina got
acquainted with the new Bazhenov project or not. It is only known that
in January 1786 Bazhenov was dismissed from his posts for a year to
improve his health. For Bazhenov, the second (after the unfulfilled
project of the Kremlin Palace) grandiose failure caused a serious mental
crisis. The fruits of ten years of labor, to which all the forces were
given, turned out to be unclaimed. He never returned to the position of
court architect under Catherine.
By February 1786, Kazakov had
prepared a design for the Grand Palace, and it was approved by the
Empress. In March, the dismantling of two buildings began — the chambers
of Catherine and Tsarevich Pavel; on July 18 (29), a new palace was laid
"according to the newly confirmed plan created by architect Kazakov."
The choice of Matvey Kazakov as the chief architect of Tsaritsyn's
alterations was not accidental. During her memorable visit to Moscow,
Catherine also inspected the Cossack Senate Palace; the unfinished
building delighted her and, according to legend, she said:
How
good everything is! What an art! This has exceeded my expectation; you
have given me a rare pleasure this day; I will count with you, and now
here are my gloves for you, give them to your wife and tell her that
this is a memory of my favor to you.
Catherine was probably
impressed not only by the structure itself, but also by the spectacular
act of the architect, which he performed when completing the
construction of the dome of the palace. Construction workers were afraid
to disassemble the circles from under the completed dome, believing that
it would collapse. Nothing like this had been seen in Russia before: the
dome with a diameter of 24.7 meters was the largest structure of its
kind in Russia (and remains so to this day); the curiosity caused
concern. Then Matvey Kazakov climbed to the top of the dome and stood
there until the circles were dismantled.
For Kazakov, Tsaritsyn
construction was not a favorite brainchild, as for Bazhenov. The
architect was also busy with other projects, and the construction in
Tsaritsyn was often carried out by his assistants. In his project,
Matvey Kazakov tried to preserve the style chosen by Bazhenov, based on
the traditions of Moscow architecture of the XVII century, but
nevertheless the new palace was in conflict with the existing building.
Ten years have passed since the foundation of Tsaritsyn, and during this
time classicism has gained strength, has become the leading direction of
the development of Russian architecture; The Empress's tastes and needs
have also changed. The new task dictated new solutions: for example, the
palace acquired a three-part division, characteristic of classicism, and
monumental proportions. Bazhenov palaces were designed with the
calculation of their multifaceted perception and ensemble construction;
the Kazakov project assumed that the frontal viewing points would become
the main ones. The new palace became the leading, dominant element of
the building (which was emphasized by the breakdown of the traditional
parade square in front of it); Kazakov had to abandon ensemble in
Bazhenov's understanding, "duets" and "trios" of equal architectural
objects.
The elements of Gothic architecture became more
pronounced thanks to the eight towers that accentuated the corners
around the perimeter of the palace. In two of them, stairs were planned
from the northern (main) facade. The lower flight of these stairs,
according to some assumptions, could go up and block access to the
second floor. Such a decision, dating back to the traditions of Gothic
castles, gave rise to a discussion in the 1970s - were palaces or
castles built in Tsaritsyn by Bazhenov and Cossacks? The Kazakov Palace
is more similar to the classic medieval castle than Bazhenov's
predecessors. Kurbatov mentioned, in particular, Chambord Castle as one
of the possible sources of inspiration for Matvey Kazakov.
The
volumes of the new structure significantly exceeded Bazhenov's
predecessors: the original version of Kazakov assumed the presence of
three floors (excluding the basement), high roofs, large square side
buildings connected to a monumental central building crowned with a
belvedere. This restored the traditional hierarchy of buildings, which
Bazhenov had abandoned at the time: in his ensemble, the largest
structure was the Kitchen Building; now the palace has become such.
But this project remained unfulfilled. It was obvious that Catherine
II had lost interest in her Moscow-area venture in the late 1780s: not
enough funds were allocated for the implementation of the project. After
1785, she was in Moscow only once, and then only passing through — in
1787, returning from her famous trip to the annexed Crimea. Perhaps
Catherine was already ready to completely abandon Tsaritsyn — the need
for the Tsarskoye Selo near Moscow was less and less felt — but Grigory
Potemkin, who volunteered to finance the long-term construction,
unobtrusively insisted on completing the construction.
And yet,
in 1790, the construction of the palace was stopped — presumably due to
financial difficulties caused by the new Russian-Turkish war. And in
October 1791, Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky, the inspirer of the Tsaritsyn
plan, died suddenly.
Nevertheless, in 1793, seven years after the
laying of the new palace, Catherine II returned to Tsaritsyn
construction, but significant changes were made to the original Cossack
project. By her order, the height of the palace was reduced by one
floor. The architect had to hastily prepare a new project, taking into
account the fact that the palace was half built. The change in the
height of the building led to the fact that its silhouette became
somewhat vague; the violation of the original proportions affected the
architectural coherence of the parts of the palace. However, reducing
the height of the building allowed it to be better integrated into the
existing Bazhenov building, but it was not possible to achieve a
complete harmonious relationship.
In 1794, the so—called Grand
Cavalry Corps, the Bazhenov Palace, which occupied a central place in
its complex of three palaces, was dismantled, one of those that
displeased the Empress in 1785. (The "unusable" palace thus stood for
nine years). Perhaps Matvey Kazakov considered various options for
including the Bazhenov palace in the new layout; and it was probably
dismantled for building materials, in connection with the Empress's
desire to complete the multi—year construction as soon as possible. In
its place, Kazakov, in accordance with the canons of the classical
design of the squares, planned to install an obelisk.
In November
1796, Catherine the Great died suddenly. By this time, the construction
of the Large Tsaritsyn Palace had been roughly completed, the building
was covered with a temporary roof, interior finishing work began — by
the time all work in Tsaritsyn was stopped, 17 rooms of the palace had
parquet floors and ceiling finishes. In the remaining Bazhenov
buildings, they had not been engaged in interior decoration for the
entire previous decade. The new emperor Paul I, after his coronation in
March 1797, visited Tsaritsyno — he did not like it. On June 8 (19) of
the same year, a decree was issued "not to produce any buildings in the
village of Tsaritsyn." In the future, the arrangement of Tsaritsyn
buildings was never resumed, and the palace ensemble, which was built
for a long time and difficult by Vasily Bazhenov and Matvey Kazakov, did
not become a residential imperial residence.
The Imperial
residence after Catherine