7 MAIN masterpieces of Carlo Rossi in St. Petersburg (PHOTOS)

1. General Staff 

The Palace Square in front of the Winter Palace was to be “brought to correctness” by order of Alexander I in 1819. This task was entrusted to Carlo Rossi. However, the construction went on under two emperors - Alexander I and Nicholas I. The buildings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Staff are united by a majestic triumphal arch in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 and “embrace” Palace Square in a semicircle.  

2. Alexandrinsky Theater

He came up with not only the project of the Alexandrinsky Theater, but also the ensemble of the entire square around it. The architect thought out all the details: furniture, lighting, a system of corridors and stairs, thanks to which up to 1,700 spectators could move inside without crowding. 

3. Mikhailovsky Palace 

Emperor Alexander I commissioned the construction of the palace for his younger brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. The monarch personally accepted the work from Rossi, presented him a diamond ring and awarded him an order for his labors. At the end of the 19th century, the building was transferred to the Russian Museum.

4. Rossi Pavilion in Pavlovsk 

The pavilion in memory of Empress Maria Fyodorovna was planned to be built back in 1835. Several architects worked on the project, including Rossi, but it was only realized in 1914. According to the surviving drawings and sketches, a gazebo was created in Pavlovsk, in the center of which a statue of the empress was installed, also according to a sketch by Carlo Rossi.

5. Imperial Public Library

The main building of the library on Ostrovsky Square is decorated with a colonnade on the second floor and figures of ancient thinkers. And the inside is arranged in such a way that readers can easily approach the cabinets. Later, the Gothic Hall, where ancient documents are kept, and Voltaire's library were placed there. 

6. Military Gallery of the Winter Palace

The rooms between the Great Throne Hall and the Armorial Hall were combined by Carlo Rossi into a single gallery. Its walls were decorated with portraits of the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812. The Military Gallery became one of the most famous and luxurious halls of the palace. In 1837, it was damaged in a fire, but it was carefully restored after.  

7. Senate & Synod

The emperor decided that it was necessary to make more modern buildings next to the Admiralty, where the Senate and the Holy Synod were to be located, following the example and likeness of the General Staff. The paradox was that Nicholas I considered only Carlo Rossi as an architect, but he refused the project. You can't argue with the emperor, but the Italian took a risk. He completed the project, but, in the process, he repeatedly argued with Nicholas and was reprimanded by him numerous times. As a result, Senate Square was decorated with an ensemble of two buildings with a common arch. It became Rossi's last work in St. Petersburg.