Saint Petersburg is an architectural gem of Russia with many of its buildings regarded masterpieces of world significance. And yet, this city is everything but Russian...
The first architects to build the city were invited from different European countries. Received most graciously by the Tsar, many of them stayed and continued to build Russia's new metropolis. To name just a few: the Swiss Domenico Trezzini, the Italians Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Carlo Rossi, Giacomo Quarenghi, Antonio Rinaldi, Gaetano Chiaveri and Mario Fontana, the French Jean-Baptiste Leblond, the German Johann Schlueter, shaped the city in its initial stage.
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Town planning
The complete innovation was introduced also in the town planning. Instead of taking a hill as its focal point, an island on the Neva was chosen, and the fortress that was erected here was very much unlike a traditional Russian citadel (Kreml).
Furthermore, instead of the traditional concentric circles pattern it was decided for a tri-radial centre with broad long avenues.
Saint Petersburg was the only city apart from Versailles built from the very outset according to a preconceived masterplan.
Baroque
The first significant architectural style to develop in Saint Petersburg was Russian Baroque.
Magnificent imperial residences, palaces and churches, richly decorated with gold, stone and wood carving appeared in the 18th century Saint Petersburg.
The Imperial Winter Palace is the most famous example.
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Classicism
Gradually Baroque is outposted by Classicism as it happens in all European countries. From 1760's it rules for about a century.
Though it is generally keeping clear lines, strict symmetry of form and proportion, it is in no way monotonous.
While early Classicism incorporates Baroque elements, mid-Classicism strictly follows ancient Rome and Greece, late or high Classicism boast monumental buildings with sculpted decoration.
Eclectics
By the mid-19th century, eclectic style finds its way to Saint Petersburg. Architects are brave enough to combine Gothic and Early Russian, Moresque and Romanesque motifs in their work. In these years, the economy grows, and intensive construction of banks, large emporiums, railway stations, and mansions for wealthy industrialists takes place.
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Art Nouveau
At the turn of the 19th century there are a few edifices built in the mixture of Russian Classicism and Italian Renaissance, but the dominant Art Nouveau (Stil Modern) slowly pushes all other styles out.
In fact, St. Petersburg as an Art Nouveau city is very underestimated. There are several thousand (!) surviving Art Nouveau buildings, and thus it was one of the most important architectural movements to shape the modern appearance of the city.
Large districts of St. Petersburg were entirely rebuilt in Stil Modern before 1914. Different currents of Art Nouveau are present here, from its Moscovite Russian branch and the Northern National revival to a typical Parisian, Berlin or Vienna style buildings.
Constructivism
In 1917 the glorious times of the Russian Tsars were over, but it was not the end of the architecture. In the 1920s a special committee is set and a construction of the city now called Leningrad is launched on a wide scale. The dominant style now is Constructivism, and buildings like Community Centres or Executive Committee of the Soviets of People's Deputies of various city districts are erected.
Stalin era luckily did not touch much of St. Petersburg's architecture. Other Russian cities, notably Moscow, had their architectural bases uprooted and replaced by big Stalinist-style buildings typical of mid-century Soviet architecture. We indeed have to thank Josef Stalin, or rather his personal hatred of Petersburg, the survival of the historic city. Rather than rebuilding it in the style of the "developed socialism" he preferred to leave it “rot in peace”.
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World War II
WWII bombings greatly damaged Leningrad, leaving just a few buildings intact after the war. More than three thousand houses, about four hundred school buildings and hundreds of establishments were heavily bombed or ruined. In post-war reconstructions architects sought a way to reflect Russia's victory in the war. So, they turned to Russian Classicism and Greek styles and created heavy monumental buildings featuring heroic motifs. The metro is one of the best illustrations to this style in architecture. Since 1960s any style as such stopped existing. The goal was to create as much housing as possible. Standard prefab methods were used to construct endless high-rise apartment buildings, and the only luck is that none of them is located in the city centre, and you will see them only upon entering into the city.