An Introduction and History of Architecture in Moscow

The Revival style that came to characterize a great deal of the buildings in Moscow during the latter half of the 19th century and into the 20th century came about as an extension of a greater architectural tradition that spanned the entirety of the nation during the 18th century. Neo-classicism came to dominate the cityscapes of Russia at in the 1700s, with a discernible Western European influence (French specifically) (3). The Neo-classicist style was infused into so many imperial Russian buildings, in fact, that the popular image (3) of the city has come to be remembered with it. 

The Gothic Revival period of Russia’s architectural history sprung from this Neo-classical tradition. Many of Russia’s architects and designers at this time sought their training in the West, but as the 19th century progressed, Russia sought to exude the nationalism that was felt among its people through the architecture of the city. With that, “the first attempts were made to imitate Russian wooden architecture… not so much [a] restoration of what had been lost as stylistic imitation—to search for national originality in architecture” (3).

After the fire of 1812 in Moscow, however, 6,500 of Moscow’s 9,000 buildings were destroyed by flames. Over the next five years (beginning in the spring of 1813), 6,000 new buildings were constructed with the opportunity for new stylistic ambition to materialize (3). As the nation’s capital was in St. Petersburg at the time, many of the buildings in Moscow no longer were prioritized for administrative purposes, allowing for “decorative interiors of often intimate scale” (3)

3. Shvidkovsky, Dmitry, and Antony Wood. "VI: The European Century, VII: The Soviet and Post-Soviet Eras." Russian Architecture and the West. New Haven: Yale UP, 2007. 291-386. Print.