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From Russia With Love
The Unique Culture of St. Petersburg By Megan L. Fowler
In 1762, Empress Catherine II took reign and continued Peter's will for home reforms and conquests. She strongly influenced education and philosophy with brilliant ideals and shaped the fine arts of that time.
It was then that a new style – classicism – was established. Carrying this style were such buildings as the Academy of Fine Arts (Felten), the Marble Palace (Rinaldi), the Taurida Palace (Starov), the Yusupov Palace at the Fontanka River, the Kazansky Cathedral (Voronikhin) and countless other structures.
"I don't think there is one style more vibrant that the other," says Lynette Proler, a Russian historian, art dealer and founder of Russian Imperial Art, Inc. in Los Angeles, Calif. "The baroque is very Renaissance-like, and the classicism has some elements of that. The churches especially bring in the Russian elements of architecture with high arched ceilings, one central dome and no columns."
But if hiring an architect and tearing up your home isn't your idea of simple, consider your outdoor garden. "You can incorporate a garden structure to carry this style," she says. "The gardens in Russia are gorgeous. They copied English styles so you could do a miniature palace out there or rotunda."
Russians were also very good at making something functional into something artful, says Khidekel. For example, parquet flooring "was a combination of applied art designed by architects and decorators," she says. "It was really beautiful using different kinds of woods. This was also an important part of design."
That, adds Proler, is something anyone can do in their home. "There is no other country in the world that really has perfected the technique of inlay floors and it could really add to the design of a home," she says.
Applied art such as jewelry and sculptures were extraordinary in St. Petersburg. "Art in Russia was very censored," says Khidekel. "But applied art and stage art were much less censored, because it was not considered so much like art and therefore created some really beautiful pieces."
Most commonly known are the Faberg矅ggs. "Those eggs became symbols [of Russia]," she says. "They were once very special and unique but have now become very commercial."
"St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world," says Khidekel. "And I'm not saying that just because I'm from there. It is very important for Western countries to know about the artists of Russia. There is nowhere else in the world like it."
Photo credits: House photo and interiors: This house was built, as new, in 2001 in Manhattan Beach, N.Y., and was designed and photographed by Mark Khidekel. Celebration Egg, Russian art recreations for private homes and birdcage with gold inspired by Russian architecture photos by Lynette G. Proler.