К вопросу о влиянии французского неоклассицизма на московскую архитектуру последней трети XVIII в. Проблемы изучения творчества Н. Леграна
On the influence of French neoclassicism on Moscow architecture of the last third of the 18th century. Problems of N. Legrand studies

Summary/Abstract: Investigating the influence of French neoclassicism on Moscow architecture of the last third of 18th century a ranking place is taken by the activity of the Paris architect N. Legrand, who had been in charge of Moscow architectural authorities for about thirty years. Combining architectural, town-planning and pedagogical activity, he left a lot of followers, who worked not only in Moscow but in many other Russian provinces. The architect’s special place is notable in introducing the new principles in the course of medieval towns reconstruction, when avoiding radical solutions, he was trying to turn to the active dialogue between the elements of «ancient» and «modern» in the architecture. He also favoured the development of construction, engineering and decorative art in Moscow architectural school. However, despite Legrand’s contribution in the architectural practice of the Ancient Capital, the attitude to his achievements had changed after the tragic events of 1812. Later, at different stages of native historical and architectural science, intolerant attitude to French masters did not favour the objective study of his creative biography. The author reveals the I. E. Grabar’s controversial evaluations concerning the participation of the European architect in creation of the best Moscow ensembles. The analysis of peculiarities of N. Legrand’s construction methods, used in Moscow building, leaves the hope for discovery of the more detailed list of his works. This makes it possible to determine the place of the Paris school follower in the Russian-French architectural contacts and, in broader sense, in the complicated process of transferring the European architectural experience to Moscow in the Age of Enlightenment. The change of referential models in the course of architectural borrowings in classicism period allows tracing of these processes not only by the example of the Russian capital but at the periphery of the state. Thanks to infiltration of ides of French classicism, Moscow architecture gradually started to develop in European context.

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