The religious architecture and the splendor of the Orthodox churches
In the course of their history, when the Russians adopted the Christian religion, they had no art of their own: it was then that they borrowed characteristics of Byzantine architecture, which is immediately recognizable in Russia by the hemispherical domes. However, as the country experienced significant snowy episodes during a long and harsh winter, they then raised these domes into helmet-shaped domes, first in the shape of a helmet, then in the shape of bulbs that evoke the flame of a candle. The Orthodox churches are a reason in themselves to visit the country, as their extraordinary architecture is both eye-catching and fascinating. They are present in various places in this immense territory, with specific features that make them unique. How, when mentioning the most beautiful buildings, not to mention the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed in Moscow, also known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin on the Ditch. The one that was built between 1555 and 1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the victory over the Kazan khanate actually houses nine churches. Located on the unmissable Red Square, it is recognizable by its red-orange colour and its colourful domes. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has become one of the main symbols of Russia. While strolling around St. Petersburg, you should stop at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas of the Marines, dazzling with its sky blue tone and Elizabethan Baroque style. During the Soviet era, it was one of the few cathedrals that remained active in religious service. Also worth mentioning is the Church of the Resurrection of Foros, an astonishing place of worship overlooking the coastline. The monument has a tumultuous history, first plundered and closed after the Russian Revolution, it was later bombed by the Nazis, a detachment of the Soviet army having settled there. The Soviet authorities then considered destroying it, but it finally stood, welcoming the faithful and offering a sublime and breathtaking panorama. Another church that met with an eventful trajectory was the splendid Cathedral of the Dormition in Vladimir. Recognisable by its white façade and its superb golden domes, it was burnt down in the 13th century by the Mongols, causing the death of the family of the prince of Vladimir at the time. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it underwent major renovation work in the 19th century during which frescoes attributed to Andrei Rublev, a monk and icon painter from the late 14th-early 15th century, were uncovered. For a most original experience, you should also not miss a trip to the island of Kiji in the Republic of Karelia to see the Church of the Transfiguration, which has an astonishing wooden structure. Built in 1714, without even using a single nail, this building is a jewel, an original work topped with 22 bulbs. The wood gives it a sobriety that distinguishes it from many other churches in the country, and it blends perfectly with the surrounding nature. This unique church belongs to the wooden architectural ensemble of Pogost de Kiji, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.The Stalinist era and the rigor
Inevitably, as one enters the main cities of Russia, the Soviet era was devoid of any aesthetic concerns. Dostoyevsky wrote "the Russian loves the ugly"! Still, for many people, buildings are sad, grey. The buildings of the Stalinist era were built with great human effort. And given their gigantic size, it is astonishing to learn that these architectural giants often house very small dwellings. However, as you stroll through the cities, you often experience a change of feeling, and first impressions that echo sadness and lack of fantasy can end up being seductive. In the end, one can find a certain charm, as something unique, a symbol of history. These constructions were born out of two phenomena: firstly, the rural exodus and the arrival of peasants who moved to the cities to work in industries and earn a better living. Then there is the destruction of the Second World War and the need to rebuild quickly and in large numbers. This is how the buildings of the Stalinist era were born, forming a curious marriage between Art Nouveau and neo-classical, and which must above all please the leaders of the Soviet Union. In Moscow, one cannot pass by the many buildings, including the Kotelnitcheskaya Quay Building and the House on the Quay, which are so pleasant to look at from the banks of the Moskva River. Then, as the walk goes on, we take the time to spot and contemplate the Seven Sisters: seven Stalinist skyscrapers erected in the 1940s to glorify the Soviet era. They are thetwo Radisson Royal Hotels Moscow and the Leningradskaya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Heavy Industry, the Lomonosov Moscow State University and two residential buildings, one on the Kotelnitcheskaya bank and the other on Kurin Square.The presence of certain specific dwellings
For centuries, the isba has been the traditional Russian habitat. A wooden house, it sheltered many peasants until the beginning of the 20th century. Nowadays, Russians prefer to live in buildings - which take the appearance of large residential complexes, but isbas can still be seen all over the country, and some of them are truly splendid.
In Karelia, on the island of Kiji, for example, the house is often quite rudimentary: five or six walls, four outside, one or two inside. They are made from fir and larch logs. The gaps between the logs are filled with moss. The edges of windows and roofs are often decorated with sawn "wood lace" patterns. They can also be seen in the Smolensk region and in the Khamovniki district of Moscow. The most beautiful is the one that belonged to the famous Russian historian Mikhail Pogodin, which is easily recognizable by its sky-blue facade. It was built in 1856.
The igloo is another traditional Inuit dwelling, still found in the Chukotka region. In these small ice houses that are up to four metres in diameter, snow is used for insulation. If you tend to shiver just by talking about it, the inside is warmed by animal skins carpeted here and there and by containers of burning oil. For fans of the genre, there is the Igloo Hotel Mountain Territory in the Russian Far East. It is located in Nachiki on the Kamchatka peninsula, not far from the Vilioutchik volcano.
For the nomads of the Urals, the habitat is called the tchum: a mobile tent of conical shape consisting of a variable number of poles, generally from 20 to 50, planted circularly on the ground and attached to each other at the top. In winter, the poles are covered with two layers of reindeer skins, while in summer they are caulked with birch bark or moss. The ground is insulated with a layer of wicker straw or dry grass and reindeer fur mats. The centre of the tent is occupied by the fireplace, while the space opposite the entrance is reserved for sacred objects.
Another traditional mobile dwelling used as a home by Siberian peoples such as the Chukchi is the yaranga. These too are made of skins, such as reindeer or walrus, which are sewn around wooden stakes. It takes about 50 skins to make a yaranga and the shape is more oval than that of the tchum.
Also in Siberia, as in the Baikal region, the indigenous peoples live in yurts, whose walls are made of a foldable wooden frame covered with fabric. The posts form the characteristic dome of the yurt. This dwelling is usually low to protect from the strong winds of the steppe.Russia, the temptation of the contemporary and foreign skills?
If Russia is not the first country one thinks of when looking for contemporary architecture, it is actually a mistake, since some of the greatest foreign architects have distinguished themselves on Russian territory. During the past centuries, Russian rulers have not hesitated to call upon the great names of other countries for the construction of buildings and even entire cities. Thus, if the Italians played an important role in the Middle Ages in the construction of the Kremlin and the churches of Moscow, these same Italians shared the task with the French in the 18th and early 19th centuries for the construction of St. Petersburg. In the second half of the 19th century, it was Northern European architects who introduced Art Nouveau, as reflected in the List mansion in the Russian capital.
In the 21st century, architects are faced with a more complicated political and social context and are not always welcome to draw up their projects. Either they do not meet Russian tastes or they are far too expensive. However, it can be noted that the country has some exceptional contemporary monuments. For example, the Moscow Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is a one-storey parallelepiped building. It has a total area of 5,400 sq.m. and is decorated on the facades with semi-crystalline polymer. The famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas redesigned this old building from the 1960s, which houses the Vremena Goda restaurant, also located in Gorky Park. While it has the appearance of a contemporary work, it also takes on the character traits of Soviet architecture, because for the founder Dasha Zhukova, wife of a Russian billionaire, the generosity of buildings with a Stalinist influence is perfect for the operation of a cultural institution. Another building, another function, is the Mriya Resort & Spa Hotel, located 25 kilometres from Yalta in the Crimea. This surprising monument is in the form of lotus petals and was designed by the British architect Norman Foster, author of the Millennium Bridge in London. Its unusual appearance and exceptional location on the Black Sea make it one of the most unique places to discover in Russia. Finally, are all airports places that have no architectural interest? That is certainly not the opinion of the English architecture firms of Grimshaw Architects, Pascall+Watson, who worked with the Danish firm Ramboll to create the new terminal at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg in 2013. To create this resolutely modern structure, it is said that the professionals were inspired by many elements of the city, from the churches and palaces to its bridges and islands. It remains to be seen whether, in the course of its development, Russia will once again call on the best foreign firms to be at the forefront of innovation in the field, or whether it will choose to retreat, to return to its fundamentals, which do not fail to arouse the curiosity of lovers of monuments.
